Comments on: On doing the deed

By: LB

LB — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:16:24 +0000

I’ve been looking at the makeup of the Knesset through history and I’m confused. In the first few decades of the state – when the threshold was very low (parties had, at times, only 1 rep in the Knesset) it seems that there was more stability. The larger parties were, well, much larger – 1981, for example Likud: 48 seats, Alignment (Labor): 47. The next largest party was NRP with 6 (!) seats.

Contrast this with today, and you see a very different picture.

The only halfway-decent explanation I can come up with is that people have simply become disillusioned with the “establishment parties” and more and more people cast protest votes. Anyone else?

By: Rankin Mike

Rankin Mike — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 12:15:47 +0000

Meimad-Green Movement may have an attractive platform but, sadly, a vote for them, like the other fluffy niche parties, was ultimately a vote for Bibi.

They were never going to get close to a Knesset seat and casting a ballot in their favour simply contributed to the weakening of Meretz and the left-bloc. You’d have been better off voting for Livni.

By: Opher Donchin

Opher Donchin — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 06:02:11 +0000

I disagree with MadZionist. I think that the balance between the small parties tendency to fragment politics and the larger parties tendency to compromise principles in the effort to reach compromise is a healthy one. Every election I weigh my desire to take a principled stand with Meretz against my desire to have a larger effect on policy with Avoda (or this election with Kadima). Some people are solidly centrist or large party people and other people are solidly on the fringe, but for the many of us who drift, I think the choice is a legitimate one.

Interesting in your analysis, Alex, that you didn’t consider Avoda. I also wasn’t willing to vote for them.

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:27:47 +0000

MadZionist – sorry, have only just noticed this. In short, I don’t like their failure to reach out to the wider public, which was shown yet again with their failure to get more seats than Hadash.

Hugh – I think the right gave up on the idea of ‘Greater Israel’ a long time ago, at least in terms of the definite article, and at least excluding folks like MadZionist. But the devil is in the detail, and we’ve still got a long way to go until there’s a consensus about creating a viable Palestinian state. By the time we get there it might be too late.

By: Hugh

Hugh — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:06:08 +0000

Hi Alex,

I wondered what you would make of Shmuel Rosner’s conclusion in Slate on Lieberman’s rise in this election; that it may actually be a sign of maturity in Israeli politics in that the right has finally given up on the idea of “Greater Israel”? As a complete ignoramus on Israeli politics – I’m from the UK, so no surprises on there then – I would be interested to know whether you thought Rosner’s argument was valid.

http://www.slate.com/id/2210633/

By: Madzionist

Madzionist — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:44:58 +0000

Alex, I wish everyone would vote for the party that best represented their beliefs. “Realism” based voting is the death of true representative government, as the majority of voters are left holding their nose as they vote for the lessor of evils. While my party of choice, Ichud Leumi, is almost assuredly going to be over the threshold, they will remain marginalized like a rightwing version of Meretz due to the fear driven pragmatism driving nationalist voters to Bibi or Lieberman.

Speaking of Meretz, what is this “inner perversity” that prevents you from voting for them? I’m confused. If you agree with them more than any other party, I don’t understand why you wouldn’t vote for them.