I \Nor d
Harry Kirsbaum
that Hamas took a leading role in
the region.
He sees the coalition prob-
ably as Kadima, Labor, maybe
Shas, which is very important for
social balance, he said.
"Social parties can make a dif-
ference now:' said Oppenheim,
referring to the Pensioner's Party.
"Maybe for the first time, we
realized that we 'need to stop and
listen to what is going on with
the people — it's not all about
borders and security"
Uri Segal of West Bloomfield
said he's looking forward to
change.
"I hope, for the good of Israel,
that one major party will control
the Knesset and that way they
will be able to be more effective,
and they will not be slaves to all
kinds of agreements in a coali-
tion," he said. He attributed the
low turnout to apathy
"Some people gave up; they
don't believe that change can
come he said. "-I'm optimistic. I
believe that it's always an oppor-
tunity for a good change."
Staff Writer
I
t will be two hours before
the election results are in,
but Yossi Benjamin, propri-
etor of Yossi's Israeli Cuisine in
West Bloomfield, turns down the
Israeli background music and
switches the television to Israel's
Channel Two for the "pre-game"
show anyway. .
As a countdown clock ticks
in the corner of the screen, the
room slowly fills up with a late-
lunch, mostly Israeli crowd who
may now call Metro Detroit
home, but whose hearts are in
the Promised Land.
They will lunch on falafel,
hummus and Israeli salad.
Hebrew is the prevalent lan-
guage; Israeli artwork, street
signs and portraits of David
Ben-Gurion and Golda Meir fill
the walls.
One by one they walk in, greet-
ings met with hugs — Yossi's
slogan is "Coming here is like
coming home," and today, espe-
cially, the patrons are all one big
happy family.
"I don't have a favorite; I think
Kadima has the biggest chance of
winning," Benjamin says between
taking food orders. "Whoever
wins, I just hope it will be good
for Israel. We are tired of the war
and conflict. It's been going on for
too long."
Predictions
Israelis in the crowd have dif-
ferent views. Kami Robinson of
West Bloomfield greets the crowd
and sits down in a booth close to
the television. A retired colonel in
the Israeli army, Robinson wasn't
ready to offer a prediction.
"I don't know because it's a
very low turnout:' he says. "People
don't know for whom to vote.
That is the feeling there. Olmert
is OK, Bibi's OK and Meretz is OK,
but it's just not the same:'
The reported 63 percent turn-
out rate is a sign that Israel is
joining the ranks of other well-
established democratic nations,
he said.
Hannan Lis of Farmington.
Hills calls this election a "signifi-
cant change?'
"One of the things that char-
acterizes a stable democracy
is low voter turnout — it's a
Coalition Building
As the countdown clock ticks
zero, music blares on the televi-
- sion, and shouts of sheket (be
quiet!) silence the restaurant
crowd that has swollen to more
Clockwise: A mostly Israeli crowd gathers at Yossi's Israeli Cuisine in West Bloomfield to watch elec-
than 50 people.
tion results on Israeli television. Tamir Oppenheim, an excited Arie Leibovitz and Uri Segal, all of
As the results stream in, some
West Bloomfield, react to Israeli election news. Izak Rozin and Leah Colmer, both of West Bloomfield,
patrons pull out calculators to
get into the election action.
figure out coalition scenarios.
Early results show Kadima
winning 29-32 seats,Thwer than
expected but enough for Olmert
to remain prime minister. Labor
wins 19-22 seats for the 120-
seat Knesset. The biggest loser
is Likud, with no more than
12 seats. The Pensioner's Party
draws six to eight seats.
The results draw surprises
— and some disappointment.
Izak Rozin of West Bloomfield
is somewhat disappointed in
the results. He wanted Likud to
win, and Benjamin Netanyahu
to become prime minister. "He's
Tamir Oppenheim of West
there is no partner for peace.
fundamental feeling that things
been there before and he knows
Bloomfield said there is no real
Robinson said, "What else is
are pretty stable',' he said. "Israel
what to do."
debate in this year's election.
different is the ideology of the
is not facing imminent destruc-
Rozin is also hopeful about a
"The majority understands
parties. Everybody is about the
tion because somebody is going
strong coalition.
that, on one hand, We need to
.same. This election is not only
to make the wrong decision, or
"We got a new group that got
continue to develop the State of
about defense and security, but
there will be some compromise
together without the little small
Israel and solve a lot of internal
it's about poverty and education
that will jeopardize the security.
social problems," he said. "On the parties. I hope it will be good."
Those things have been resolved." and solving the problems of a
other hand, we need to fight and
modern society, and all the par-
In the small, crowded res-
Israeli Election on page 32
to defend the state of Israel now
ties want that."
taurant, there is consensus that
Israeli Election
Central
Yossi's restaurant gathers its Israeli 'family' to
watch live election coverage.
March 30 - 2006
31