Who would you vote for in Israel?

[The Mikado]

Which one is the anti-Zionist anti-terrorism anti-apartheid option?

You're probably looking for Hadash, aka the Communists. If that makes you uncomfortable, then I don't know what to tell you. You could also vote for United Arab List.

[danny]

I don't know much at all about Israeli politics or parties, but I would probably vote for a generic center-left or centrist party that's also against any form of (further) settlements in Palestine. It also has to be free of the religious fundies.

Which parties would that include ?

Labour-Livni, Yesh Atid, maybe Kulanu because he's quite vague on these matters.

Thx.

The Labor-Hatnuah ticket would probably make the most sense for me I guess, after reading a bit about them.

BTW: Is there any real Green Party in ISR ?

Every election has one or two green parties, but they never pass the threshold.

[danny]

I don't know much at all about Israeli politics or parties, but I would probably vote for a generic center-left or centrist party that's also against any form of (further) settlements in Palestine. It also has to be free of the religious fundies.

Which parties would that include ?

Meretz would be the closest to what you're describing. Labor would probably work if you wanted to vote for a major party. Yesh Atid is vaguely centrist, for sure, and definitely secular, but seems to avoid talking about the Palestinian issue like the plague.

Meretz are not centrist, just left, so they wouldn't be as good a fit for Tenders requirements.

[Tender Branson]

I don't know much at all about Israeli politics or parties, but I would probably vote for a generic center-left or centrist party that's also against any form of (further) settlements in Palestine. It also has to be free of the religious fundies.

Which parties would that include ?

Meretz would be the closest to what you're describing. Labor would probably work if you wanted to vote for a major party. Yesh Atid is vaguely centrist, for sure, and definitely secular, but seems to avoid talking about the Palestinian issue like the plague.

Meretz are not centrist, just left, so they wouldn't be as good a fit for Tenders requirements.

Meretz actually doesn't sound too bad either.

Considering there's no real Green Party (only on a low level) and the Hadash's too far to the left (probably naive and utopian with their policies), I'd either vote for Labor/Livni or Meretz.

Is there any chance for them to end up in a center-left coalition ? Or better, what would a Labor/Livni coalition most likely look like ?

PS: I always cringe when I read about the "Shas" party, because in Austrian-German it means "to fart".

[danny]

Or better, what would a Labor/Livni coalition most likely look like ?

Labour itself, and basically any combination of parties from the list of Meretz, Yesh Atid, Kulanu, Shas and UTJ that would go over 60.

[Famous Mortimer]

Which one is the anti-Zionist anti-terrorism anti-apartheid option?

You're probably looking for Hadash, aka the Communists. If that makes you uncomfortable, then I don't know what to tell you. You could also vote for United Arab List.

United Arab List isn't anti-terrorism. Their old leader was supportive of suicide bombing. Also they're Islamists.

If there does end up being a join Arab list with Hadash, UAL, and Balad, I would probably switch back to Labor.

[danny]

Which one is the anti-Zionist anti-terrorism anti-apartheid option?

You're probably looking for Hadash, aka the Communists. If that makes you uncomfortable, then I don't know what to tell you. You could also vote for United Arab List.

United Arab List isn't anti-terrorism. Their old leader was supportive of suicide bombing. Also they're Islamists.

If there does end up being a join Arab list with Hadash, UAL, and Balad, I would probably switch back to Labor.

Why is Meretz not an option?

[Famous Mortimer]

I'm to the left on economics and somewhat moderate on issues of Israel's security.

Meretz seems like the worst of both worlds to me, timid about calling themselves socialist and naively dovish.

I would support them under Ran Cohen or Ilan Gilon though, as it's my understanding they were more economically oriented leadership candidates.

[Zanas]

For a forum such as this one, with a membership such as this one, not including Meretz is certainly a faute de goût... I mean I barely heard about Kulanu and HaAm Itanu, yet I read the Israeli threads !

Next, I must admit I had always thought of Meretz as my choice in Israeli politics, after having read about their history and that of the Labor movement a few years ago. But it seems I had overlooked Hadash as an option. Or I had carefully made my choice. I can't remember.

What are their fundamental discrepancies ?

[Famous Mortimer]

Well Hadash is mostly supported by Arabs but it has one token Jewish MK.

Meretz is mostly supported by Jews but it has one token Arab MK.

Hadash is non/anti-Zionist.

Meretz claims to still be Zionist but there's not much evidence for this.

Hadash is a front of the Communist Party.

Meretz is partially the organizational successor to Mapam, who were kinda sorta like pre-WWI unreformed Marxist social democrats.

Hadash mostly focuses on Arab/peace issues and doesn't talk much about economics, although when they do they are left-wing.

Meretz mostly focuses on peace issues and doesn't talk much about economics, although when they do they have flirted with neo-liberalism.

[Famous Mortimer]

Also, very very sorry for not including Meretz. Terrible oversight. I tried to add them but I couldn't.

If a moderator has the power, I request that you do it for me.

I assume every "Other" vote is actually for Meretz?

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Likud.

[Zanas]

Well Hadash is mostly supported by Arabs but it has one token Jewish MK.

Meretz is mostly supported by Jews but it has one token Arab MK.

Hadash is non/anti-Zionist.

Meretz claims to still be Zionist but there's not much evidence for this.

Hadash is a front of the Communist Party.

Meretz is partially the organizational successor to Mapam, who were kinda sorta like pre-WWI unreformed Marxist social democrats.

Hadash mostly focuses on Arab/peace issues and doesn't talk much about economics, although when they do they are left-wing.

Meretz mostly focuses on peace issues and doesn't talk much about economics, although when they do they have flirted with neo-liberalism.

Ok thanks for the short explanation. I'm not entirely sure what being Zionist or not still actually implies in the Israeli political context though. Is it just wanting to have and keep a Jewish State ? As opposed to a secular, or multicultural State ? I'm a bit confused.

In any case, I guess I would then vote Meretz as an Arab, and Hadash as a Jew. I have a contradictory mind...

[Vosem]

Well Hadash is mostly supported by Arabs but it has one token Jewish MK.

Meretz is mostly supported by Jews but it has one token Arab MK.

Hadash is non/anti-Zionist.

Meretz claims to still be Zionist but there's not much evidence for this.

Hadash is a front of the Communist Party.

Meretz is partially the organizational successor to Mapam, who were kinda sorta like pre-WWI unreformed Marxist social democrats.

Hadash mostly focuses on Arab/peace issues and doesn't talk much about economics, although when they do they are left-wing.

Meretz mostly focuses on peace issues and doesn't talk much about economics, although when they do they have flirted with neo-liberalism.

Ok thanks for the short explanation. I'm not entirely sure what being Zionist or not still actually implies in the Israeli political context though. Is it just wanting to have and keep a Jewish State ? As opposed to a secular, or multicultural State ? I'm a bit confused.

In any case, I guess I would then vote Meretz as an Arab, and Hadash as a Jew. I have a contradictory mind...

There is another, not mentioned important distinction: since Hadash is a non-Zionist party, Hadash has never been in the government, and neither have Hadash's antecedents, though Hadash has sometimes supported leftist governments on matters of confidence. By contrast, Meretz and its antecedents have been part of every Labor-led government for many years (though the last one was 1999-2001, so that was a while ago; Meretz was excluded from the Kadima-led governments, 2005-2009). Thus, if Yitzhak Herzog is to become PM, Meretz will very likely be part of his coalition, while Hadash certainly will not be.

[Famous Mortimer]

Well Hadash is mostly supported by Arabs but it has one token Jewish MK.

Meretz is mostly supported by Jews but it has one token Arab MK.

Hadash is non/anti-Zionist.

Meretz claims to still be Zionist but there's not much evidence for this.

Hadash is a front of the Communist Party.

Meretz is partially the organizational successor to Mapam, who were kinda sorta like pre-WWI unreformed Marxist social democrats.

Hadash mostly focuses on Arab/peace issues and doesn't talk much about economics, although when they do they are left-wing.

Meretz mostly focuses on peace issues and doesn't talk much about economics, although when they do they have flirted with neo-liberalism.

Ok thanks for the short explanation. I'm not entirely sure what being Zionist or not still actually implies in the Israeli political context though. Is it just wanting to have and keep a Jewish State ? As opposed to a secular, or multicultural State ? I'm a bit confused.

In any case, I guess I would then vote Meretz as an Arab, and Hadash as a Jew. I have a contradictory mind...

Meretz wants to keep "a Jewish state" but by that they presumably mean a state in which Jews coincidentally have a majority. They want the state to be secular and grant no privileges based on ethnicity. How that differs from the Arab parties' calls for Israel to become a "bi-national state" or a "state of its peoples" is probably purely semantic.

[Famous Mortimer]

I mean, they are Zionist in the classical, early 20th century sense, that they support the right of Jews to exist in the middle east (as they are mostly Jews existing in the middle east) but I think the word has evolved past them.

Hadash also supports the right of Jews to keep living (and theoretically all the Arab parties do including Fatah and Hamas) but they don't claim to be Zionist.

It's basically just a self identification for "not an anti-system party"

[Hnv1]

Well Hadash is mostly supported by Arabs but it has one token Jewish MK.

Meretz is mostly supported by Jews but it has one token Arab MK.

Hadash is non/anti-Zionist.

Meretz claims to still be Zionist but there's not much evidence for this.

Hadash is a front of the Communist Party.

Meretz is partially the organizational successor to Mapam, who were kinda sorta like pre-WWI unreformed Marxist social democrats.

Hadash mostly focuses on Arab/peace issues and doesn't talk much about economics, although when they do they are left-wing.

Meretz mostly focuses on peace issues and doesn't talk much about economics, although when they do they have flirted with neo-liberalism.

The Commie party is a part of Hadash though most supporters aren't commies. But due to legal reason they still maintain a large strength in it
Meretz is more of the successor of Ratz than Mapam. You have old mapam supporters and those who are more left wing on economic matters but Mapam is pretty much void by now while Ratz (who were social-democratic) enjoy more prominence within the party

Both of the later claims are false, completely. Especially in recent years with the re-rise of the economic debate.

[Colbert]

likoud

[ag]

Hadash, if they do not merge. Meretz, otherwise.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Meretz. Voted Hadash in the poll.

[Famous Mortimer]

So as of right now:

Labor 10
Meretz 9 (assuming all other votes are for Meretz and the one guy who said he would have voted for them)
Hadash 6
Likud 6
Yisrael Beytenu 2
The Jewish Home 2
Yesh Atid 1
United Torah Judaism 1
United Arab List 1
Balad 1

[MalaspinaGold]

Other: Fatah

After all, if Israel is going to treat the West Bank as something it alone will decide the fate of, then the political parties of its legitimate inhabitants should be an option.

But they are not running in the Israeli election...

It would do the Palestinians more good than continuing to pretend that Israel has any interest in a real two state solution at the moment.  Surely there are some Fatah members in East Jerusalem who could submit a list since they've been arbitrarily annexed into Greater Israel.

If they were interested in ending the pointless boycott of Jerusalem Municipal elections, they could at the very least put in an effort for one of the Israeli parties- there's nothing Fatah could do that Balad or UAL couldn't do.

Also, considering that the whole point of Fatah is to be the only party across the Green Line for a 2-state solution, it seems to be genuinely the wrong party for you.

And lol at Meretz being neoliberal...

[Famous Mortimer]

Oh man, Yossi Beilin was 10 years ago already? Maybe it's time for me to forgive them.

[TJ in Oregon]

From my very minimal knowledge, maybe Shas? Apparently they get some Arab votes so they seem like the religious party that would be least likely to cause trouble.

[MalaspinaGold]

From my very minimal knowledge, maybe Shas? Apparently they get some Arab votes so they seem like the religious party that would be least likely to cause trouble.

Most of the Arabs that vote for Shas are Druze, and they occupy a fairly... interesting position within the political arena in Israel.