Ahoy, Knesset: Israel's Pirate Party sets sail with Dan Ariely on its slate

Israel's Pirate Party sailed back into election season on Monday, filing its candidate list for the 26th Knesset with a familiar assortment of pirate hats and one rather unexpected recruit: Prof. Dan Ariely. Ariely, the Israeli-American behavioral economist and best-selling author, was placed third on the party's 25-person slate submitted to the Central Elections Committee. He also appeared at the Knesset sporting a pirate hat, keeping with party tradition. Asked by Israeli news site Kipa why he had joined the Pirates, Ariely offered a concise explanation: 'Politics is fun.' Its representative Daniel Felber said ahead of the filing that Israel's democracy should allow citizens to influence decisions throughout a Knesset term rather than only on Election Day.