Elections

The System of Voting in Israel

October 29, 2022 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

Only a party or a group of parties that runs together in the elections can present a list of candidates and participate in the elections.

Voting papers in the box. Times of Israel

There is a Basic Israeli Law that blocks any party from registration if any of its purposes or deeds, explicitly or implicitly, contain:

negation of the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state;

incitement to racism or support for an armed struggle of an enemy state or a terrorist organization against the State of Israel.

The law also prohibits the registration of a party if there is reasonable ground to deduce that it will serve as a cover for illegal activities.

According to the Basic Law:

Knesset elections should take place once every four years, but the Knesset or the Prime Minister may attempt to move up the elections through the Knesset Dissolution Law, for instance. Early elections may also be held if the budget is not approved.

Certain parties hold primary elections. These parties directly elect their candidates for the Knesset. Some parties elect their candidates through their institutions (usually a party’s central committee). In other parties, the candidates are elected by their leaders.

The electoral system is based primarily on two laws – the Basic Law: the Knesset (1958) and the Knesset Elections Law (combined version) – 1969.

Article 4 of the Basic Law:

the Knesset is to be elected in general, country-wide, direct, equal, secret, and proportional elections.

General election: the right to elect and be elected

Every Israeli citizen who is at least 18 years old has the right to vote; every Israeli citizen who is at least 21 years old has the right to run for office.

Voting takes place in private, behind a screen, and putting a small note with the letters of the party in a sealed envelope which they insert into a big box called Kalpi.

The principle of secrecy ensures fairness in the elections and prevents the exertion of undue pressure.

2020: Result of the Third Election

March 14, 2020 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

Netanyahu’s Likud party is the clear winner in this most recent election, which won 36 seats. Second is centrist party Blue and White that won 33 seats. Blue and White, headed by former Chief of Staff Benny Gantz is comprised of Moshe Ya’alon’s Telem’s party, Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid, and his own Israel Resilience Party.

The Arab Joint List political alliance, now the third-largest party in Israel drew 15 seats. The Shas Sephardic religious party has 9, United Torah Judaism 7, and the right-wing Yamina, headed by Defense Minister Naftali Bennett, has six seats.

Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu has 7, and the alliance of Israel’s left-wing parties – Labor-Gesher-Meretz – both won 7 seats.

The right bloc under Netanyahu’s leadership has 58 seats and the center/left bloc under Blue and White has 55, which includes the Arab Joint list of 15 seats. This leaves Lieberman’s Israel’s Home party with 7 seats alone in the middle.

PM Netanyahu may be 3 seats short

Interim Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s block of right-wing seats is three short of the 61 seats needed to form a viable coalition government. Lieberman is once again in the role of potential kingmaker. With his 7-seat party, he could determine, by recommendation to President Reuven Rivlin, who would be the one to form a government.

Up until the evening of the elections, the second-largest party headed by Benny Gantz, composed of three ex-military generals and one popular ex-newsman, did all they could with their ‘anyone-but-Bibi’ platform. They tried three times before and couldn’t beat him. Once again, they lost. Would it be different on the fourth try?

Everyone agrees on one thing–a fourth-round is unnecessary. It isn’t efficient or logical. Three elections have confirmed that the majority of Israeli voters support the Prime Minister and his policies and that the other parties can’t beat him at the ballot box.

However, rather than admit defeat, Blue and White has chosen the irresponsible undemocratic way–instead of what’s best for the Jewish nation’s welfare. They have chosen not to end this stalemate and join with Netanyahu to form a coalition.

A strong legitimate government is needed at this time. Historic and critical decisions are pending, such as the ‘Deal of the Century’. The State of Israel has a short window of opportunity to impose sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and communities in Judea and Samaria.

The result of this election show that the right-wing block has the majority of the votes and can be expected to implement right-wing policies (excluding the anti-Zionist Arab Joint List). For the sake of the country, it is imperative to quickly form a national government that guarantees the implementation of the right-wing policies. Whoever agrees with this vision should be welcome to join. Netanyahu has started his negotiations to find Knesset Members from the opposition who might be persuaded to join with the right.

Lawfare

However, since the opposition Blue and White hasn’t beaten Netanyahu at the ballot box, it has chosen to try to defeat him by making him step down by using his legal issues as an excuse. By this, they completely ignore the basic law which states Netanyahu can serve as Prime Minister while he is on trial, which could be years. With this election, the public gave Netanyahu a mandate to continue at his post.

The opposition claims he can’t do his job while busy with legal matters. Netanyahu has proven repeatedly that he can function while under great pressure. He isn’t required to attend every court hearing, so his lawyers will be able to do their work at court until a final judgment is rendered, which could take years. Meanwhile, he can manage the country as the law explicitly permits. The Israeli public concurs since the majority voted for him—again!

Conspiring to create new legislation

Blue and White Party, Avigdor Lieberman, and the Arabic Joint List conspire to create new legislation that would ban a politician under criminal indictment from becoming Prime Minister. This effort to topple a serving Prime Minister on sketchy charges, or just inappropriate behavior, is clearly an act of desperation on the part of those who despise Netanyahu and are determined to topple him by any means possible.

The draft legislation can only be presented in the Knesset once the new parliament has been sworn in, some two weeks from now.

To guarantee the bill’s passage, Gantz of Blue and White will have to muster the largest number of MKs to back him as the next Prime Minister, receive the mandate to form a government from the president, and then take control of the Knesset’s Arrangements Committee. A new Knesset speaker would have to be elected to replace the present speaker, Likud’s Yuli Edelstein to ensure that the bill makes it through within certain deadlines.

In this dramatic move, Lieberman’s announcement shows for the first time he is clearly taking sides in the battle between the center-left and right.

Israel is a democracy!

Right-wing politicians have denounced the law, claiming that it is a personal legislation specifically designed to prevent Netanyahu from forming a government. Netanyahu also assailed the draft law, saying, “The move led by Gantz and his associates undermines democracy.”

If passed into law, it will be an undemocratic move. It will take the power to decide who would run for the office of PM away from the people, and put it in the hands of the unelected Attorney General. The majority of the people voted for Netanyahu even with a criminal indictment against him, because they believe he is not guilty and that he is best suited for the position. Therefore, the bill will cancel the results of this recent election, when two million Israelis voted for Netanyahu’s Likud party and his right wind block. This will make the voters irrelevant, which is not what democracy is all about. For Israel to remain the democracy it claims to be, the power of the vote must stay with the people.

At present, the elected bodies of Israel’s governing system, meaning the Knesset (Israeli parliament) and the government are being checked by the legal system, but there is no one above them to check them. They can, and they do override government ruling that doesn’t suit them.

Dealing with the Arab Joint List

**Benny Gantz meeting with Aymen Odeh and Ahmad Tibi of the Arab Joint List**

As it stands now, the new Knesset will be sworn on March 17. Parties will give the president their recommendation of either Netanyahu or Gantz to form the government. He will have 42 days or the decision will go over to the other candidate. Lieberman and the Arab Joint List will probably recommend Gantz. But then they will negotiate and give him their demands to actually join him in a coalition. The Arab Joint List has already hinted that their list will include more demands than last time as they feel they have more power this time because without them Gantz will not be able to form a coalition. Among their demands is that the government refuse to accept Trump’s deal.

Blue and White’s party has a two-step plan to avoid a fourth round of elections. The initial phase is to form a minority coalition with Labor-Gesher-Meretz and Yisrael Beiteinu, with outside support by Arab Joint List, and a second phase that assumes, once a minority government is formed, that members of various right-wing parties would be willing to join the coalition. During the whole campaign, the Blue and White party claimed they would not sit with the Arab Joint List in a coalition and would not rely on their votes to form one. Gantz declared very definitely: “No, we don’t need them. Everyone should know: we won’t sit with Arabs.” Now that they have no choice, they’re starting to negotiate with members of the Arab Joint List – at least some of them.

Will some MKs changes sides?

Meanwhile, Blue and White MKs Tzvi Hauser and Yoaz Hendel refused to back a minority government relying upon a coalition with the Arab Joint List. Without Hendel and Hauser, Gantz’s majority over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing block would fall to 60-58 and make it necessary for Gantz to rely on the three MKs of Balad, the most extreme Arab party in the Knesset whose past MKs have been convicted of aiding terrorist groups. Now another MK member, Orli Levy-Abekasis from Gesher party, who reluctantly joined the left bloc, refused to join a government that relies on the support of Joint Arab List member Balad, which denies the existence of the Jewish nation. Anyway, her natural home is not in the left block. Let’s hope the three of them will join the right block. The best Blue and White can get is a rotation as Prime Minister with Netanyahu serving the first year, followed by two years of Gantz and then whoever would be Likud’s leader serving the final year.

Let’s pray that some of the members of the Blue and White coalition, be it the ex-generals who fought against Israel’s enemies, or Amir Peretz from the Labor party who was responsible for the manufacture and use of the Iron Dome by the Israeli Army, join the winning bloc of Netanyahu’s right and form a functioning democratic government.

Protesters are planning to gather outside the homes of Hauser and Gesher MK Orly Levi. The protests are set to be held under the banner: “Don’t give the keys to the State to terrorist supporters.”

Infection Election

March 2, 2020 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

About to Go to the Polls – Again!

Israel is getting ready for another election round tomorrow. Many countries are watching with interest in how Israel deals with “an infection election,” including the United States, where presidential and congressional elections will be held in November.

There are several thousand people in Israel who have quarantined themselves after coming into contact with possible carriers of the coronavirus who have recently visited countries where outbreaks of the illness have been reported or could have come in contact with foreign tourists who came to Israel and then tested positive or became infected after returning home. The Central Elections Committee has set up some dozen voting stations around the country for those citizens for tomorrow’s election.

Infection and Precaution

Israel’s Ministry of Health announced that if those who have isolated themselves do not have symptoms such as a fever over 38 degrees (100.4˚ F), a cough, or trouble breathing, they can go to the special polling tents. They should come alone in private vehicles without stopping anywhere else on the way, and not park in public parking garages.

While awaiting their turn, says the ministry, no person should stand closer than two meters (six feet) from their fellow voters, or touch anything.

They will enter special, heavy plastic tents, wearing masks and latex gloves, one at a time. They will have to sign a declaration that they are voting in a booth set up for quarantined individuals, after which the pen will be thrown away.

Their voting slips will be sealed in double envelopes, just like the votes of soldiers on their bases and hospitalized patients. Regular volunteer observers could not be found to oversee and count these votes, so emergency medical technicians from Magen David Adom; Israel’s emergency medical, disaster, ambulance, and blood bank have stepped up to do the job.

The volunteers will wear smocks, gloves, and masks, and make sure that the correct distance is kept between the voters. They will sit in one tent, with a clear plastic window that will give them a view into the actual attached “booth.” These special polls will only be open between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

According to Magen David Adom CEO Eli Bin, “These are not sick people and there is little chance that they are contagious, but everyone is adhering to the Health Ministry’s guidelines to ensure public safety.” Moshe Bar Siman-Tov, director-general of the Health Ministry, says Israelis should not have any hesitations about voting in tomorrow’s elections because of the coronavirus.

The Situation is Under Control and Safe

“The situation is under control. Everyone who was infected with the coronavirus, we know where they were infected and this is important that it’s safe to go vote. Don’t hesitate… go vote,” Bar Siman-Tov says, “everything is safe and you don’t need to worry,” he says.

The two leading parties, Likud and Blue and White are fighting for every vote. Yet a poll last week showed that 6.5 percent said they were thinking of not going to vote due to their fear of getting infected.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Magen David Adom call center and said, ” We are in control and it is safe to go and vote.”

Netanyahu also assured voters that the police would be on hand in polling stations to stop disruption and provocations.

Health Minister Yaakov Litzman told voters not to come to the polls with masks on. Anyone under suspicion of having come in contact with the coronavirus will be voting at the designated stations.

Please pray with us, as the Holy Spirit leads, for this election, for safety, order and the will of God to be done.

The Elections – Round Two

October 6, 2019 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

What just happened? Who’s in charge? How can this end?

The outcome of the September 17, 2019 election:

The election results were that the Kahol Lavan (Blue and White) party, headed by Benny Gantz won 33 out of 120 parliamentary seats; Netanyahu’s Likud party won 32. However, in the bloc of supporters, Likud had 55 party members, mainly the religious and right-wing, and Blue and White had 54, mainly center and left parties, including the Joint Arab List party. Israel’s Joint Arab List party announced its endorsement of Gantz’s party.

In between the two major parties and their blocs is Liberman’s Israel Beytenu (Israel our home) party with 8 members. He supports neither Netanyahu or Gantz. He again likely to be kingmaker with the power to send the country into yet another round of elections.

“The picture is clear. There is only one option and it’s a broad liberal unity government,” he insisted, referring to a potential coalition composed of his Yisrael Beiteinu, Likud, and Blue and White. He doesn’t care who would be prime minister first. “They can flip a coin for all I care.”

Who is Liberman?

Liberman, born in the Former Soviet Union, was previously a member of the Likud Party until 1999 when he left to form his own far-right Yisrael Beytenu (Israel our home) party, appealing to fellow Russian-speakers with his secularist agenda and tough talk against Palestinians.
Liberman served in several Israeli cabinets, most recently as Netanyahu’s defense minister. He resigned last year because Netanyahu agreed to a ceasefire with Hamas after a massive attack from Gaza which was in his opinion “surrendering to terror.” Liberman’s pull-out toppled the government and forced an early election in April this year, in which Liberman’s party gained five seats. Even though he recommended Netanyahu’s Likud party and Netanyahu to be the one to form a government in that election, in the negotiations he refused to join the coalition because he didn’t get all his demands, mainly anti-religious legislations.

Liberman’s party gained 8 seats in this election.

Liberman is now promoting a national unity government that would include his party.

After the president gave Netanyahu the mandate to form a government, Liberman was invited by Netanyahu to a meeting. He still insists that there be a unity coalition with both Likud and Blue and White.
[See Composition of the Israeli Electorate]

Who is the President of the State of Israel?

The Nassi (President) is in the office of the presidency which is above and beyond party politics. The President is elected by Knesset (parliament) members for a single term of seven years.

Presidential duties, which are mostly ceremonial and formal, include among other things opening the first session of a new Knesset; nominating a prime minister after national elections to form a new government; accepting the credentials of foreign envoys; signing treaties and laws adopted by the Knesset, and; pardoning prisoners.

Current Israeli President Reuven Rivlin gave Benyamin Netanyahu the mandate to form a new government after Netanyahu received pledges of support from 55 ministers out of 120 parliament members. Benny Gantz, leading the other large party Kahol Lavan (blue and white), received 54 recommendations including 10 of the Arab members. Neither Netanyahu’s Likud party nor Kahol Lavan has a majority of at least 61 Knesset seats needed to form a coalition.

Should Netanyahu be unable to get a majority on his side, he returns the mandate to the President who would then most likely give Gantz the task of attempting to form a coalition.

After Netanyahu received the mandate to form a government, he called for a unity government with Kahol Lavan, adding that “national reconciliation” was needed in light of threats from Iran and the unveiling of US President Donald Trump’s “deal of the century” plan for peace in the Middle East. Gantz, however, said he would not join a government led by a Prime Minister facing possible indictment on corruption allegations. Another issue is who will be the first to serve as Prime Minister in the rotation government. Blue and White officials say Netanyahu must deal with his legal issues first and allow Gantz to lead initially. Gantz also insists that Netanyahu join only with his Likud party and not his entire bloc of the right and religious parties.

Meanwhile, the Joint Arab List party has announced its endorsement of Gantz’s party. By supporting the Blue and White leader, the Arab bloc broke with its own precedent of withholding support for either of the top Israeli candidates they consider Zionists since bringing down Netanyahu was its primary objective. “We want to bring an end to the era of Netanyahu, so we recommend that Benny Gantz be the one to form the next government,” said party head Ayman Odeh. By joining together to one Arab Joint List, gained 13 seats in this election, making it the third largest party in the Knesset . Netanyahu came against the Arab party’s support for Gantz, claiming their main leaders are anti-Zionists and suppor Palestinian terrorists. He said Israelis were now faced with two choices: “a minority government that leans on those that reject Israel as a Jewish, democratic state” or a “broad national government” composed of his and Gantz’s parties.

So, What Might Actually Happen Next?

Most heads of parties have made promises to their voters that they will not be able to keep; each one will have to make compromises if they want to avoid another election. The election results seem to indicate the only option is a unity coalition government led by Likud and Blue and White. The political reality requires the entire right-wing bloc to sit together on one side of the coalition, while Blue and White brings in parties from the Left that will contribute to a broad, inclusive government. This, on its face, seems unlikely as Blue and White received the votes it did based upon the promise it would not join a government with the religious parties in participation.

As compromises, Netanyahu will have to share power as Prime Minister in rotation and Gantz will have to join a government that includes Netanyahu, even though he promised not to do so. He will have to accept Netanyahu’s natural partners like the religious and the far right parties which is a violation of his promise to have a secular (no religious) government.

Due to the results of the election, there was a struggle over who would be first or second to assemble a government. If the first candidate fails, it will be the second candidate’s turn to attempt to form a government.

Initially, Gantz wanted to be the first candidate but was advised against it for tactical reasons. If Netanyahu goes first and fails to form a government, and with the threat of a third election, Gantz can appeal to Likud members to defect to his side. Thereby Gantz can lead a government with Likud but without Netanyahu. For that reason he had the Joint Arab List party give up 3 seats leaving only 10 to recommend him, making his bloc less than Netanyahu’s. Therefore, President Rivlin gave Netanyahu the initial mandate to form a government.

Should Gantz also try and fail, it doesn’t mean there is automatically another election. The law allows another 21 days for any of the candidates, even those who failed (Netanyahu in this case) to form a coalition of at least 61 MKs and swear in a new government.

In this case, Gantz may have to compromise and agree to a united coalition with Netanyahu and his religious affiliates.

Another possibility (unlikely) is that Gantz fails to hold onto his allies, either from Blue and White or the other left-wing parties, and Netanyahu becomes Prime Minister with a coalition of right-wing and religious parties, including elements from the Left.

A further possibility, is Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman concedes to joining a Netanyahu government, along with his religious political partners, who will also have to make compromises in Liberman’s direction. Such a government–and the most desirable–could potentially be the most stable since Liberman would re-join the Right, which was his natural place until he departed resulting in the last election. Knowing his strong and stubborn personality, it will take a miracle for this to happen.

There is the always the possibility that Israel will be required to hold a third election. We all pray that it won’t happen.