More Miracles in Store on Israel's Election Day?

Unlike America's President Obama, Israel has no great political "hero" type lined up at the ballot box to save us from a nuclear Iran, Hamas terrorists in Gaza, mounting threats from the Syrians, and the Hezbollah in Lebanon. (And a looming financial crisis too). What Prime Minister on Israel's election day, February 12, would want to inherit this mess?

This mess, really, is not that new: the characters may have changed names and faces, but Israelis have seen it all before. Being threatened by hostile Arab states, who hope to drive the "Zionist Axis of Evil" into the sea (and who have tried too), is just part of the "fun" and reality of holding down the democratic fort over here in the Middle East.

(By the way, being able to cast a ballot for Islamic Fundamentalist Group A. or B. in Gaza, looks like, but does not a democracy make.)

As for Israel's election: it seems that most Israelis aren't too optimistic about any of the primary choices, and voter turnout is expected to be low. It's not like the running mates can really make next year's future look a whole lot brighter, like Obama, who has romanced America off its feet.

The complex political and religious realities in Israel have been going on for decades, centuries, and millennia. Jewish people who call Israel home, and whose history stretches back thousands of years on this land (not just since 1948), have been dealing with existential and very real threats to their existence for so long, making a nuclear war with Iran seem like a just another bump in the roadmap to peace.

I know I've been asked to comment about the elections, but with the conflict in Gaza and Sderot, election campaigns and what our candidates stand for, are cloudy at best. I read in some last-minute election coverage filling the newspapers this past weekend that Israeli Prime Minister candidates haven't even had a proper electoral debate since 1995! (I guess there are too many fires to put out.)

So, yes, there's apathy among the Israeli people: Livni, Netanyahu or Barak are the 3 likely candidates to become our next Prime Minister. What does that mean for Israel? Not a whole lot. They are all recycled politicians who haven't given us much faith in what they do, or what they stand for; I miss Ariel Sharon. I think he'd have some good ideas about what to do with Ahmadinejad.

But I'm not that worried about who comes into power: Israel as a nation has survived for thousands of years, and God-willing it will survive thousands of more. Sure, our political leaders play a role in shaping our State's future, but they are just a small part of the story: Israel's existence, if you look back at its history, is a stand-alone sort of miracle. Some people might say its success comes from a force of nature, luck, good defense tactics, its brains, or due to the hand of God. I am choosing all the above.

Comments

[southwindow]

hamas and netanyahu actively work against peace.
the people of the holy land seem to support them in this.
they deserve what they get.

[Freenation]

"Unlike America's President Obama, Israel has no great political "hero" type lined up at the ballot box to save us from a nuclear Iran, Hamas terrorists in Gaza, mounting threats from the Syrians, and the Hezbollah in Lebanon. (And a looming financial crisis too)"

You article would have made more sense if you would have 'honestly' criticized IDF action of killings of 750+ civilians...instead of usual marketing rhetoric....

[Garioch]

You miss the person that the Israeli courts said held personal responsibility for war crimes?

Not much point in looking further into your thinking then is there, a rather dark and depressing place.

[bullypulpit]

"Israel as a nation has survived for thousands of years." An absurd statement at best. Shedding the idealism, modern Israel has been around since 1948, a country settled primarily by eastern Europeans who feel the world owes them something. Israel cannot survive without our financial aid, yet in return we receive very little. The region continues to be unstable, our precious ally is really a merciless offensive military force, and our association costs us American lives and raises petroleum prices.

[TheFriendlyAtheist]

Absurd is right. The Philistines (ancestors of the Palestinians) controled the five great cities of Ashdon, Gaza (where have I heard that name before?),Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron at a time when Jerusalem was nothing but a small hilltop village and David nothing but a roving bandit who seemed to take pleasure in cutting the throats of women and children (it's in the bible so it must be true).

[chaos4700]

You know what would be an election day miracle for Israel? Electing politicians who respect international law, human rights and the Geneva Conventions.

[Libarchist]

The UN is a kangaroo court.

[chaos4700]

Not like the Israeli justice system, huh. Or Gitmo?

[moflard]

Sorry, this is the same UN that Israel points to every time the question of its legitimacy comes up? Y'know, the organization that created the place?

[CapitalistRebel]

I agree with Steve Clemons. Hopefully "Bibi" will get elected and will over-reach. Maybe then the US will finally rethink our unconditional support and funding of Israel, and realize what it is costing us. Netenyahu has made it clear that he is unwilling to make ANY of the concessions necessary to facilitate peace. If he continues to allow the "natural growth" of settlements, keeps the arbitrary checkpoints in the West Bank in place, and refuses to re-open the Gaza border crossings, it will be clear that the goal of Likud and other Zionists is to turn the Palestinians into the Native Americans of the Middle East- a broken people, cast out to live on remote patches of earth in their own homeland.

[Libarchist]

In the United States -- the financial crisis is not likely to cease, and with the world becoming more dangerous, I hope that Israel will stop negotiating with the terrorists.

I say this as a half Jew, ultra liberal pacifist. My parents were divorced when I was a baby, and they were agnostics.

The religious extremism by the fundamentalists in the Christian, and Islamic worlds will increase, and they daily get more and more power.

I have a peace formula for making the Israeli Palestine conflict free. Make the law of return for Jews more liberal, by allowing them dual citizenships, then let them live in both countries.

Make the West Bank and Gaza part of the Israeli state; evict everyone currently living there over a five year period, and let the Jews including those with dual citizenships move to the West Bank and Gaza.

[WorkingClass]

Wow. Some pacifist.

[chaos4700]

Yeah really. A "liberal ultra-pacifist" who wants to ethnically cleanse the Palestinians in their entirety by military force so a bunch of white people can have nice, big backyards and gated communities in the Middle East.

[almazza98]

That is so hilarious, and sad at the same time. It really shows your intelligence, I am impressed. And where would you deport the people since you talk about kicking them out of their own homes. While your at it. Give me your address, so I can find a family who desires a new home and they can just live there, since you are in such a generous mode. Of course you would have to leave.

[TammyKnowsBest]

IDF forces open fire on Palestinian farmers

http://palsolidarity.org/2009/02/5065

[chaos4700]

Well of course! Those farmers are growing food that might possibly be consumed by the child of a man who might be a supporter of Hamas! Why, they're as bad as the terrorists!

I suppose while the IDF is at it, they might even hypothetically shoot the aforementioned child. It's happened before and it's a pale echo of what they've done in Gaza.

[TheFriendlyAtheist]

It was in the village of Khan Yunis, in 1956, that the IDf massacred over 200 defenseless Palestinians during a search for weapons that were never found.