48 April 18 • 2019
jn
STACY GITTLEMAN JN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Israeli Election
Netanyahu secures fi
fth term as prime minister;
Israelis offer reactions.
I
sraelis placed Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and his Likud party in the driver’
s
seat April 9 to form Israel’
s next government.
With more than 95 percent of votes tabulated,
Former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz conced-
ed the election when Likud and right-wing par-
ties that align with it exceeded the 60-seat thresh-
old necessary to form a new government.
Based on the results, President Reuven Rivlin
is expected to give Netanyahu the opportunity to
form a ruling coalition.
Likud tallied 36 spots and Gantz’
s Blue and
White Party has 35 spots in the 120-seat Knesset.
However, a majority of the remaining seats were
won by parties that have already declared their
intention to align with Likud. A total of 11 par-
ties met the minimum voting threshold and are
expected to have representatives in the Knesset.
A sampling of Israelis with Detroit ties and
those living in Detroit who moved here from
Israel shows general satisfaction with the election
outcome. Several hope that Israel’
s now lon-
gest-serving prime minister will include the Blue
and White party in his coalition.
Real estate agent Tzvi Koslowe moved here
from Israel last August with his
family.
Originally from Petach Tikvah,
Koslowe lives with his family in
Southfield. He missed partici-
pating in an Israeli election for
the first time in his life. Now 38,
Koslowe voted Likud since age 18
and was happy with the election’
s
outcome. The alternative, he said, would have
been forming a government with Israeli-Arab
blocs, which he believes would have been devas-
tating for Israel because of the anti-Israel senti-
ments in those parties.
“If the Blue and White party were elected, I
fear there could have been a war between reli-
gious and secular Jews,
” Koslowe said. “The situ-
ation is not perfect now, but Netanyahu is experi-
enced and knows how to manage the politics and
how to make a place for Israel with countries like
the United States and Russia.
”
As Detroit’
s emissary from
Israel,
Nina Yahalomi Klevitsky of
West Bloomfield and her husband,
Omer, participated in Israel’
s elec-
tions by driving to Chicago at the
start of April to cast their votes at
the Israeli consulate.
It is their first election living
outside of Israel. The couple was
allowed to vote because she is living in
the United States on specific assignment
from Israel, working for the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
She could not say who she favored to
win, but she diplomatically stated that
the Israeli people will vote in who will
best serve their country. Klevitsky added
the fact that Gantz created a new party
only four months ago that more than 1
million supported is a sign that many
Israelis were looking for a new hope and
a new start.
“Whatever the results are, I’
m proud
to [come from] a country where people
can raise their voices and opinions, and
that has a democratic system where the people
are sovereign,
” she said. “It is not only our right
to vote, but rather our duty.
”
Tekoa resident
Laura Ben-David works for
Shavei Israel, an organization that
helps remote Jewish communities
around the globe make aliyah,
and has family ties to Detroit. She
voted for Gantz over Netanyahu
and hopes they can still form a
coalition together.
She thinks Netanyahu has done
great things, but he has become
somewhat complacent with his focus lately more
about staying in power than doing what is best
for Israel.
“I think we badly needed change even if it’
s
just to shake things up for a bit, even if it’
s just
temporary.
”
West Bloomfield resident Rachel
Kapen was born in pre-State Israel
and has lived in the United States
for decades. The daughter of cha-
lutzim (pioneers) who came to
Israel in the third wave of aliyah
(1919-1923), she is not a fan of
Netanyahu but believes he was
elected because, ultimately, Israelis care most
about security.
“Ever since Israel’
s inception, security was
not only a high priority but the only priority;
therefore, most (leaders) were from the military,
”
Kapen said. “But [Gantz] lacks political experi-
ence and does not have the oratory of Netanyahu
as well as his international recognition and
respect. So many would prefer to look away from
his moral failings and still vote for him for the
fifth time.
”
Writing from his home in Kibbutz Ramat-
David in Israel, Yoav Raban, who works for
Federation’
s Israel and Overseas Department,
said he was frustrated by the pettiness of a cam-
paign highlighted by personal throwdowns by
leaders of the leading parties instead of focusing
on what goals and plans they had to improve the
lives of ordinary Israelis.
“For the first time in decades,
we missed a golden opportunity
and this frustrates me the most,
”
he said pointing to the Likud and
Blue and White parties, whose
close ideologies and diverse make-
up of talented people could easily
have formed a moderate coalition
that represents the majority of Israelis.
“Now that won’
t happen only because of egos
and personal agendas,
” he wrote. “Bibi Netanyahu
and Benny Gantz have much more in common
with one another and share many more similar
values in comparison to the leaders of the small,
ultra-religious, right-wing parties that Bibi is now
compelled to reach out to in order to build his
coalition.
”
Now, Raban fears there will be more of the
same: a shift even further to the religious right,
where hurdles faced in the past few years such as
the conversion bill and Women of the Wall, for
example, will continue to be a challenge to over-
come — challenges that continue to affect the
dynamic of the relationship between Israel and
diaspora Jewry.
“My hope is that with Bibi’
s understanding of
the importance of the relationship between Israel
and the diaspora Jewry and the fact that he will
now feel less threatened by an upcoming election
and making political decisions to appease a small
but influential part of his coalition, it will allow
him to make amends to some of the fractures our
significant bond had had to endure.
” ■
eretz
U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Benjamin Netanyahu
won a record fifth
term as Israeli
prime minister.
Yoav Raban
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Laura
Ben-David
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Rachel Kapen
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Tzvi Koslowe
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Nina Yahalomi
Klevitsky
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