Israeli legislative election, 1949 (user search)
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  Israeli legislative election, 1949 (search mode)
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Poll
Question: Let the sure-fire clusterf*ck of an election series commence!
#1
Mapai
 
#2
Mapam
 
#3
United Religious Front
 
#4
Herut
 
#5
General Zionists
 
#6
Progressive Party
 
#7
National Unity List of Sephardim and Oriental Communities
 
#8
Maki
 
#9
Democratic List of Nazareth
 
#10
Fighters' List
 
#11
Women's International Zionist Organization
 
#12
Yemenite Association
 
Show Pie Chart
Partisan results

Total Voters: 67

Author Topic: Israeli legislative election, 1949  (Read 13510 times)
Peter the Lefty
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« on: April 07, 2015, 11:35:37 PM »

      On November 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution recommending the partition of the British Mandate of Palestine into two states (one Jewish, one Arab), as well as the placement of the Holy City of Jerusalem under international administration.  The Jewish leadership in Palestine, headed by David Ben Gurion, accepted this as a “bare minimum.”  The Arab leadership, however, opposed the partition, some on the basis that it gave a disproportionately large amount of land to the Jews (in relation to their population there at the time), and many others out of principled opposition to any partition of what they considered to be Arab land.
Fighting and skirmishes immediately broke out between the Jewish and Arab communities in Palestine at the time, with militias on both sides carrying out terrorist attacks against civilians.  On the 14 of May, 1948, David Ben Gurion, the de facto leader of the Jewish community in Palestine, proclaimed the state of Israel.  The Zionist dream had been realized.  The Jewish people now had a state in their ancient homeland.
      Within the next few days, Egypt, Transjordan, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon (briefly) mobilized their forces against the new Jewish state.  Many believed that the nascent state would only last for but a few days.  However, with Ben Gurion (serving essentially as acting Prime Minister) backing the Haganah as the defense forces of the country, all adult citizens were conscripted.  Through an amazing feat, Israel held its ground.  A truce began on June 11, but was broken on July 8 when fighting resumed.  10 days later, another truce took effect.  In the middle of October, that truce was broken.  Against the backdrop of this continuing war, Israel is holding its first general election.
One subject of controversy throughout the war has been the expulsion of many Arabs from their villages, particularly along the road between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.  Among most Jews in the new state, there appears to be little remorse for those who either left out of fear or who were directly forced from their homes at gunpoint. 

      Mapai, led by David Ben Gurion, the incumbent Prime Minister of the young State of Israel, is widely viewed as the frontrunner.  The party is socialist, democratic, and Zionist (Labor Zionist, specifically).  Ben Gurion backed the partition of the Mandate of Palestine into two states; one Jewish, one Arab.  In the economic sphere, the party supports a centralized socialist command economy based on a combination of the already-established Kibbutzim and some state-based nationalization.  The party also advocates a wide array of social welfare schemes, pension programs for the elderly and Holocaust survivors, maternity insurance, workers’ compensation programs, a compulsory universal health care system, and universal education.  In the social sphere, the party is secular and in favor of the protection of women’s rights.  However, it is willing to make compromises with Haredi forces for the sake of the cohesion of the state.  Regarding defense and foreign policy, the party makes no apologies for the expulsion of Arabs from many of their villages during the War of Independence.  While supporting cooperation with leaders of the Arab community within Israel (having set up Arab satellite parties), the party is widely seen as supporting many discriminatory measures towards Arabs (such as martial law, travel permits, administrative detentions, etc.).  The party backs a pro-U.S. foreign policy as well.  Central to the platform is support for efforts to secure a ceasefire with the Arab states, as well as rationing and other economic austerity measures.

      Mapam is also socialist and Zionist.  Unlike Mapai, however, the party backs a pro-Soviet foreign policy, in spite of not identifying as communist.  Lead by Meir Ya’ari, it attributes the Soviet Union’s anti-Zionism simply to a misunderstanding on the part of Soviet Leader Joseph Stalin.  Its economic policies are relatively similar to those of Mapai, though it generally goes further on nationalization.  The party is more vehemently secular and feminist than Mapai.  Perhaps the most important difference is that the party opposed the ethnic cleansing of Arabs from Israel during the War of Independence, and wants to allow them to return, unlike Mapai.  Mapam also supports efforts to reach a ceasefire with Israel’s Arab neighbors.

      United Religious Front is an alliance of Israel’s four Religious Zionist/Orthodox political parties: HaPoel HaMizrahi, Agudat Yisrael, Poalei Agudat Yisrael, and Mizrahi.  The party seeks to make Israel a religious state obedient to the laws of the Torah, though much diversity exists within the movement regarding the extent of the laws.  The party is also considered to be vaguely economically left-of-center, due to the working-class status of most members of the Orthodox and Haredi communities in Israel.  The party opposed partition, but is not making it a huge issue in this campaign.  Central to the party’s platform is its vow to get whatever government it sits in to provide funding to Orthodox yeshivas, as well as extra subsidies to the ultra-Orthodox, whose religious obligations prevent them from seeking employment.  The party is led by Yehuda Leib Maimon.

      Herut is the main representative of Revisionist Zionism in this election.  Led by Menachem Begin, the party is running on its vehement opposition to any cease fire with the Arab states.  Furthermore, it refuses to recognize the legitimacy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and uses the slogan “to the banks of the Jordan River.” On the economic front, the party backs private initiative and enterprise, while still supporting legislation that prevents trusts from exploiting workers and the formation of monopolies. The party is linked to the Irgun militia. 

      The General Zionists are considered to be the political arm of the centrist faction in the Zionist movement led by President Chaim Weizmann.  Generally considered to be representative of middle class Jewish community of central Europe.  The party is seen as center-right, liberal, and secular.  The platform supports private property, a capitalist economy, and a free market.  The party is led by Pinchas Rosen.

      The Progressive Party is attempting to fill in the gap between Mapai and the General Zionists.  Led by Pinchas Rosen, the PP seeks social welfare programs and regulations in tandem with a market economy. (i.e. Social liberalism) In addition, the party is adamant about its secularism.  Like most parties, the Progressives support attaining a cease fire with the Arab states.  The PP and the General Zionists both hail from the centrist ideological camp of General Zionism, and are both considered to be competing for the same vote. 

      The National Unity List of Sephardim and Oriental Communities is a list seeking to represent the non-Ashkenazi Jewish community in Israel (which, at this point in time, is still relatively small).  Led by Bechor Shalom-Sheetrit.

      Maki is the Communist Party competing in the election.  It is unique in that it has both Jewish and Arab members.  The party backs the full state-collectivization of agriculture and a dictatorship of the proletariat, in addition to Jewish-Arab solidarity, a pro-Soviet foreign policy, and all that that entails.  The group is led by Shmuel Mikunis.  Predictably, the party is the only one besides Mapam that wants to allow Arab refugees from villages within the new Jewish state to return. 

      The Democratic List of Nazareth is a Mapai satellite seeking the votes of the Arab community in Israel.  It backs Mapai's policies and leadership of the country.  Ben Gurion sought to create the list and include it in his government in order to prove that Jews and Arabs could work together.  However, few Arabs see it as representative of them.  Many allege that the group's leader, Seif el-Din el-Zoubi,was "upgraded" by Ben Gurion (through being given the task of leading the list) in order to compensate for his dwindling power within Zubia clan, in addition to Ben Gurion's own aims.  That being said, since many Arabs see a Mapai government as inevitable, some see voting for a list that will advocate for their interests within the government as their best bet.

      The Fighters' List is considered to be the most fringe-right party in the running.  A militant Revisionist group, the FL emerged from the extremist paramilitary group Lehi.  The group's platform demands the continuation of the war against Iraq and Transjordan, and wants to establish Jewish sovereignty on both sides of the Jordan River.  At the same time, the party has a strangely socialistic economic platform, and has, at some points, backed a pro-Soviet foreign policy.  It is led by Natan Yellin-Mor.

      The Women's International Zionist Organization has formed a list for the election.  Led by Rachel Cohen-Kagan, the group is dedicated to the advancement of women in Israeli society, and is vaguely center-left on other matters.

      The Yemenite Association is seeking to represent the interests of the Yemenite Jewish community in Israel.  Has multiple leaders.
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Peter the Lefty
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« Reply #1 on: April 08, 2015, 12:01:15 AM »

Mapam for me, despite agreeing more with Mapai on economic and foreign policy far more.  There is no excuse for ethnic cleansing.
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Peter the Lefty
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« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2015, 01:19:06 AM »

My God these results are...interesting.
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Peter the Lefty
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« Reply #3 on: April 08, 2015, 03:00:16 AM »

Wow, this forum definitely seems to have shifted rightward since I stopped posting here.
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Peter the Lefty
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« Reply #4 on: April 08, 2015, 12:09:47 PM »

Wow Mapam is doing a lot worse than I thought
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Peter the Lefty
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« Reply #5 on: April 09, 2015, 10:29:07 AM »

Let's hope this is the last argument of those sorts we end up having.  Unlikely, but I'd greatly appreciate it if all of us try.
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Peter the Lefty
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« Reply #6 on: April 09, 2015, 03:10:46 PM »

Let's hope this is the last argument of those sorts we end up having.  Unlikely, but I'd greatly appreciate it if all of us try.

I mean, you did start an election series set in a country literally built upon a pile of Palestinian corpses
If that's how you see it, then go vote to change it then, as you already have.  If you want to argue about Zionism, we can start another pointless argument outside this election thread.
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