View Poll Results: Which party would you vote for?

Voters
25. You may not vote on this poll
  • Likud (Conservative)

    3 12.00%
  • Jewish Home (Right-Wing)

    0 0%
  • Yesh Atid (Centrism)

    0 0%
  • Labour (Center-Left)

    1 4.00%
  • New Right (right-wing)

    1 4.00%
  • Joint Union (Israeli Arab)

    3 12.00%
  • Kulanu (Center)

    0 0%
  • Shas (Sephardic-Mizrahi Orthodoxy)

    1 4.00%
  • United Torah Judaism (Ashkenazi Orthodoxy)

    0 0%
  • Yachad (Ultra-Orthodoxy)

    0 0%
  • Hatnuah (Liberalism)

    0 0%
  • Ta'al (Arab Nationalism)

    3 12.00%
  • Israel Resilience Party (Center-Right)

    0 0%
  • Metetz (Green-Left)

    8 32.00%
  • Yisrael Beiteinu (Zionism)

    0 0%
  • Gesher (Right-Wing)

    1 4.00%
  • Zehut (Libertarianism)

    3 12.00%
  • Other (Please, specify)

    1 4.00%
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Thread: Israel elections April 2019, September 2019, March 2020, March 2021.

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  1. #1
    nhytgbvfeco2's Avatar Praefectus
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    Default Israel elections April 2019, September 2019, March 2020, March 2021.

    With the Israeli election roughly 2 months away, it promises to be an interesting one, already full of drama and twists. The election itself comes in an "interesting" timing. It was announced quite suddenly some time after one of the coalition members, the party "Israel Beitenu" (Israel our home) quit the coalition, leaving it in a precarious position with just 61 seats out of 120 in the Knesset (Israeli parliament). The coalition was one of the longest lasting in Israeli politics (with an average of an election every 2.9 years, Israel has one of the highest election frequencies in the OECD), and many suspect that it was called so as that it could be finished in time before the corruption investigation into prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu can be completed.

    The scene is already a mess. On the former coalitions side of the political map we have the Likud, the party of prime minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu, which is projected to earn a number of seats either slightly lower than their current (30) or preserve their strength, with some polls even providing the possibility of gaining a handful more seats.
    The former coalition partner, "Habait hayehudi" (Jewish home) under Naftali Bennet plunged into chaos as its now former leader and his 2nd in command announced that they are leaving and the creation of a new party, "the new right". The party will supposedly distance itself from the former parties religious policies and concentrate on matters of security and the conflict. The former party, Jewish home, plunged even further into chaos when the person next in line, Uri Ariel, quit politics after he had lost the party primaries to Bezalel Smotrich, who is considered by many to be an extremist and who has had several controversies due to homophobic statements he had made in the past, and now doubt is cast as to whether the party will even manage to get seats in parliament, with some polls showing them not passing the voter threshold (3.25%).
    Another coalition partner, the party "Kulanu" (all of us) under Moshe Kahlon is expected to lose a significant chunk of it's former power, with some polls showing them gaining as few as 4 seats (the minimum in Israeli politics) compared to the 10 they currently hold.
    The two ultra orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism (Sepharadi ultra-orthodox and Ashkenazi ultra-orthodox respectively) are projected to lose a few seats aswell, with Shas fighting for its life due to the fact that one of the former leaders of the party, Eli Yishai, had left the party and started his own, "Yahad" (Together) which during the last election fell about just short of the threshold to get into parliament, and many wonder whether they will get into parliament this time or not.

    On the oppositions side, things are even more chaotic. The largest party, The Zionist Union, which dominated the opposition was the result of the merger of two parties, the Israeli Labour party and "Hatnuah" (the movement), however after the parties recent primaries and change in leadership the union was split after the new leader of the Labour, Avi Gabbay, announced out of the blue the ending of the partnership in front of live audience and reporters without even telling the surprised leader of Hatnuah, Tzipi Livni, beforehand, leaving her to sit in shock for the rest of the speech. Virtually all polls predict that Hatnuah will not pass the voter threshold and likely vanish from the political map, just like Livni's last party, Kadima. Labour too however is in trouble, projected to lose the majority of its power. While the zionist union held 24 seats, Labour is projected to win 6 seats.
    Another opposition member, the United list, is also the subject of some drama. The party is the union of what used to be 3 Arab parties who joined forces after the voter threshold was raised some years ago. The party holds 13 seats in the current Knesset, but recently one of the primary former partners, Ahmad Tibi, announced that he is splitting off together with his party Ta'al, with both parties now projected to win 6 seats each.

    But wait, you say. If all of those parties are projected to lose so many seats, where do they all go? Well, in come the new parties.
    The biggest new kid on the block is the party "Hosen Le Israel" (resilience for Israel) led by former chief of staff for the IDF, Benni Gantz. Despite having not revealed any political stances up until very recently, the party polled highly and was projected to be the 2nd biggest after the election. The party gained even more support recently after the announcement of the merger of the party with another new party led by Moshe "Bugi" Yaalon, another former IDF chief of staff and former Likud member and defence minister in Netanyahu's government. After the merger Gantz finally revealed some of the party platform, promising to work towards a peace deal with the Palestinians while vowing to preserve a united Jerusalem, the "settlement blocks" (a common name for the largest settlement groups, meaning the abandonment of most smaller and isolated settlements)and vowing never to leave the Golan heights, placing him somewhere in the centre-right. The party is projected to earn about 25 seats or possibly more, meaning it is the greatest threat to Netanyahu's position as prime minister.
    Another new party is "Gesher" (bridge), led by Orli Levi-Abaksis, was created after splitting off from Lieberman's "Israel Beitenu" sits on the edge with some projections showing it either not making the threshold, or making it just barely. However her odds seem better than Lieberman's, who according to many polls won't be returning to the Knesset.
    Finally there is "Zehut"(identity) led by further Likud member Moshe Feiglin, Which is rarely projected to get into parliament, although it's leader promises to be the "surprise of the election". The party is a secular one, calling for legalisation of Marijuana and a free market.

    With dramatic developments happening almost on a daily basis, the election promises to be an interesting one, with Netanyahu's future in question.
    Explanation about the parties for the poll:
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Likud
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    The party of current prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud has been one of the primary parties in Israeli politics for as long as it has existed. This was the party that led the privatisation of a lot of the Israeli economy after finally gaining the reigns over the country from the socialist Labour party. The party was always seen as centre-right, however it has been slowly moving more towards the right over the recent years.

    Labour
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    The other major party in Israeli politics and current leader of the opposition, the party was the first to rule Israel after it's foundation and remained in power for many years, although under a different name at the time. While in the current elections it is expected to lose almost all of its power, the party is unlikely to go away any time soon. The party is a socialist one, and although touting itself as more secular than the Likud still relied on the ultra-orthodox parties to form a coalition when it did win. Under the previous chairman of the party it had attempted to shift more towards the right to appeal to centrist voters, however with a change in leadership it seems to be returning to its traditional position as a left wing socialist party. While the party is today seen as an opponent of the Likud, it has previously been member of a coalition led by Netanyahu.

    Yesh Atid
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    A relatively new party in Israeli politics, it is one of the biggest in parliament and is expected to preserve its strength. The party is considered a centrist liberal one, led by former news reporter Yair Lapid. The party was a member of the coalition run by Netanyahu some years ago, but now has set replacing Netanyahu as a primary goal, categorically refusing to join a coalition under him, with the slogan "anyone but Bibi". The party also seeks a separation of religion and state, and had heralded the conscription reform that happened a few years ago that was meant to extend mandatory conscription to the ultra-orthodox population of Israel.

    Jewish Home
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    The party of the "Religious Zionists", under the leadership of former party leader Naftali Bennet the party attempted to appeal to a more secular audience, including having an atheist as number 2 in the party. However with Bennet leaving the party, it has gone back to it's religious zionist roots. It is right wing and supports the status quo in regards to religious affairs, while also supporting the extension of conscription to the ultra-orthodox, on which it worked together with Yesh Atid.

    The new right
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    the new party of Naftali Bennet, as its name suggests the party means to appeal to everyone on the right side of the political spectrum. Not much to say yet as the party is new and hasn't yet revealed too much about the planned policies. However it is safe to assume that Bennet's stances on the Arab-Israeli conflict will be the policy of the party. Said stance includes his proposal to annex the C area of Judea and Samaria ("west bank") and creating a self governing Arab autonomy in areas A and B.

    Joint list/union
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    A merger of Arab-Israeli parties, the is a mix of various ideologies, including the communist party Hadash, which used to have a Jewish member who has announced that he will not partake in the coming election. The party is anti-zionist and refuses to partake in any ruling coalition, no matter under who's leadership.

    Ta'al
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    a former member of the Joint list, Ta'al is considered an Arab-Nationalist party, with its primary members Ahmad Tibi and Hanin Zoabi constantly criticizing Israel, with Zoabi having even partaken in the Marmara flotilla.

    Kulanu
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    a centrist party led by former Likud member Moshe Kahlon. The party concerns itself primarily with matters of economy, and attempts to continue the privatisation and the shattering of monopolies in the Israeli economy, while also working towards the raising of the minimum wage.

    Shas
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    The party represents the interests of Sephardi ultra-orthodox, including opposition to their conscription. This party, like the other ultra-orthodox party, UTJ, has previously worked with coalitions both left and right, and thus the 2 parties have often been seen as king makers, as due to the Arab parties refusal to join coalitions it becomes very difficult to form one without the ultra-orthodox parties.
    United Torah Judaism (UTJ) - The party represents the interests of Ashkenazi ultra-orthodox, and thus its policies usually overlap with those of Shas.

    Yachad
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    The party of former Shas leader Eli Yishai. Unlike the other 2 ultra-orthodox parties, this one has vowed to join only right wing coalitions. Eli Yishai was minister of internal affairs during the years when illegal immigration into Israel through the Egyptian border spiked, and he heralded the construction of a fence along the border which led to the illegal immigration dropping to nearly zero. While the party failed to make it into the Knesset during the last elections, it may succeed this time. Regardless, its very existence severely weakens Shas as virtually all of its voters were formerly Shas voters.

    Hatnuah
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    The party of Tzipi Livni, who was formerly a member of the centre-right Likud party, chairwoman of the now defunct centrist Kadima party, then member of Netanyahu's coalition as leader of the Hatnuah party, then 2nd place in the centrist-left Zionist Union party (a merger of Hatnuah and Labour) and now finally once more the leader of Hatuah, it is hard to pinpoint where exactly the party stands. The party is not expected to reach the voter threshold, however it is doubtful that this will be the end of Livni's career. Who knows, maybe we'll find her as a member of the Arab Joint List party come 2020.

    "Hosen Le Israel" (Israel resiliance party)
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    A new party fresh from the oven, it is led by 2 former IDF chief's of staff, Beni Gantz and Moshe Ya'alon. While there isn't much yet to say of Gantz, who has not really revealed any political stances as of now, the party seems to be the main contender for the formation of a ruling coalition, and thus the greatest threat to Netanyahu's continued rule. Unlike Gantz, however, Ya'alon has some history in politics through which we can estimate a rough position of the party. Ya'alon was a Likud member until a year ago, and has held high positions in government such as minister of defence. Ya'alon is considered right wing, having made statements such as calling the Oslo accords a mistake and the "Palestinian threat" a "cancer".

    Yisrael Beitenu
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    A party usually seen as the party representing the Russian population of Israel, it is often considered a nationalist one, and is the only party in Israel calling for the transfer of the Arab population as part of a future peace deal. The party has been member in most Likud coalitions, however shocked everyone when it refused to join after the 2015 elections. The party eventually did join the coalition, but then left it again.

    Gesher
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    The party of former Yisrael Beitenu member Orli Levi Abaksis, the party is right wing, but I don't know it well enough to say anything beyond that.

    Zehut
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    The party of former Likud member Moshe Feiglin, who had gained fame after leading the anti Oslo accords demonstrations during it's signing. While Feiglin himself is religious, he is completely opposed to any Religious laws and wants a separation of church and state (synagogue and state?), legalisation of Marijuana, privatisation of the economy, smaller government and more. The party primaries were unique, allowing everyone, members of the party or not, to vote. The party is probably most accurately described as Libertarian.


    Last edited by nhytgbvfeco2; December 09, 2020 at 02:37 AM.

  2. #2
    isa0005's Avatar Campidoctor
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    Default Re: Israel elections April 2019

    What an ugly mess!

  3. #3

    Default Re: Israel elections April 2019

    I realize you said Hosen Le Israel doesn't really have any political position right now, but what is your take on it?

  4. #4
    nhytgbvfeco2's Avatar Praefectus
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    Default Re: Israel elections April 2019

    Quote Originally Posted by Sukiyama View Post
    I realize you said Hosen Le Israel doesn't really have any political position right now, but what is your take on it?
    I'm not sure. Other than it being run by 2 former chiefs of staff, and a centrist-right position on the Israeli-palestinian conflict, they haven't revealed any positions really. I don't know what their stances are on economy, matters of religion or really anything else. However while Gantz is a mystery to me, Ya'alon, the now 2nd place in the party, was a member of the Likud prior to this, and a defence minister. He quit the party after Netanyahu gave the post of minister of defence to Liberman in return for him joining the coalition, a move that I see as rather petty. Ya'alon formerly backed the Oslo accords, but later stated that that was a mistake, and has generally shown himself to align more or less with the right wing. In other words, if Gantz is anything like Ya'alon, it seems that even if they are the winners in the election they are likely to create a centre-right wing coalition, much like the current Likud coalition.

  5. #5

    Default Re: Israel elections April 2019

    Quote Originally Posted by nhytgbvfeco2 View Post
    In other words, if Gantz is anything like Ya'alon, it seems that even if they are the winners in the election they are likely to create a centre-right wing coalition, much like the current Likud coalition.
    I can imagine things would change just due to a change in leadership style. Although a bigger factor seems to be who all will be in the ruling coalition, since every party gets their special appointments and concessions. Whether Shas and United Torah Judaism are in or not makes a big difference. Seems like Gantz might have an easier time building a coalition at this point than Netanyahu.

    In related news, looks like the Iranians are trying to do their part:

    Hundreds of Iranian bots are working to increase social and political divisions among Israelis and drive a radicalization of political discourse online ahead of the country’s April 9 elections, according to a report by the US-based technology firm Vocativ.
    Quote Originally Posted by Enros View Post
    You don't seem to be familiar with how the burden of proof works in when discussing social justice. It's not like science where it lies on the one making the claim. If someone claims to be oppressed, they don't have to prove it.


  6. #6
    Diocle's Avatar Comes Limitis
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    Default Re: Israel elections April 2019

    Quote Originally Posted by sumskilz View Post
    ..
    In related news, looks like the Iranians are trying to do their part:
    OMG! Damm! Always those evil Sassanids, plotting in the darkness!

    By the way, why am I having the disturbing feeling that the next step will be the call into question of those infamous Russian bots and of the Czar of all the Russias?

  7. #7
    nhytgbvfeco2's Avatar Praefectus
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    Default Re: Israel elections April 2019

    Quote Originally Posted by Diocle View Post
    OMG! Damm! Always those evil Sassanids, plotting in the darkness!

    By the way, why am I having the disturbing feeling that the next step will be the call into question of those infamous Russian bots and of the Czar of all the Russias?
    Who would the Russians support though?
    No Israeli party is really pro or anti Russia.

  8. #8
    nhytgbvfeco2's Avatar Praefectus
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    Default Re: Israel elections April 2019

    Abdulmecid graciously added a poll to the thread, so I've added a list of the parties with a short explanation of each to the OP.

    Quote Originally Posted by sumskilz View Post
    I can imagine things would change just due to a change in leadership style. Although a bigger factor seems to be who all will be in the ruling coalition, since every party gets their special appointments and concessions. Whether Shas and United Torah Judaism are in or not makes a big difference. Seems like Gantz might have an easier time building a coalition at this point than Netanyahu.
    Indeed it would seem so. Him probably being centre-right allows all the partners Netanyahu already had, while also allowing for more centrist parties that are "anti-Bibi".

  9. #9
    nhytgbvfeco2's Avatar Praefectus
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    Default Re: Israel elections April 2019

    A little update to the thread now that I have a bit of free time.
    Since The creation of the thread the following major changes have taken place:
    Hatnuah will no longer participate in the election, with its leader, longtime politician, former leader of the opposition and almost prime minister (won the most seats in an election, but failed to form a coalition) Tzipi Livni quitting politics.
    The Arab "joint list" party no longer exists, having splintered back into the parties that had originally formed it.
    Gesher and the Israeli resilience party are in advanced stages of negotiations over a merger, which seems almost certain by now.

  10. #10
    Azorica's Avatar Foederatus
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    Default Re: Israel elections April 2019

    Quite an interesting read considering my first hand knowledge of Israeli issue is rather lacking. Still "refreshing" (with some sarcasm, indeed) to see that the country continues the tradition of "messiness" that caracterizes the country since its founding (to be clear just a friendly jab here, I personally have nothing against Israel )

    It motivated me to learn more about this whole affair. I'll be reading and giving a proper opinion soon.

  11. #11
    Mayer's Avatar Domesticus
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    Default Re: Israel elections April 2019

    I would vote for Ta'al, I hope they can resolve their differences with the United Arab list.
    There has to be a voice against Zionism in the Knesset.
    HATE SPEECH ISN'T REAL

  12. #12
    nhytgbvfeco2's Avatar Praefectus
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    Default Re: Israel elections April 2019

    Quote Originally Posted by Mayer View Post
    I would vote for Ta'al, I hope they can resolve their differences with the United Arab list.
    There has to be a voice against Zionism in the Knesset.
    Its leader, Ahmad Tibi, has made himself a habit of joining united lists with other Arab parties and then leaving them. He first founded Ta'al, failed to gain seats, joined with Balad, got himself a seat and then quit the joint party, then joined with Hadash, got himself a seat, and quit the joint party, joined the Joint List after the voter threshold was raised because he feared he won't get enough votes, and now quit again.
    So in other words, no, he won't resolve the differences. So long as he thinks he can get into parliament on his own, he won't join any list.
    But the joint list is pretty much defunct, with Hadash (Arab communist party) leaving it too.

  13. #13

    Default Re: Israel elections April 2019

    What do you think Israel's relationship with Russia is?

  14. #14
    nhytgbvfeco2's Avatar Praefectus
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    Default Re: Israel elections April 2019

    Quote Originally Posted by Sukiyama View Post
    What do you think Israel's relationship with Russia is?
    Relations are good. For one, Russia recognizes west Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, additionally Russia "allows" Israeli bombing raids in Syria, and Putin meets with Netanyahu somewhat regularly. In turn Israel didn't condemn the annexation of Crimea, for example.
    Both countries try to stay on good terms with each other.

  15. #15

    Default Re: Israel elections April 2019

    Quote Originally Posted by nhytgbvfeco2 View Post
    Relations are good. For one, Russia recognizes west Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, additionally Russia "allows" Israeli bombing raids in Syria, and Putin meets with Netanyahu somewhat regularly. In turn Israel didn't condemn the annexation of Crimea, for example.
    Both countries try to stay on good terms with each other.
    Which was always interesting to me considering the web of alliances involving both countries.

  16. #16
    nhytgbvfeco2's Avatar Praefectus
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    Default Re: Israel elections April 2019

    And indeed a major surprise has happened! Hosen Le Israel and Yesh Atid (the party that was expected to be the 3rd largest) have merged! the two heads of parties, Beni Gantz and Yair Lapid respectively, have agreed on a "rotation", meaning that if they win Gantz will be prime minister for 2 years, and then Lapid for the next 2.
    This is massive. While there have been no polls yet, if the party retains the votes of both then it has, for the first time, more votes than Netanyahu's Likud. This fact could end up drawing more votes from the smaller parties towards either them or to the Likud, resulting in parties not passing the voter threshold.

  17. #17

    Default Re: Israel elections April 2019

    He's a meme candidate at this point, but I'm rooting for Netanyahu. He's miraculously finding new allies all over the world while simultaneously being tough on Israel's enemies. No idea about domestic policy, but with the situation in Iran and Syria I'll have to prioritize foreign policy, and I don't know how reliable these Gantz/Lapid fellows are on that front. Change seems risky right now.

    I really don't expect Netanyahu to make it, but apparently, somehow, he's still holding on.

    https://www.algemeiner.com/2019/03/0...-announcement/

    New Israeli Poll Shows Right-Wing Bloc Still Ahead After Netanyahu Indictment Announcement

    A new poll shows that if Israeli elections were held today, the right-wing bloc would still come out ahead of the center-left opposition, allowing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a narrow rightist government.

    According to the poll conducted by Hebrew news site Walla, the right-wing bloc would control 61 seats in the next Knesset, with the left-wing bloc receiving 59 — insufficient for a governing coalition.

    The poll showed the centrist party Blue and White, led by former IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz and Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid, coming in first with 36 seats, versus 31 for Netanyahu’s Likud party.

    Blue and White’s natural coalition partners, however, fared less well, with the Labor party receiving eight seats, Meretz six, and the Arab bloc — which refuses to sit in coalitions but would likely recommend Blue and White to the president as the party most suited to form a government — with nine.

    Netanyahu’s rightist allies in the Union of Right-Wing Parties would receive seven seats, while the New Right and the more moderate Kulanu would each win six.

    In addition, the ultra-Orthodox parties, who are likely to endorse Netanyahu, would win eleven seats in total.

    The poll results indicate that Netanyahu’s political support remains stable despite the aura of scandal that has surrounded him since the attorney general announced his intention to indict the prime minister on corruption charges.
    Ignore List (to save time):

    Exarch, Coughdrop addict

  18. #18
    nhytgbvfeco2's Avatar Praefectus
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    Default Re: Israel elections April 2019

    Quote Originally Posted by Prodromos View Post
    He's a meme candidate at this point, but I'm rooting for Netanyahu. He's miraculously finding new allies all over the world while simultaneously being tough on Israel's enemies. No idea about domestic policy, but with the situation in Iran and Syria I'll have to prioritize foreign policy, and I don't know how reliable these Gantz/Lapid fellows are on that front. Change seems risky right now.

    I really don't expect Netanyahu to make it, but apparently, somehow, he's still holding on.

    https://www.algemeiner.com/2019/03/0...-announcement/
    I wouldn't call him a "meme candidate", he is still the more likely winner, with a more realistic path to forming a coalition.
    Your article really simplifies matters, by putting the parties into 2 blocs, but that's not really the case. In reality there are 4 blocs: Right, left, ultra-orthodox and Arabs.
    The ultra-orthodox have sat in coalitions of both left and right wing governments in the past, and usually if one of the parties joins a coalition then so does the other. The Arab parties (currently 2, previously as many as 4 or as few as 1) meanwhile all refuse to sit in any ruling coalition, so for the purpose of drawing up blocs they are better left as "empty seats" since neither candidate has any chance of pulling them into a coalition. Eve if they recommend Gantz for forming the coalition, he'd still need 61 members or else the job of forming the coalition will go to the party that came in 2nd, namely Netanyahu's Likud.

    This is where it gets a bit complicated, however. While Gantz's alliance with Yair Lapid pretty much promises him the 1st place in the election, it makes it exceedingly difficult for him to form a coalition, as both ultra-orthodox parties have vowed not to sit in a government that includes Lapid (due to his anti-ultra-orthodox policies). This means that with both the ultra-orthodox and Arab blocs being unattainable for Gantz, he'd need to have several right-wing parties join him to be able to reach 61 seats. And while he might be able to convince Kulanu to support him, that wouldn't be enough. Another potential partner is Gesher, but it seems increasingly unlikely that they'll get enough votes to pass the voter threshold, and even if it does it still wouldn't quite be enough. An alliance with any other parties from the right bloc would most likely result in losing the support of his left wing allies, Meretz and also possibly, though less likely, Labour.
    Netanyahu however has an actual chance, as the right+ultra-orthodox blocs might be able to get 61 seats or more, which would enable him to simply reform the coalition he already currently has. However, said coalition would be problematic as it would require the inclusion of 2 far-right members of parliament.

    All this leads to what I am starting to believe is the likeliest option, in case Netanyahu's coalition fails to secure 61 seats: a coalition between the Likud and Blue & white. The question that remains, however, is which party would lead it.
    Last edited by nhytgbvfeco2; March 06, 2019 at 07:23 AM.

  19. #19

    Default Re: Israel elections April 2019

    I've seen this photo and Haaretz article about the Blue & White circulating a lot among Israeli Anglos on Facebook:


    Election 2019: The One Where Liberal Israelis Fantasize About Being Ruled by a Gang of Generals

    With equally amusing analysis:

    A party led by three former generals who made their name fighting the enemy on the battlefield and exerting military control over millions of disenfranchised civilians would automatically be stereotyped, in any other context, as militarist, authoritarian and a threat to liberal values.

    But this is Israel, where three gruff generals who lead a hitherto non-existent party with the appropriately patriotic name of Kahol Lavan (Hebrew for blue and white), are the dream team on which most leftists, liberals, peace supporters and human rights activists – not to mention Israeli Druze and Arabs - are pinning their hopes.

    A combination of sheer desperation and the unique Israeli relationship between civilians and military has thrust former army chief of staff Benny Gantz, along with his two predecessors and sidekicks, Moshe Ya'alon and Gabi Ashkenazi, into the front lines of Israeli history. They constitute the best and possibly last chance to save Israel from Benjamin Netanyahu’s final assault on Israel’s democracy, rule of law and whatever remains of its liberal values.

    Granted, the three have hardly uttered a word that should endear them to Israeli peaceniks and those who, in countries such as the U.S., would be called “liberal”. Nonetheless, even Labor Party and Meretz loyalists who bemoan the fact that Israeli moderates have anointed a military junta to rule over them will be praying for Gantz and Co. on April 9. Beggars who have lost to Netanyahu three times straight - and who haven’t notched up a decisive victory in 20 years – can’t exactly be choosers.

    The joint enlistment of the military trio, amplified by their dramatic last minute union with former Finance Minister Yair Lapid, had already upended Israeli politics before the attorney general issued his decision late last week to indict Netanyahu on three charges of corruption. In less than a month, the prospects of Netanyahu losing the elections have gone from unthinkable to improbable to plausible.
    Quote Originally Posted by Enros View Post
    You don't seem to be familiar with how the burden of proof works in when discussing social justice. It's not like science where it lies on the one making the claim. If someone claims to be oppressed, they don't have to prove it.


  20. #20
    swabian's Avatar igni ferroque
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    Default Re: Israel elections April 2019

    I think Netanyahu's work is done. He should resign in dignity and enjoy life and let others come forth. It's not sarcasm or anything, but it's time for him to go.
    Last edited by swabian; March 09, 2019 at 07:30 PM.

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