Israeli General Election (2019) II: Electric Boogaloo (17.9.2019)

[Famous Mortimer]

Former PM Barak officially announced his new party. Also joining: prominent anti-Bibi businessman Kobi Richter, feminist activist and Orly Levy's number 3 Yifat Biton and former Deputy IDF Chief of Staff Yair Golan.

Update: Biton just promised that the party will have full gender equality.

Moshe Kahlon's number 3 Yifat Biton*

No, Orly Levy's

Moshe Kahlon's number 3 is Yifat Shaha-Biton, currently Housing and Construction Minister. Yifat Biton is a law professor and feminist activist who was Orly Levy's number 3.

both parties have a person with the same name in the same list position lol

[danny]

Polls are open in the Labour leadership election between Peretz Shaffir and Shmuli (and a nobody). Both Shaffir and Shmuli are trying to present the election as the old guard Peretz versus themselves leading the change camp. 40% are needed to win in the first round, otherwise the top 2 go to a runoff.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Polls are open in the Labour leadership election between Peretz Shaffir and Shmuli (and a nobody). Both Shaffir and Shmuli are trying to present the election as the old guard Peretz versus themselves leading the change camp. 40% are needed to win in the first round, otherwise the top 2 go to a runoff.

Shmuli is trying to present it as a generational fight- Shaffir is saying that generations don't matter, what matters is who's trying to bring real change (which she's the only one offering).

Anyway, like always, I'm supporting the losing candidate In a possible second round between Shmuli and Peretz, I'm starting to lean towards Peretz. She's the only candidate that didn't sink into the manipulations and dirty deals that originally destroyed Labor, so if I'm going to vote for a manipulative liar I'd rather it be one that is capable (like Peretz).

[danny]

Shmuli is trying to present it as a generational fight- Shaffir is saying that generations don't matter, what matters is who's trying to bring real change (which she's the only one offering).

That's the Shaffir line about Shmuli. As far as I can tell though, Shmuli is mostly talking about change (and how Shaffir can't win, so if you want change vote for him).
I don't find this to be a convincing argument though, since primary polls are unreliable, and self serving statements by politicians are even worse.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Shmuli is trying to present it as a generational fight- Shaffir is saying that generations don't matter, what matters is who's trying to bring real change (which she's the only one offering).

That's the Shaffir line about Shmuli. As far as I can tell though, Shmuli is mostly talking about change (and how Shaffir can't win, so if you want change vote for him).
I don't find this to be a convincing argument though, since primary polls are unreliable, and self serving statements by politicians are even worse.

Shmuli is being extremely manipulative. He thinks we're all stupid and don't realize that if Peretz doesn't get to 40% then, no matter how the vote breaks up between him and Shaffir, ther'll be a second round. His idea to do a poll between himself and Shaffir was extremely dishonest, so he's just making me and hopefully other Shaffir supporters lean towards Peretz in the second round.

He's also only talking about change, but doesn't suggest any changes other than a young face. He's the status quo candidate, even more than Peretz.

[danny]

He's also only talking about change, but doesn't suggest any changes other than a young face. He's the status quo candidate, even more than Peretz.

Oh I agree about that. saying your for change without articulating what that change is, is classic political bullsh**t.

[Hnv1]

This Labour Contest is so uninteresting literally no one is talking about. This party should just die

[America Needs R'hllor]

Amir Peretz won the Labour leadership contest with 47% of the vote

[America Needs R'hllor]

Peretz 47%
Shaffir 26.9%
Shmuli 26.3%

[danny]

Peretz: 13,866 (47%)
Shaffir: 8,900 (27%)
Shmuli: 7799 (26%)

So Shmuli's spin about Shaffir being a spoiler between him and Peretz was indeed nonsense.

[America Needs R'hllor]

When my friend told me that turnout so low in 16:00 today I told him: "Peretz with 46%, huh?"
This was almost spot-on

[warandwar]

real action was on the streets today...

[Walmart_shopper]

Labor is such a profound and profoundly unfunny joke. Its politics are as irrelevent as its leaders. Labor membership at this point seems to belong exclusively to septegenarian Mapai alums and Hisdadrut big whigs.

At least now Meretz and the Arabs, who are less about bourgeois Ashkenazi revelery and more about meaningful political change than Labor, can become the left's standard bearers.

[Walmart_shopper]

real action was on the streets today...

It's Israel. There's always action on the streets. I had what sounded like the Six Day War down the street from where we live on Thursday night.

[Hnv1]

real action was on the streets today...

No one cares, this is not the US, it will die by Sunday.

[Famous Mortimer]

real action was on the streets today...

No one cares, this is not the US, it will die by Sunday.

What do you think the difference is between the US and Israel that causes this difference in reaction?

[Hnv1]

real action was on the streets today...

No one cares, this is not the US, it will die by Sunday.

What do you think the difference is between the US and Israel that causes this difference in reaction?

The existence of the a Palestinian issue is a strong glue for Jewish society, no one drifts too far from the centre. Plus Ethiopians are a tiny community and there’s no real room for comparison with US racial issues.

[Walmart_shopper]

real action was on the streets today...

No one cares, this is not the US, it will die by Sunday.

What do you think the difference is between the US and Israel that causes this difference in reaction?

The existence of the a Palestinian issue is a strong glue for Jewish society, no one drifts too far from the centre. Plus Ethiopians are a tiny community and there’s no real room for comparison with US racial issues.

Israeli society is quite racist and comparisons with American society, especially with regarda to Ethiopians, are appropriate. But the street protests aren't massively newsy simply because Israelis strike and protest far more robustly and frequently than in the US. This kind of "street action" happens almost all the time, although the groups protesting vary. Israeli culture epitomizes the idea that the squeeky wheel gets the grease. It is a very squeeky place.

[Walmart_shopper]

A quick update on the campaign...

It seems likely that the Kahanist party, that Netanyahu worked so hard to join with Bayit Yehudi, will be running alone this time. There is also the possibility of a joint run by Bennet's New Right and Bayit Yehudi parties, perhaps led by Ayelet Shaked. There is still a lot ot splintering and division on the right, which is worrying many on that side.

The Joint List is now a joint list again, which should boost the Arab parties by at least a couple seats in September.

Barak unveiled his party's new name and it looks likely that a Barak-Livni-Labor-Meretz merger is in the works, which polling suggests could net up to 20 seats.

Likud and Blue and White are each polling in the low 30s. Uniting the left and the Arab Joint List seems to have moved the polls to the left. The Arab-Center-Left bloc has between 55 and 60 seats, the right (without Liberman) has 53-57. And Liberman has 7-9. The right may nevertheless emerge again with the most seats. But it seems highly unlikely that they'll get a Liberman-less majority, which may finally spell the end to Netanyahu's rule. It's still early, though, and polling is sparse.

[Famous Mortimer]

Barak named his party the Israel Democratic Party. Is this officially a reference to the American Democratic Party? I know the Democratic Party in Italy and the Democratic Movement in France both intentionally chose their names as a reference. It's always funny how foreigners have a positive view of the Democratic Party since everyone in America hates it including most of its supporters.

[danny]

Barak named his party the Israel Democratic Party. Is this officially a reference to the American Democratic Party? I know the Democratic Party in Italy and the Democratic Movement in France both intentionally chose their names as a reference. It's always funny how foreigners have a positive view of the Democratic Party since everyone in America hates it including most of its supporters.

It seems to be meant as a contrast to "undemocratic" Bibi.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Barak named his party the Israel Democratic Party. Is this officially a reference to the American Democratic Party? I know the Democratic Party in Italy and the Democratic Movement in France both intentionally chose their names as a reference. It's always funny how foreigners have a positive view of the Democratic Party since everyone in America hates it including most of its supporters.

No, it's translated as "Democratic Israel"- a contrast, like Danny said, to Netanyahu's undemocratic measures.

[brucejoel99]

Barak named his party the Israel Democratic Party. Is this officially a reference to the American Democratic Party? I know the Democratic Party in Italy and the Democratic Movement in France both intentionally chose their names as a reference. It's always funny how foreigners have a positive view of the Democratic Party since everyone in America hates it including most of its supporters.

No, it's translated as "Democratic Israel"- a contrast, like Danny said, to Netanyahu's undemocratic measures.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaaaa!!1!!1!!1 Hardy hardy hardy hardy har har har!! sO fUnNy, AmIrItE?!?

[Walmart_shopper]

Barak named his party the Israel Democratic Party. Is this officially a reference to the American Democratic Party? I know the Democratic Party in Italy and the Democratic Movement in France both intentionally chose their names as a reference. It's always funny how foreigners have a positive view of the Democratic Party since everyone in America hates it including most of its supporters.

No, it's translated as "Democratic Israel"- a contrast, like Danny said, to Netanyahu's undemocratic measures.

I think it's even deeper than that. Israel waa created as a "Jewish and democratic state." The sense is that the democratic part has been badly neglected in favor of the Jewish part. I happen to think they are irreconcilable but most Jewish Israelis do not. So Barak obviously means to focus on a reorientation of policy so that it is truly Jewish and democratic. That is clearly what this election is about, what even Blue and White have focused on, and why Liberman forced a second election. It is also obe of the few areas of policy where Netanyahu is really badly out of touch with the broader electorate. The entire narrative being constructed around this second election is so obviously disastrous for Bibi and right flank of the Likud (which is everyone except Saar, Gamliel, and Begin).

[Hnv1]

Barak is as trust worthy as Judas, he's also hated by the right, and disliked by most on the left.
He will soon come crashing down, they good thing is he's surrounded by some of the biggest ego maniacs of the left so I'm pleased they will all go down together (Bitton, Buskila, Fink, Richter)