Guest Column

Israel's Turbulent Political Landb‘ap=

A

n March 17, Israelis will exer-
cise their right to vote in
Israel's elections. The last
Israeli national elections took place
just two years ago. Similar to the U.S.,
Israeli elections take place every four
years but, in fact, the average life
of a government term in Israel is 23
months. This has serious negative rami-
fications for the economy and stability
of the country.
But why did the last government fall
apart after only two years? And what
are these elections really about?
In 2013's elections, Benjamin
Netanyahu's coalition was forced on
him due to election
results. Many citizens
from across the politi-
cal spectrum were
tired of the high cost
of living in Israel, and
they voted for Yair
A
Lapid, a television per-
Benjamin
sonality who had
Netanyahu
formed a new party
called Yesh Atid
("There is a Future"), promising to
lower the high living costs.
The party won 19 seats in the
Knesset and became the second big-
gest party (after Netanyahu's Likud).
Lapid, who refused to
sit in the same gov-
ernment with the
ultra-Orthodox par-
ties, made a pact with
other parties to create
a block for a potential
coalition, forcing
Yair Lapid
Netanyahu to abandon
his natural partners,
leaving Lapid as the
finance minister of Israel and Tzipi
Livni, now the head of the Labor party,
in charge of negotiations with the
Palestinian Authority.
The 2013 coalition began with smiles
and handshakes for the cameras, but,
in reality, it was a disaster waiting to
happen. Lapid and Livni disagreed with
Netanyahu and the rest of the coalition
on almost every policy. Coalition mem-
bers on both the left and right tried to
sabotage the other side's agenda.
After negotiations with the
Palestinians, led by U.S. Secretary of
State John Kerry, failed, and while
Israeli citizens were kidnapped and
murdered in the streets and in syna-
gogues by Palestinian terrorists, the
security cabinet, led by Netanyahu,
decided to halt negotiations with the

Palestinians.
Israel was an attempt to ban free news-
Livni, also a member of the security
papers, some of which have the highest
cabinet, ignored that decision and met
circulations in Israel. This law was tai-
with Palestinian officials
lored so as to eliminate only
to discuss terms for a pos-
one newspaper, Israel Hayom,
sible deal, thus undermining
which is owned by Sheldon
Netanyahu's leadership.
Adelson, a Netanyahu sup-
Lapid's idea of cheapen-
porter.
ing the housing market
Although most media are
by essentially having the
left-leaning, this newspa-
government subsidize buy-
per is a breath of fresh air
ers was heavily criticized
for people on the right. Of
by experts on the economy,
course, no media outlet is
who maintained that his plan
without an agenda, but still,
Kobi Erez
would actually cause a rise
Israel Hayom was the only
in housing prices. Netanyahu
target of this law. Needless
did everything in his power to stop
to say, it was Livni and Lapid, along-
Lapid's plan from coming to the parlia-
side other parties in Netanyahu's coali-
ment for a vote. This was considered a
tion, who voted for this bill, which was
huge blow to Lapid.
meant to hurt Netanyahu's standing.
In fact, Netanyahu never believed
With this terrible divide in his own
that Lapid had the ability or knowledge
coalition, Netanyahu decided to leave
to run Israel's economy. Israel's govern-
it to the people of Israel to decide, yet
ment owns 93 percent of the country's
again, what kind of a government they
land. Israel has an interest in keeping
housing prices as high as possible to
earn large tax revenues. The only real
way to bring down the high cost of
housing in Israel is for the government
to release large amounts of land, even if
it means fewer proceeds from taxes.
Lapid and Livni also opposed the
Jewish nation-state bill, which
was originally drafted
by Likud, as an
attempt to resolve the
tension between the
country's dual Jewish
and democratic char-
acter. The bill does so
by defining
Tzipi Livni
Jewishness as the
default nature of the
state in any instance
when the state's Jewish and democratic
aspirations clash. One example of this is
the Law of Return, which allows only
Jews to make aliyah and become citi-
zens of Israel.
Both Livni and Lapid publicly criti-
cized Netanyahu for damaging Israel's
relationship with the U.S. after he
approved the building and expansion
of Jewish neighborhoods outside the
1967 borders and for disagreeing with
President Barack Obama's method of
dealing with Iran. Interestingly, Israeli
news media reported that President
Obama launched a political campaign
against Netanyahu and even sent advis-
ers and resources to assist Livni's party
in the upcoming elections.
Another bill that created headlines in

want to lead them.
The next elections are crucial to
Israel's future. They will determine the
cost of living, the solution to the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict, the identity of
Israel as a Jewish and democratic state,
the continuity of Israel-U.S. relations,
and how to deal with threats from Iran's
nuclear program, Hezbollah, Hamas and
ISIS.

❑

Kobi Erez is executive director of the Zionist

Organization of America-Michigan Region.

ZOA-MI is hosting a communitywide
event March 9, during which a panel
of local experts on Israeli politics will
represent a variety of Israel's parties
in a realistic debate, to gain a better
understanding of Israel's complex
political landscape.
The event will take place Monday,
March 9, at 7 p.m. at the JCC in West
Bloomfield in Handleman Hall.
For more information, email Kobi@
mizoa.org or call (248) 661-6000.

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