The Israeli Labour Party leader, Merav Michaeli, has stunned the country with the news that she and her long-time partner, comedian Lior Schlein, have had a baby, born to an American surrogate.

Ms Michaeli, who is the transportation minister in the new governing coalition, is 54 and had repeatedly said that she had not intended to have children.

But after criticism that she and Mr Schlein had flown to America amid a Covid clampdown on travel, the politician took to social media to explain that they had not gone for a holiday — but to meet and bring home their new son, whom they have named Uri.

Ms Michaeli revealed that she had, in fact, gone through a variety of fertility treatments, after Mr Schlein had asked her to have a child with him. She said she initially thought he was joking — “after all, he is a comedian” — but had then been convinced to go ahead with the plan.

She wrote: “[The baby] is the child of myself and Lior. We’re so happy with him, and happy to be his parents. This is a love story. Now it is a love story of three”.

The news led to many congratulations from across the political spectrum, and from President Herzog.