In which Ari remarks briefly on Israeli politics...

[arib]

To wit, Tuesday's election.

Firstly, noting that 62.3% voter turnout is considered disappointing and the lowest in the country's history makes me weep for my own nation, where 60 percent turnout would be wonderful.

Next the results:

1. Kadima (The "centrist" party founded by PM Ariel Sharon before his stroke) with 28 seats. Not too terribly surprising, they got the sympathy vote and the "this party is new and shiny" vote. I'm a little sceptical of anything that describes itself as centrist, but if they can pull it off, I'll gladly be proven wrong.

2. Labor (a left of center party, one of the first political parties in israel) with 20 seats. Not surprising, they've always had a strong voice in Israeli politics.

Next, the two upsets:

3. Shas (a charedi, or "ultra-Orthodox" party [Ari hates the term "ultra-Orthodox," he does. More about that at some other time] ) with 13 seats

and

4. Yisrael Beiteinu (lit. "Israel is our home," a far-right party comprised of Soviet/Russian emigres from the big immigration pushes in the eighties, nineties and Oh-Ohs) with 12 seats.

Both of these parties came in ahead of:

5. Likud (a right-wing party, up there in age and importance with Likud. If Israel was ever close to a two-party system, it was when Likud and Labor were the two largest parties, which was for the first four decades of Israel's existance) with 11 seats. Bit of a shame, as I *really* like the party's current leader, former PM Benyamin Netanyahu.

Likud was followed by the Nat'l Religious Party (another [*hate the term*] Ultra-Ortho, pro-settler party) with 9 seats, Gil (a party I know nothing about, but the BBC says they're right-wing, and comprised of pensioners. Gil is the Hebrew word for "age") with 7, United Torah Judaism (Another Charedi party) with 6, and Meretz (Crazy, crazy, crazy Leftists) with four (by crazy, I mean their platform feels like it consists of "A Palestinian State? Sure! We'll just move all of the Israelis to New Jersey [or Uganda. -ed.], and you can have everything. Who cares about thousands of years of our own culture, heritage and civilization? Not us!").

and that's it.

All editorializations are the opinions of yours truly. Intelligent debate is welcomed, pointless uninformed flaming is advised to cheerily piss up a rope. I won't delete it, but I won't be too happy about it, either.

ETA A more comprehensive list of Israel's political parties can be found here. Caveat Emptor, this was written by the BBC, and may reflect their editorial slant. It looks fairly unbiased, though.

Comments

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

There was a party headed by an Ethiopian dude, no? Which was that?

[arib.livejournal.com]

Good question, I'm not sure. "One Future" is an Ethiopian party, maybe it's them?

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Yes, that was it. An American (from Boston, I think -- he said that even if they won and he had to give up US citizenship, he'd still be part of the Red Sox Nation) was on the slate, too. I couldn't tell what I thought of him or the party or politics, he was so big on "No Ethiopian has ever played a major role in politics in Israel" during the "The World" interview that I couldn't hear any other message, or it was vague enough that I don't remember it.

[penmage.livejournal.com]

Why exactly do you like Bibi? I mean, aside from the fact that he's a smooth operator and he's the only one who can PR worth a damn?

As for the Old Guys, it apparently became trendy in Tel Aviv to vote for the Pensioners Party - kind of like voting for Mickey Mouse, only here Mickey Mouse got seven freaking seats.

I am only glad that I am getting out of this country while is still doesn't half belong to the Arabs yet.

[arib.livejournal.com]

The PR was a big bit, he's also very no-nonsense, which I can appreciate.

[penmage.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but he's a sleazebag. He's proven himself totally unreliable. He'll promise one thing and turn around and do the opposite. Aside from the fact that he cleans up well and talks good, he's got absolutely nothing going for him. He's full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Which is not to say that I wouldn't have chosen him over Olmert, who will rip this country apart, or Peretz, who's insane. But even the thought of saying that I like Bibi makes me feel sleazy and oily inside.

[arib.livejournal.com]

Next election? Start the Darth Vader party, 'cause we're all tired of the lesser evil. :-)