Israel's Election Day: Not a Change We Can Believe In

So this Tuesday my husband and I will get up at 6:30 (early for us) and walk through the empty streets of downtown Jerusalem to a school that will be hosting the polls for national elections. This is our way of avoiding the lines that are certain to coagulate the hallways just an hour later; we have the advantage of living close by. I will choose a piece of paper representing the political party I am voting for, place it in a sealed envelope, and then stick that in a cardboard box with a slit at the top, feeling as if I am voting for school president and not for Prime Minister of a country.

We will then wander home and I will try to ignore the profound feeling of defeat that for weeks now has been growing as I have contemplated whom to vote for.

In America, I never felt as if my vote really mattered one way or another. I lived in a Blue State, so that was that; the outcome of the elections a mere formality.

Here in Israel, my vote counts for much more. This is especially true since the entire population of the country is about the same as (or less than) New York City alone.

It counts, but it also doesn't. Come Election Day, we the voters here in Israel will have the power to vote, but we will not have the power to effect a meaningful change to the state of our country. What Americans were empowered to do on November 4th of this year is an opportunity that still eludes us.

I'll explain. First of all, it seems that a lot of people think that Israelis are voting for Prime Minister on Tuesday, with a choice between Ehud Barak, Binyamin Netanyahu and Tzipi Livni. This is not true. We are voting for political parties. The greater the number of votes a political party receives, the more seats (if any) it has in the Knesset. The winning candidate for Prime Minister will be the one who can successfully form a government, leaving the rest of the Knesset members to form the opposition.

So an Israeli voter faces the task of deciding whether to vote for one of the big three parties, each led by the candidates for Prime Minister, or to "throw away the vote" on a smaller party.
One of these three parties will end up running things from now on--and who are they? Well, let's run down the list. Ehud Barak was a disaster as Prime Minister a decade ago; appointing him Defense Minister was already a joke in the first place. Where he gets off running for Prime Minister again is a mystery to me. But I don't really have to worry about him, because it is highly unlikely that he can win.

Then there's Tzipi Livni of the current ruling party, Kadima. Bizarrely, her campaign theme is "change" even though she represents the incumbent party. If she's so bent on change, what's been stopping her? And what exactly is Kadima's platform, anyway?

The party was formed specifically in order to push forward the disengagement from Gaza ("Kadima" means "onward" in Hebrew). Well, that was 2005. And the disengagement itself was carried out with all of the finesse of a World War II-era tank, creating consequences that burden the country irrevocably to this day.

As for Livni's much-vaunted promise of "change"... Where was all this "change" as Hamas was amassing its supply of rockets? Where was this "change" as Israel's education system crumbled and its environmental policies stagnated? True, most of the blame for the current mess belongs with the corrupt former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, but it was Kadima's mess.

Then there's Netanyahu, another failed Prime Minister. So many people I know hate him. Left-wingers hate him because he is right-wing. Right-wingers hate him because he made unilateral concessions as Prime Minister. Yet the object of all this hatred is currently leading in the polls, and I don't hate him, to tell the truth. I don't really see why I should. I just don't see the point of him--he represents business as usual in Israeli politics, as much as Livni or Barak would.

All three of Israel's candidates for Prime Minister belong to an era that should be receding behind us, not popping up in our ballot boxes again and again. Israel needs true and lasting change: We need a government which will create a plan for a two-state solution that is realistic, has goals that can be measured, and that does not move forward until the set goals are achieved.

But with the old guard at the helm, we will not have peace. Without creativity and flexible thinking, there is no chance that this country will survive another 60 years.

Security is also a way for people to avoid the other very serious issues that are plaguing this country. The world's financial crisis is our problem, too. The worst water crisis in the country's history, air pollution, a deteriorating school system, thousands of people living in abject poverty, and immigrant populations who need all the help we can give them are just some of the challenges that a new Israeli government should be addressing.

If I believed that any of the three big parties had the capacity to bring peace, I would vote for one of them. Since I am deeply pessimistic that peace can ever be achieved with the government we get, I'm voting based on who will be best for social issues. For that reason, I will probably vote for the Green Movement-Meimad, a party whose security platform I do not really agree with, but whose leaders already have an outstanding record on Israel's social problems--more than anyone else in the Knesset. One of their top members, Alon Tal, is one of Israel's most prominent environmental activists.

I still don't feel excited about my vote. Sometimes I wonder if I'm making the wrong decision, since Meimad is a small party that is unlikely to wield much influence. But what I'm sure of is that what Israel really needs is not going to be achieved in the Knesset anytime soon, regardless of who wins.

Comments

[Aussieposter]

Ilana

My mother was born in Jerusalem when it was Palestine. She and her family left to avoid what is euphemistically called the troubles of 1948. Like many Palestinians they would have liked to have had a vote on their fate and the fate of the land in which they were born. Instead the United Nations voted on their behalf. Now you have the right as an American Jew to move to and reside in the land in which my mother was born. She does not have the right to return to that land.

Vote wisely.

[Ilana Teitelbaum - Huffpost Blogger]

Aussieposter, my grandfather was born in Jerusalem, in Palestine, and my family has historic roots in Jerusalem that precede the founding of the State by many years. I am not ashamed of this, nor am I ashamed of the fact that my ancestors succeeded in defending themselves in 1948. If they hadn't, I would never have been born.

-Ilana

[TheFriendlyAtheist]

Just what were your ancestors defending themselves against in 1948. Being that the Jews began the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians in Dec. of 47 and that the Arab armies, which never numbered more than half that of the Jewish army, didn't cross into Palestine until months later, and then only to try and stop the Jews from taking any more lives or land from the Palestinians I don't really see what they were defending against. One cannot be both the agressor, which the Jews were, and the defender at the same time.

[Aussieposter]

Ilana, A branch of my family tree can be traced back to 1618 Jerusalem. It would have been nice if your family and my family could have lived there in peace and harmony. As the Arab and Jewish population of Jerusalem had done for hundreds of years. Unfortunately after the British gained the mandate over the territory, the immigrants that the British allowed to come in had no intention of coexisting with the Arab population.

“A land without a people for a people without a land”

"There is no such thing as a Palestinian people... It is not as if we came and threw them out and took their country. They didn't exist."
n Golda Meir, statement to The Sunday Times, 15 June, 1969.

It is very hard to peacefully coexist with a people that you do not believe are really there. At least David Ben-Gurion was more honest about it.

“If I were an Arab leader, I would never sign an agreement with Israel. It is normal; we have taken their country. It is true God promised it to us, but how could that interest them? Our God is not theirs. There has been Anti-Semitism, the Nazis, Hitler, Auschwitz, but was that their fault? They see but one thing: we have come and we have stolen their country. Why would they accept that?”
David Ben-Gurion: Quoted by Nahum Goldmann in Le Paraddoxe Juif (The Jewish Paradox),pp121

[arvay]

Ilana: you remind me that not everyone in Israel is some kind of new age Prussian.

You remind me of the Jewish kids that worked with all of us during the civil rights and anti-war struggles here. Humanists. I agree with you the the state of Israel will probably not survive. Unless some Mandela come along an pulls off a reconciliation miracle.

Come here, to the US.

Frankly, I don't think honorable people can live in a state like Israel.

Maybe you want to stay to fight against he crazies. That's your choice.

But if you ever want to go, you're always welcome here.

[nochaos]

Any Arab Mandelas in 21 Arab Nations???ANY IN GAZA or Judea and Samaria?? Don't waste your time...the answer is :NO!!! and there never was!! Sadat and Hussein tried to wipe out Israel...and only made peace when they admitted to themselves they could not win a war with Israel!! WAR was theit first choice..they failed!

[doriath22]

Right, "exterminate all the brutes......" That's how we demonstrate moral superiority.

[TheFriendlyAtheist]

Name one war between Israel and her neighbors, except for 1973, that was not started by Israel.

[arvay]

Sadat actually sent an army across the Suez canal and beat back the "invincible" IDF, as prelude to the peace treaty he later signed. See the future there, friend, if israel doesn't wake up.

Saddam Hussein fired a few absurdly inaccurate Scud rockets into Israel in a vain effort to get Arab support for his invasion of Kuwait. The nutty israeli government wanted to strike back and inflame the Arab world, but Bush Sr. was smarter than that and prevented Israel from making the Gulf War into a disaster.

There must be some special school in Israel where they teach people to forget what actually happened and to believe absurdities instead.

[Ilana Teitelbaum - Huffpost Blogger]

Arvay,

I really appreciate the sentiment. I'd like you to know, though, that I'm not special. I have lived in New York (and miss it) but some of the most inspiring people I have met are here in Israel. People who without any doubt would have passionately supported the U.S. civil rights movement.

Israel looks different from within than it does in media depictions. Come visit.

-Ilana

[livnletlive]

good article overall..... but as a palestinian, this election is also irrelevant to me since the bottomline is UNLESS real USA pressure is exerted on Israel...it does not matter who wins....even if Liebermann was prime minister...he will share jerusalem if real US pressure was brought to bear upon him...or hold new elections that will bring up one who will....Israelis pannic at the slightest notion of US israel tensions since they cannot exist without America....some regard them the 51st state....so really....you're right it does not matter who wins elections for Israelis or Palestinians....what matters is when will the american politicians have the decency to do the right thing.........not morally but for their own sake and for israel's by the way.....not to mention the palestinians....

[mommadona]

Whatever happened to the peace movement and the moderates in Israel?

You are losing support from normal citizens of the world.

War, as a political tool, is no longer an option in the 21st Century.

Zionists will be the downfall of your state.

[nochaos]

Zionists are just people who believe that a Homeland for Jews be safe and peaceful! I am one and NEVER believed that Israel hsould expand...until the Arabs attacked Israel from the Sinai,Gaza, Jordan, the Golan Heights etc in 1957 and 1973. Why give back any of that won land...so the Arabs can use it again as launching points to attack Israel once more?? NUTS!!

[Aussieposter]

1957-------Okay you could be talking about the suez crises, where Israel invaded Egypt with Britian and France over Egypts nationalization of the canal or you could have made a typo and meant to type 1967.

Either way it was Israel that fired the first shot. The best defense after all is a smashing offense.

[nochaos]

Tht's 1967 and 1973..sorry!

[nochaos]

UH..THERE WAS N-E-V-R an Arab peace movement!! Any comments on why not??? I mean besides the fact the other Arabs would have murdered them???

[Fein]

It's even more of a shame since there are no shortage of qualified Israelis who would bring the cycle
of pain to a stop immediately. Example : Uri Avnery, Israel needs a candidate for Hope.

[Edgy]

Agree with tyruler 100%! Killing and maiming Palestinian women and children will never get you anywhere.
Until there is a Palestinian state for Palestinian people there will be no peace in that part of the world.

[nochaos]

And when there is...can Israel kick out its Palestinian citizens who always vote against the best interests of Israel..send them to the Palestinian State you covet???

[sassinfras]

pity there are no politicians in israel who hasn't dehumanized the palestinians and acknowledged all the crimes and terror israel has committed for 60 years. thats why there will be no peace .the only crimes recognised are those coming from the arabs, which is a reaction from israeli crimes. but history is written by the winners

[nochaos]

Same for the Arabs..who STILL call for Israel's extinction!!

[rpophessagr]

I'm just happy that Israel does not have the same "democracy" as the Palestinians

"Amnesty accuses Hamas of eliminating opponents"
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3669623,00.html

[Fireslayer]

A very sad set of choices, but I applaud your going green. Global warming may kill us off even if we don't manage to ignite the tender box which is the Middle East and kiss the worlld bye bye.

[tyruler]

I agree that the election will not change anything, esp. the suffering of your Palestinian neighbors, but what I don't understand is how can the Israeli people tolerate by a recent poll 90%+ the wanton campaign of slaughter against Gazans for supposed "rocket fire" while being blind to the political calculation that went into why this operation "Cast Lead" was conducted. The rocket fire still continues, the suffering of the Gazans and the blockade of Hamas, a freely chosen party, is still in full force.

Did the deaths of 1000+ Palestinians plus 20,000 injured solve anything? Or does Israel and its US political patrons on Capitol Hill don't care for the lives of Muslims is sub-human? If so, then don't be surprised to learn no amount of diplomacy will mitigate the question: Why do they still hate us?

[nochaos]

The Arabs can leave the land they illegally occupy-Israeli won lands...anytime they choose!!! Gaza,the West Bank..all of it! They'll be treated WORSE by the few Arab states that haven't already expelled them!!

[moflard]

You're completely insane aren't you?

How can the people who've been living there for the past several thousand years be in illegal occupation of land that Israel only recently acquired? Have you heard of time's arrow?

[nochaos]

I guarantee you that 90% of the Israeli voters don't vote AGAINST BIBI!!! Your poll is bogus claptrap!!