FAQ: Israeli Election 2009

When is the election?

Feb. 10, 2009

How is the Israeli election system different from the U.S. system?

Israel is a parliamentary democracy. So when you hear that Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu is running for prime minister, this is only partly true, because it is not a direct election. Because he is the head of his party, if the Likud party wins the election, and the President (a largely ceremonial position) approves his coalition, he will be the next prime minister of Israel.

What are the leading parties and what do they stand for?
The three major parties in Israel are
• Likud is headed by Netanyahu, a former prime minister, and represents the hawkish Right, They mostly reject the land for peace initiatives that have been pushed by the international community to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict.
• Labor is perceived as the “peace process” party and the more progressive of the three. They are not expected to do well in this election; however, their party leader Ehud Barack, a former prime minister, has had a political resurgence given his perceived success in handling the recent war in Gaza.
• Kadima – founded by former prime minister Ariel Sharon – is relatively new, but has been the ruling party for the past four years The head of the Kadima party is Tzipi Livni. Livni is a relative newcomer to the political scene and has an untarnished image, especially in comparison to her two rivals Barack and Netanyahu and her predecessor Ehud Olmert, who resigned amidst scandal. The question is: Can she overcome the perception that she is too inexperienced for the position.

Are there other parties?

There are many parties running. The major contenders for seats and for coalition building are:

• Shas: An Ultra-Orthodox Sephardic party
• Israel Beitenu: An ultra-nationalist party whose core constituents are immigrants from the Former Soviet Union
• Meretz: A liberal secular party
• United Torah Judaism: An Ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazi party
• National Union Party- An ultra-nationalist party

Do Arabs in Israel vote?

Yes, Israeli Arab citizens vote. There are a few political parties that are predominantly comprised of Israeli Arabs. However, given the recent conflict in Gaza and a thwarted attempt to disqualify some of the Arab parties, there may be an Arab boycott of the elections.

I’ve heard Israel has some super random parties? Is that true for this election?

Yes there is the party that wants to legalize marijuana and there is a branch of the Communist party. In the 2006 election, in a surprise victory the Pensioners Party (representing the elderly) won seven seats in the Knesset.

How do they promote their parties?
You can see for yourself. Here is a link to bumper stickers and billboards:
http://info.jpost.com/C008/Supplements/IsraelElections2009/stickers1.html

Also, youtube has some of the television ads. This is one for Kadima with English subtitles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUV-mtrq87k

Who would I vote for?
You can find out by going to: http://israel.kieskompas.nl/

Where can I find more information?
http://www.ynetnews.com/home/0,7340,L-6989,00.html
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/Page/IndexSpecials&cid=1227168197428
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/elections2009.jhtml?contrassID=1&subContrassID=32