Israeli TikTok star Hadar Muchtar hopes to get out the youth vote
Ahead of Israel's elections, a 21-year-old TikTok star has tapped into the economic frustrations of the country's disaffected youth, hoping to channel her social media following into political power.
After her short videos clocked up hundreds of thousands of views, Hadar Muchtar has taken to the streets to campaign for her movement, Youth on Fire, or "Tzeirim Boarim" in Hebrew, ahead of the November 1 polls.
On a warm autumn evening in Jerusalem's central Mahane Yehuda market, Muchtar clutched a microphone and called out: "We don't have enough money to live here!"
Her campaign seeks to lower rental and transport costs in Israel, where prices are 40 percent higher than in the 19-nation eurozone, according to a study published last month by the Israel Democracy Institute.
But her bid for power has hit a snag. She was just 20 when she registered the Youth on Fire electoral list, falling just short of the minimum age required at registration to take up a parliamentary seat -- even though she has since turned 21.
"I can't sit in the Knesset (parliament) but I can be in the government and I can be a minister," which has no age requirement, Muchtar told AFP.
Muchtar snapped selfies with supporters and drew an inquisitive crowd in the bustling Jerusalem market as she declared: "We are coming to start a revolution of young people in Israel!"
She began her punchy TikTok videos while on an exchange programme in Germany.
Struck by how much more affordable everything was than in Israel, she posted video clips comparing the prices of everyday items, such as ice cream.
Muchtar, whose videos still contain shots from supermarket shelves, has garnered widespread support among young Israelis.
"We want to reduce the cost of living, as living in
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