in israel, solodkin joined the russian-immigrant party, yisrael baaliyah led by soviet dissident natan sharansky. she was elected to the knesset in the 1996 elections on the party's list and chaired the committee on the status of women. after retaining her seat in the 1999 elections, she was appointed deputy minister of immigrant absorption, a post she regained during the 16th knesset after yisrael baaliyah had merged into likud.