ISRAELI POLITICS: FROM SOCIALISM TO GLOBALISM, THEN AND NOW (ISRAELI ELECTION PREVIEW)

 

The vision of Israel in the movies of my youth like "Exodus" and "Cast A Giant Shadow" was one of communal farms (Kibbutzim) and indeed the dominant view of those who reached the "Promised Land" up to the time of independence was a socialistic one.

Israel's Parliament was chosen on a proportional basis and the Socialist parties dominated the early elections and the philosophy of David Ben Gurion Israel's first Prime Minister.

In opposition Nationalists getting 15 to 20 percent of the popular vote and Liberals (Free Market Capitalists) an even smaller share.

By 1965 Israel's nationalist leader Menachem Begin was on the move expanding his Herut faction to include Liberals in the "Gahal" coalition.   26 seats won in the 120 seat Knesset (Parliament).

In October 1973 Labor Prime Minister Golda Meir's opposition to a pre-emptive strike before the Yom Kippur War started (under US pressure) would set the stage for Begin's new Likud coalition to win 39 seats in the December 31st, 1973 election...

In the election of May 1977 a 'revolution' in Israel Likud becoming the largest party with 43 seats and leading a government in Israel for the first time with Begin as Prime Minister...ISRAELI ELECTION 1977 VIDEO

Now Nationalists gained more power along with the Pro-Capitalist Liberals in the Likud alliance.

The sea change would help facilitate Israel's military development towards self-reliance with a defense industry of its own.

This would also pave the way for future economic development in Israel including a domestic Pharma industry and a domestic Tech industry.

Now Israel is in the early stages of its own Natural Gas industry coming at a critical time for world energy supplies.

Politics in Israel would move forward into the 21st Century the Labor Party and Likud Party gaining power alternately but eventually Likud under Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership would find itself in power for 12 solid years.

Plenty of scandal allegations along with way involving politicians of all stripes in Israel up to the allegations levelled against Benjamin Netanyahu which find him now involved in a long-running trial.

The once-mighty Labor Party was able one last time with a name change to "One Israel" and the assistance of Bill Clinton political guru Paul Begala to gain a few years of power in 1999 but times were changing.

The party of Israel's traditional labor unions collective farms etc. etc. would find itself up against new realities including mass immigration from Russia following the fall of the Soviet Union and an increasing share of religious Israelis organized politically not to mention new economic developments.

Its decline would become more permanent the Labor Party also associated with the much-reviled Oslo Accords that created the "Palestinian Authority".

Religious Israelis were always organized politically and with their large families and Israel's proportional system of electing its parliaments they would play a significant role in politics.

Some of the religious sticking to traditional lifestyles and dress with others including in their religious faith a mission to settle the new lands Israel acquired after the 1967 Six-Day War particularly in Judea and Samaria (The West Bank).

As Israel entered the "globalizing" world of the 21st Century Centrist political forces emerged in earnest with Ariel Sharon walking from the Likud label in 2005 to be Prime Minister under the new Centrist "Kadima" Party.

Ehud Olmert would follow him as Prime Minister but tensions over retreat from Jewish land settled in Gaza and rocket attacks on Israel would fuel the return of Benjamin Netanyahu to power under the Likud banner.

With various coalitions Netanyahu would serve as Prime Minister for 12 years.

Religious parties representing Orthodox Jews would often be partners in these coalitions but tensions between religious and non-religious Israelis were on the rise.

Journalist and broadcaster Yair "Tommy" Lapid joined the "Shinui" Party in the 1990's which would gain 15 seats in the 2003 election and join the government.

Lapid campaigned openly against religious influence over Israel's governments particularly the spending of government funds for religious activities.

Shunui split up when Kadima took over much of its "Centrist" ideas in 2005.

"Tommy" Lapid died in 2008 but his son media personality Yair Lapid would resurrect the ideals of his father with the new "Liberal-Centrist" "Yesh Atid" party which won 19 seats in elections in 2013.

Yair Lapid became Finance Minister in the next coalition government.

Eventually Lapid would find himself outside of Netanyahu's government and in the opposition.

In the midst of COVID Israel's voters went to the polls in 2021 with the corruption scandal hanging over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and after the vote Netanyahu came up short of being able to form a new government.

Lapid was given the task and eventually was able to forge a new government with tech millionaire and leader of the "Yamina" Party Naftali Bennett.

Bennett was made Prime Minister with Lapid as Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister.

This unusual arrangement included the participation of the United Arab List ("Raam") to help create the narrow 61 seat majority to govern in the 120 seat Parliament.   

This marked the first time an Arab party helped form an Israeli government.

What happened was a drifting away of various "Conservative" and "Centrist" factions from Mr. Netanyahu with these groups willing to work with Lapid's "Yesh Atid" and the remaining parties of the "Left" in Israel as well as Arabs in a "Grand Coalition" against Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu fought back against this new political reality eventually succeeding in prying away a member of parliament here and there to bring the government down emphasizing the Leftist, Secularist and Arab elements of it.

Now the new election and a new Religious-Nationalist party aligned with Mr. Netanyahu's Likud part of a combination that he is hoping will give him 61 seats and leadership of a new government.

Netanyahu plans to bring the two Orthodox religious parties (United Torah Judaism and Shas) into his new government along with a unification of Conservative Religious-Nationalists under the banner of the "Religious Zionist Party".

The party's leading figures Chairman Bezalel Smotrich and lawyer Itamar Ben-Gvir are outspoken personalities who get much media attention and criticism as "extremists".

Both men likely to end up as cabinet ministers in a Benjamin Netanyahu led government if Netanyahu's coalition wins the election.

The Religious Zionist Party also includes the "Noam" faction which advocates for traditional family values and against LGBT activism in Israel.

Polling data ahead of this election gives the Netanyahu grouping 60 seats in an election where any party with 3.25 percent of the popular vote or more is allocated seats in the 120 seat Knesset (Parliament).

The parties aligned with the outgoing government including the Arab "Ra'am" faction only get 56 seats.    Another Arab faction "Hadash-Taal" getting four seats in the polling.

As Israel votes the shadow of Russia and Ukraine with the "Globalist" forces led by the United States demanding a united front against Russia and beyond that a more robust opposition to China.

Israel's security cabinet met recently to draft new rules about foreign investment in Israel directly aimed at countering the increasing levels of Chinese investment in Israel.

Israel has been trying to avoid the sale of weapons to Ukraine but just days ago Israeli President Issac Herzog the ceremonial leader doing the job of presenting evidence to the United States of Iranian drone use by Russia in the war in Ukraine.

Mr. Netanyahu is saying he wants to convince Russia to "end the war" in Ukraine and as we see a new Israeli government emerge we have to be on the lookout for what changes if any will surface in Israel's relationship to Russia.

The election on Tuesday (November 1st) and the results emerging into Wednesday November 2nd.