Guide to the Israeli Politics
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Labour
Amir Peretz |
Kadima
Ehud Olmert |
Likud
Benyamin Netanyahu |
As is often the case in the Middle East, politics is an inevitable part of everyday life. Israel is no exception. Over the past 3 years the region has seen a number of dramatic political events - Ariel Sharon's Disengagement from the Gaza strip and the formation of the centrist Kadima party, the formation of a Hamas Government, Hamas-Fatah power struggle and the takeover of the Gaza Strip by Hamas, ongoing Qassam rocket bombardments of southern Israel, kidnappings of Israeli soldiers, and the largely inconclusive Second Lebanon War with the Hezbollah. All that amid the ongoing efforts to restart the peace negotiations with Fatah's president Mahmoud Abbas.
There is a saying in Israel, that it is a country of 6 million Prime Ministers. Every citizen has his or her own opinion on every issue, and with politics being a major part of everyday life, the Israeli political landscape is convoluted and constantly shifting.
AUJS has prepared this short guide to Israeli politics and its players to give a basic insight into the Israeli political process and the consequences of the outcomes.
This site focuses on the three major political parties, namely Labor, Kadima and Likud, as well as providing a map to the myriad of other parties running for election.
How Does the Electoral System Work?
Israeli Coat of Arms
The Israeli electoral system is based on nation-wide representation, as if the country was one large electorate. A voter will vote for a party list as opposed to a single candidate.
The party list sets out the candidates running for each party. Depending on the party, the list is set by elections, or by the party leader (as in the case of some religious parties such as Shas).
In order for a party to enter the government (Knesset) it must get at least 2% of the votes. After this threshold, the proportion of votes a party receives will translate into a certain number of seats (or mandates). For example, if a party receives 5 mandates, the first 5 people on the list are elected into the Knesset.
In the short history of Israel, no political party has EVER won a majority of the votes. This can be attributed to the vast number of different parties running for election. The last Knesset contained members from 19 different political parties. The myriad of parties is a result of the diverse social landscape of Israel, and the need for representation on such different ethnic, religious and political issues.
As no party has ever, or is likely to win a majority of votes, coalitions are generally formed to gain a majority. Hence even though the major parties often dominate the government, the smaller parties become increasingly important when they form coalitions and can influence policies.
