Israeli General Election (2nd of March, 2020): Madness

[CumbrianLefty]

Peretz's collection of failed moves led to Jewish Home being the weakest part of the union with just one realistic spot on the combined list.

Which means basically the death of Mafdal.

The Labour-Meretz list have Ruth Dayan (aged 102) the wife of, and Yael Dayan (the daughter of) in places 107-108. one represents Meretz the other Labour. The also have Yossi Beilin from Meretz and his son Gil from Labour. this is truly a family reunion. I was mainly shocked Ruth was still alive

Labor has a list up to 120, that's news to me.

all the big parties have a list of 120, once every party fielded 120 candidates, less common nowadays

Heh, actually did not know this. There must be some right oddballs towards the bottom

[Walmart_shopper]

Peretz's collection of failed moves led to Jewish Home being the weakest part of the union with just one realistic spot on the combined list.

Which means basically the death of Mafdal.

The Labour-Meretz list have Ruth Dayan (aged 102) the wife of, and Yael Dayan (the daughter of) in places 107-108. one represents Meretz the other Labour. The also have Yossi Beilin from Meretz and his son Gil from Labour. this is truly a family reunion. I was mainly shocked Ruth was still alive

Labor has a list up to 120, that's news to me.

Dream big.

Seriously, though. Imagine being no. 100 on the list of a party that is reaching hard to get 9 or 10 seats. Should you be honored or offended about being there?

[Former President tack50]

Peretz's collection of failed moves led to Jewish Home being the weakest part of the union with just one realistic spot on the combined list.

Which means basically the death of Mafdal.

The Labour-Meretz list have Ruth Dayan (aged 102) the wife of, and Yael Dayan (the daughter of) in places 107-108. one represents Meretz the other Labour. The also have Yossi Beilin from Meretz and his son Gil from Labour. this is truly a family reunion. I was mainly shocked Ruth was still alive

Labor has a list up to 120, that's news to me.

Dream big.

Seriously, though. Imagine being no. 100 on the list of a party that is reaching hard to get 9 or 10 seats. Should you be honored or offended about being there?

No idea about Israel, but here the very last spot is sometimes used as a way for "honorary" candidates to appear on the ballot symbolically while not getting elected.

For example the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, appeared 36/36 on Podemos' list for Barcelona in the last election.

This is not all that common but it sometimes happens

[danny]

No idea about Israel, but here the very last spot is sometimes used as a way for "honorary" candidates to appear on the ballot symbolically while not getting elected.

For example the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, appeared 36/36 on Podemos' list for Barcelona in the last election.

This is not all that common but it sometimes happens

The tradition in Israel is to use these spots for retired politicians from the party.

[Hnv1]

Peretz's collection of failed moves led to Jewish Home being the weakest part of the union with just one realistic spot on the combined list.

Which means basically the death of Mafdal.

The Labour-Meretz list have Ruth Dayan (aged 102) the wife of, and Yael Dayan (the daughter of) in places 107-108. one represents Meretz the other Labour. The also have Yossi Beilin from Meretz and his son Gil from Labour. this is truly a family reunion. I was mainly shocked Ruth was still alive

Labor has a list up to 120, that's news to me.

Dream big.

Seriously, though. Imagine being no. 100 on the list of a party that is reaching hard to get 9 or 10 seats. Should you be honored or offended about being there?

Last spots are for retired politicians and culture figures supporting. Famous authors and such

[Grand Wizard Lizard of the Klan]

In Poland actually last spot is considered a decent spot - some popular politicians often take them because some people have tendency to start reading list from the bottom not from the top. Some other people also tend to support last person on the list just because he/she is last (so probably some underdog or something). And as the number of votes candidate received matter, not the position itself sometimes last person on the list got better result than for example 4th or 5th candidate. Example from the PiS list in my electoral district: candidates 1, 2, 3 and 20 were elected.

[Oryxslayer]

I know from my time studying in college that in some less stable democracies, at least historically, the last spots on various lists were saved for party donors, bosses, or other figures who were to powerful to ignore. Putting them in such a position allowed the party to visibly show respect and continual favor to said actors, but not force these actors to actually get involved in the day to day politics of the legislature, which they do not desire. Essentially the Daley's of the world got titles to demonstrate their value to the party, but Daley wants to stay with his machine in Chicago so he gets a position which won't sent him into government. It's interesting how different states create different uses for these more-or-less ceremonial positions.

[Hnv1]

The polls since Wednesday differ in numbers but all show the same trend: B&W leading by 2-5 seats, no change in the blocs map, YB still the kingmakers. So far the United left and right aren’t taking a hit from the big parties, but we should walt. Bibi and Gantz practically equal on “fit for PM”. A majority against the immunity.

They should start surveying turnout, that will be much more crucial

[Zinneke]

Peretz's collection of failed moves led to Jewish Home being the weakest part of the union with just one realistic spot on the combined list.

Which means basically the death of Mafdal.

The Labour-Meretz list have Ruth Dayan (aged 102) the wife of, and Yael Dayan (the daughter of) in places 107-108. one represents Meretz the other Labour. The also have Yossi Beilin from Meretz and his son Gil from Labour. this is truly a family reunion. I was mainly shocked Ruth was still alive

Labor has a list up to 120, that's news to me.

Dream big.

Seriously, though. Imagine being no. 100 on the list of a party that is reaching hard to get 9 or 10 seats. Should you be honored or offended about being there?

No idea about Israel, but here the very last spot is sometimes used as a way for "honorary" candidates to appear on the ballot symbolically while not getting elected.

For example the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, appeared 36/36 on Podemos' list for Barcelona in the last election.

This is not all that common but it sometimes happens

We do that here too, although sometimes its to help pull certain clientelist votes tied to the family name of the candidate.

[Hnv1]

After the Supreme Court put a stop to the farce of ministerial appointments in this sempiternal interim government we have 4 new ministers: Hangebi (Likud) to agriculture, Hotovli (likud) to diaspora, Akunis (likud) to welfare, Nahari (Shas) deputy to welfare but basically with almost all of the authority

[jaymichaud]

After the Supreme Court put a stop to the farce of ministerial appointments in this sempiternal interim government we have 4 new ministers: Hangebi (Likud) to agriculture, Hotovli (likud) to diaspora, Akunis (likud) to welfare, Nahari (Shas) deputy to welfare but basically with almost all of the authority

The only one I know is Tzipi Hotovely and she’s a total asshole.

[Hnv1]

After the Supreme Court put a stop to the farce of ministerial appointments in this sempiternal interim government we have 4 new ministers: Hangebi (Likud) to agriculture, Hotovli (likud) to diaspora, Akunis (likud) to welfare, Nahari (Shas) deputy to welfare but basically with almost all of the authority

The only one I know is Tzipi Hotovely and she’s a total asshole.

Hanegbi is actually one of the most senior MKs of the Knesset. son of, when he was first elected he was the Likud far right. Took the bad decision to join Kadima, came back but hadn’t really managed to climb up. Thinks of himself as PM material but not a lot of public support.

Akunis is rather nobody. Mid ranking and uninspiring. Had the pleasure to know his father, he is as dim as he was.

Hotoveli is Bibi’s go to girl for the religious right, waited quite a while for the promotion but seems to have put politics a bit behind since she got married. Indeed a total arsehole

[jaymichaud]

https://www.timesofisrael.com/gantz-vows-to-annex-jordan-valley-in-coordination-with-international-communtiy/

I'm confused by "in coordination with international community"... like that's just blatant code for saying you aren't actually gonna do anything. Annexing large parts of the West Bank would be totally indefensible outside of the Israeli hard-right and the international community would shun them hardcore. It'd be like throwing Israel's international relations back 45 years.

Not to forget when Likud promised this in September it made a lot of headlines and they still lost, so obviously not a lot of right wing voters care (if that's who he's trying to win over with this).

Idk I just think Benny Gantz is a much less savvy politician than what people give him credit for

[Hnv1]

Gantz should sack his political advisor. Scored an own goal yesterday. Instead of waging a campaign on bibi and his immunity he allowed him to reframe the debate on his comfort zone. Absolutely rubbish

[Walmart_shopper]

Gantz should sack his political advisor. Scored an own goal yesterday. Instead of waging a campaign on bibi and his immunity he allowed him to reframe the debate on his comfort zone. Absolutely rubbish

It's pretty amazing to watch, honestly. I think the cake is baked well enough that very little at this point will help the right wing, but Blue and White can and seems to be trying to do all it can to turn a potentially large victory into a merely modest one.

In the last campaign Blue and White gave the messaging reigns to Lapid and the secularist emphasis that was and is a political winner. The result was, of course, a "win" for the left. This time the emphasis seems to be on taking Bibi away from the reigns of power but leaving Bibi-ism ostensibly in place, which is the dumbest and most civically irresponsible message ever. They are clearly trying to pick off a few mandates from the Saar-ite left flank of Likud, but if they end up suppressing turnout among hesitant centrists and leftists they'll regret it. In a likely low turnout election like this the left may very well win by overwhelming right wing fatigue with intensity, high turnout, and enthusiasm on the left. And there is Gantz literally chasing Bibi on major policy point after policy point to demonstrate that they aren't so different after all. Unbearably weak abd stupid, this stuff.

[Kingpoleon]

This might be a bad place to ask this, but why exactly does Israel have at-large parliamentary elections? It just seems a little odd having a Westminster-ish system but without constituencies. Is there some historical rationale for it?

I know this is almost a month old, but I have to say: I much prefer the Israeli system. It prevents regional-political divisions and ensures every vote counts equally. There is nothing very democratic about the British Westminster system, where the Liberal Democrats can win 20-25% of the vote and get under 10% of the seats, but the SNP can win 4% of the vote and get the same number of seats.

[CumbrianLefty]

This might be a bad place to ask this, but why exactly does Israel have at-large parliamentary elections? It just seems a little odd having a Westminster-ish system but without constituencies. Is there some historical rationale for it?

I know this is almost a month old, but I have to say: I much prefer the Israeli system. It prevents regional-political divisions and ensures every vote counts equally. There is nothing very democratic about the British Westminster system, where the Liberal Democrats can win 20-25% of the vote and get under 10% of the seats, but the SNP can win 4% of the vote and get the same number of seats.

But you know very well that the SNP stand in less than 10% of the seats, not the best example.

[Oryxslayer]

Anyway, both Bibi and Gantz are going to washington to discuss the 'peace plan,' a sign that expectations may be changing. Said  discussion is happening on the  same day of as the  vote for a knesset inquiry into Bibi though.

[Walmart_shopper]

Anyway, both Bibi and Gantz are going to washington to discuss the 'peace plan,' a sign that expectations may be changing. Said  discussion is happening on the  same day of as the  vote for a knesset inquiry into Bibi though.

Gantz may reject the invitation, because of course he should. It seems pretty clearly a political move designed to carefully underline Trump's support for Netanyahu. Even Liberman said that he finds the timing of everything suspect. It makes no sense for the incoming prime minister of Israel to chase the outgoing prime minister around like a hapless apprentice or even toady. Neither Donald Trump nor Bibi Netanyahu get to determine Israel's foreign policy future because neither are the incoming  prime minister of the state of Israel.

Speaking of which, the comically bad "peace" plan is basically a triggering mechanism designed to give diplomatic cover to Bibi's right wing annexationist plans (which given the waning of Netanyahu's star makes the timing of the plan even more absurd and plainly political). The Paleatinians will reject their own political annhilation, Bibi will (if he wins) annex (the apocalyptic theocrats on the right hope) to kingdom come, and the Trump administration will shrug because "hey we tried." But all of this is predicated on unlikely political events (Trump and Bibi winning this year) that makes Gantz's running off to Washington even more bizarre. So let's hope he shrugs Trump off.

[jaymichaud]

Anyway, both Bibi and Gantz are going to washington to discuss the 'peace plan,' a sign that expectations may be changing. Said  discussion is happening on the  same day of as the  vote for a knesset inquiry into Bibi though.

Gantz may reject the invitation, because of course he should. It seems pretty clearly a political move designed to carefully underline Trump's support for Netanyahu. Even Liberman said that he finds the timing of everything suspect. It makes no sense for the incoming prime minister of Israel to chase the outgoing prime minister around like a hapless apprentice or even toady. Neither Donald Trump nor Bibi Netanyahu get to determine Israel's foreign policy future because neither are the incoming  prime minister of the state of Israel.

Speaking of which, the comically bad "peace" plan is basically a triggering mechanism designed to give diplomatic cover to Bibi's right wing annexationist plans (which given the waning of Netanyahu's star makes the timing of the plan even more absurd and plainly political). The Paleatinians will reject their own political annhilation, Bibi will (if he wins) annex (the apocalyptic theocrats on the right hope) to kingdom come, and the Trump administration will shrug because "hey we tried." But all of this is predicated on unlikely political events (Trump and Bibi winning this year) that makes Gantz's running off to Washington even more bizarre. So let's hope he shrugs Trump off.

Apparently he’s poised to decline the invitation. Idk if this is the right decision though. Part of me wants him to attend just to break the circlejerk.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/tv-fearing-trap-gantz-almost-certain-to-reject-white-house-invitation/

[The Mikado]

Any updates?

[jaichind]

All polls seems to indicate another deadlock with YB holding the balance of power.  Someone will have to back down for a government to be formed.  I have no idea who that someone will have to be.

[jaymichaud]

Any updates?

Both candidates are in Washington rn

[Hnv1]

Netanyahu just forfeited his immunity. going straight to trial

[America Needs R'hllor]

Netanyahu just forfeited his immunity. going straight to trial

While Gantz is on the plane back from DC