ELECTIONS

88

Two Democracies,
Two Elections

In the U.S. and Israeli elections,
and
there are some strong similarities
basic differences

GARY ROSENBLATT

Editor

merican Jews seem to favor
Michael Dukakis in the up-
coming elections (with a recent
poll showing the margin as
high as four to one) and they
tilt toward the Labor party in the
Israeli elections.
Israelis, by contrast, seem to favor
Likud at home and George Bush in
the American elections.
And King Hussein of Jordan has
thrown his support behind Labor in
Israel, perhaps solidifying victory for
the Likud.
And so it goes. Different percep-
tions and perspectives in the two
national elections in Israel and
America, with some basic similarities
— and strong differences.
The biggest similarity is the
healthy concept of democracy, with all
of the vigorous debate that entails.
Voters in both countries are faced
with clear differences in the policies
set forth by the major parties. But in
Israel one votes for a party rather
than a person, and instead of two
. parties vying for power, there are 27
parties scrambling for representation
in the 120-seat parliament, the
Knesset.
Israelis had thought that after
years of indecision over what to do
about the occupied territories and the
Palestinian population, this would be
a decisive election. It was believed
that the intifada (or Palestinian upris-
ing), now in its 11th month, would
spur Israelis to take a strong stand,
one way or the other. The key issue
is whether or not to attempt to trade
land for peace, and the choices are
clear.
Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir

20

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1988

and his Likud party advocate a tough real risk of giving up land and,
position, opposing an international perhaps, security for the prospect of
peace conference and any effort to peace with long-sworn enemies.
relinquish land gained in the 1967
Israelis appear to be about even-
war.
ly
split
over whether to cast their lot
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres
with
Labor
or. Likud, with Likud ap-
and his Labor party advocate seeking
pearing
to
have
an edge, but what is
peace with the Arabs through direct
striking
aboUt
this election is the
talks with King Hussein and by offer-
growing
strength
of the more radical
ing to return some of the territories
parties.
On
the
one hand, more
occupied in the Six-Day War.
Israelis-
are
discussing
the possibility
The campaign has been even
of
"transfer,"
the
euphemism
for
nastier than the one going on in
throwing
all
of
the
Arabs
out
of
Israel.
America, with large sums of money
It was a position that until recently
was considered an anathema to most
Israelis, and was only advocated
publicly by Rabbi Meir Kahane,
whose Kach party was banned from
the election as "racist." But at least
one other party, headed by a respected
former general, is taking a similar
position, and Israelis discuss the issue
openly.
On the other hand, a growing
number of Israelis appear to support
the prospect of a Palestinian state,
provided that Israel be protected by
secure borders. This, too, was a posi-
tion virtually unheard of until
being spent, candidates hurling recently.
The only common denominator
vicious barbs at each other and, in
some cases, a fear of real physical between those advocating transfer
violence breaking out. Peres has been and those willing to accept a Palesti-
the target of such violence, with a nian Liberation Organization state is
rock thrown last week in Beit that they would further separate
Arabs from Jews. Neither side sees
Shemesh barely missing him.
The only redeeming factor in all the co-existence of Arabs and Jews as
of this is that the issues being debated a realistic solution. That is the major
so passionately are real and of major casualty of the on-going intifada, as
importance. They are not about flag Israelis increasingly come to believe
that the uprising is a political rather
waving or the Pledge of Allegiance or
than a military problem.
membership in the American Civil
Peres took a huge risk last week
Liberties Union, but about the very

The unique aspect of

the Bush-Dukakis election
for American Jews
is that the Mideast
is not a major factor
since the two positions
are so similar.

when he sought, in effect, the en-
dorsement of King Hussein, who
stated that a Shamir victory would be
"a major disaster" for the prospect of
peace. That's not unlike Dukakis per-
suading Soviet leader Mikhail Gor-
bachev to endorse him in the U.S.
election. Peres' move indicates a
sense that he is slipping in the polls
and that desperate measures were
needed to bolster support. Whether
his effort will be successful or will
backfire with Isralei voters will soon
be known.
Here at home, the unique aspect
of the Bush-Dukakis election for
American Jews is that the Middle
East.is not a major factor in deciding
for whom to vote. Both candidates
have pledged strong support for the
Jewish state and at times sound as if
they have the same pro-Israel speech
writer. The only difference seems to
be that Bush has been more forceful
in declaring that he would not
tolerate the creation of a Palestinian
state and Dukakis has pledged to
move the American Embassy in Israel
from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The real issues for most American
Jews, as for most Americans, focus on
the candidates' very different -ap-
proaches to domestic matters like the
economy, health care, and education,
as well as overall foreign policy
approach.
Finally, while political apathy
runs high this year in the United
States, that is not the case in Israel.
More than 90 percent of Israelis are
• expected to vote next Tuesday, while
only about half of the electorate here
will vote Nov. 8. 0