It was only a matter of time before one of Israel's media outlets would raise the gauntlet and look into how popular Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked would be as head of the Likud Party. On July 13, Maariv released the results of a dramatic poll, which indicated that if she headed the ruling party, she would win as many seats as the current party chair, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — 33 Knesset seats.

Even if the results have no practical meaning, they grant the young minister from HaBayit HaYehudi the title of "the most popular politician in Israel" after Netanyahu, who is now at the peak of his public and political power.

This is no small feat. The last woman to hold this title was Zionist Camp senior Tzipi Livni in the 2009 election when she headed the Kadima Party. Since then, the political system has failed to create a rising star who could threaten Netanyahu. Yet this poll shows that even the right considers Shaked to be a realistic candidate for prime minister.

The justice minister is, in fact, quite the phenomenon. She is a politician on the rise, who has succeeded in standing out not only among the right but also among Israel's political leadership. Her impact on the public agenda exceeds even that of such senior political figures as Kulanu Chairman and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, Yisrael Beitenu Chairman and Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, and Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid. She even beats out the chairman of her own party, Education Minister Naftali Bennett.