Thoughts about the Upcoming Israeli Election

Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz (Jewish Press)

Well, it looks like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may finally have his head handed to him. Not necessarily by a possible indictment against him. (Although that is a distinct possibility). But by a new political party. And it is probably his own fault by calling for early elections.

I’m sure he did that believing that his Likud Party would easily win a large plurality of the votes. And then he could form a coalition with new partners that would be even stronger than the one he just led. But it appears his calculations were a bit off.

That’s because Benny Gantz a popular general and former IDF Chief of Staff announced he is forming a new party. One that appears it would do quite well at the polls. And now that but combined with the centrist Yesh Atid Party of Yair Lapid in a joint list (Blue and White) they would actually out poll Likud on election day. The Jewish Press reports that if the elections were held today, the new Blue and White Party would get 36 Kenesset seats to Likud’s 30. At least according to one major poll. 

Of course you never know what will actually happen at the polls on election day. Ask Hillary Clinton. But if I were Netanyahu, I would be worried. And I think he is. Which is why he is urging Naftali Bennett’s  former Party, Bayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home) to form a joint list with the Otzma Yehudit Party - the latest incarnation of the Jewish National Front Party founded by Baruch Marzel. A party many have labeled racist.

Marzel is a disciple of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane who has taken Kahane’s hateful rhetoric to new levels. As Ynet reports: 

At one campaign rally, Marzel told supporters that "We need to carry out a targeted killing against (Ariel) Sharon and (Shimon) Peres at the polls. They're a danger to Israel."

The party released a flyer showing then-party leaders Ehud Olmert (Kadima), Amir Peretz (Labor) and Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud) wearing keffiyehs, which were reminiscent of posters of Yitzhak Rabin wearing the Middle Eastern headdress before he was murdered. 

Sickening! That anyone would consider even voting for this party, let alone joining with it as part of a ruling coalition, is despicable. But Netanyahu, ever the politician is all about winning and retaining power. (As was demonstrated at the last election when he made some racist comments about Israeli Arab voters. For which he later apologized). A coalition consisting of Likud and a combined New Right and Otzma Yehudit Party might counter the Center-Left party of the combined Blue and White / Yesh Atid Party. (Is this confusing enough yet?)

Although Netanyahu is hated by many Israeli voters on both the right and the left (mostly the left) - he is still a popular leader. Which is why he has been the longest serving Prime Minister in Israel’s over 70 year history.  There is a good reason for that. He has been an effective leader that has protected his people from attacks by terrorists, has kept Hamas and Hezbollah at bay, has forged unprecedented new ties with foreign countries, including some Arab countries. 

While world conditions have contributed to these new ties, he was savvy enough to take advantage of them. The criticism he got about hurting bi-partisan American support of Israel is largely undeserved. True, his courting of Republicans while strongly criticizing the former Democratic President (while still in office) contributed to that. But there is little doubt in my mind that the hard left turn taken by the Democratic party is the main reason for the loss of support. (The reasons for that are beyond the scope of this post).

So if Netanyahu goes, I will be disappointed. Although I know a lot of my friends on both the right and left will be thrilled.

It remains to be seen what a new Center-Left coalition will do. How it will affect the (non-existent) peace process, the settlement issue, Israel’s economy, and relationships with America and other foreign countries remain to be seen. But for me - as a politically conservative leaning observer, any time a ruling party turns left, little good can result.

The $64,000 question is what will happen to the Charedim  and their priorities? My guess is that from their perspective this does not bode well for them.

Clearly Charedi leaders and politicians fear Lapid. They see him as evil and an unequivocal enemy. He is the primary force behind drafting most Charedim into the army - or some form of national service. Which is anathema to Charedi leaders. They see him at war with the Torah in two distinct areas: national service and education.

Lapid would change the Charedi world forever. And he has a very good chance of becoming Prime Minister for at least 2 years of a 4 year term.

I never saw Lapid the way Charedim do. His attitude with respect to drafting Charedim is actually similar to mine. As long as there is a draft, the ‘national burden’ must be shared equally by all Israeli citizens. As long as religious sensibilities are honored, Charedim should do no less service than non Charedim. Charedi blood is no redder than non-Charedi blood. Exemptions and deferments should apply to them in the same way they apply to Non Charedim.  

And as important as Torah study is, (and I do not God forbid minimize it) I firmly believe that not every Charedi should be learning full time for as long as he wishes. And there are also more than a few young Charedim that do little Torah study as all, but are registered as students in a Yeshiva or Kollel. 

As far as secular education goes, Charedim deserve to get one. Which they do not get now. So that at the very least, no Charedi elementary or high school should be subsidized by the Israeli government  unless they offer a basic curriculum - at east along the same lines as American Charedi Yeshivos.

If Lapid is hated for advocating these polices, then I guess so am I. But it doesn’t matter because I firmly believe I am on the right side of these issues. And least with respect to a basic secular education, so too are the American Charedi Yeshivos.

It remains to be seen how all this shakes out after the next election. If they win, how will a new Center-Left coalition govern? What will be their approach to the Chief Rabbinate,  pluralism, feminism, LGBT issues, and other  religious issues? How will it treat its Charedi citizens? What will Charedim do to counteract what they fear will happen?

What will Israel’s new foreign and domestic policies be? Will Israel’s relationship with America and the rest of the world change? If so – for better or worse? Stay tuned.