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

FACEBOOK

Laura

Ben-David

FACEBOOK

Rachel Kapen 

FACEBOOK

Tzvi Koslowe

FACEBOOK

Nina Yahalomi 

Klevitsky

FACEBOOK

