Political Commentator Michael Shemesh Marks 30th Birthday

Michael Shemesh, the senior political commentator for Channel 13 News, celebrated his 30th birthday on Sunday. Shemesh, who recently joined Channel 13 after leaving Kan News, shared his reflections on entering his fourth decade of life in a candid social media post on Tuesday.

"On Yom Kippur eve, I stood at the Western Wall to pray. The Wall is always the same. Nothing moves. But I, who have prayed at these stones since childhood, have crossed a threshold and turned 30," Shemesh wrote on his Facebook page. He added, "This is a moment to stop, think about what has been, and look towards the future."

Shemesh also reflected on his personal and professional journey, which began at a very young age in journalism. "My life story has taken several turns in this past decade, personal and professional. Some of them you know well. Now, with mixed feelings, the image of 'the young one' is fading away from me," he stated. He humorously noted, "The cashier at the supermarket no longer asks for my ID when I buy alcohol. And the haters on X no longer curse me for having milk on my lips, they've moved on to other insults."

Born in Bnei Brak to an ultra-Orthodox family with 11 children, Shemesh began his media career at age 16 at the ultra-Orthodox radio station Kol Barama, where he served as a reporter and segment host. He later enlisted in the IDF and served at Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) as a Knesset correspondent and Jerusalem affairs reporter, becoming the first ultra-Orthodox reporter in the station's history. After his military service, he joined the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation as a political correspondent.