Then, some reality. Elections here are very different than in the States. With so many parties (as a parliamentary system, one votes for a party and the party leader who can create the largest coalition of seats then becomes the prime minister) it’s a real bloodbath. Hareidi candidates argue with one another, the Left all try to distinguish their positions and the Right all try and out-Right one another. Each of them blames the other for the country’s failings and no one is ever to blame. Except Bibi. Apparently, he is to blame for everything. Now, I personally like Bibi. I think he’s a brilliant orator, a proud Jew and a true war hero. That said, he has taken steps that I can’t approve of, like releasing terrorists and freezing housing (lest the left lead you to believe he’s all ‘build baby build’). Do I blame him for his frosty relationship with Obama? Nope. I believe Obama hates Israel and hates Bibi more for not capitulating more to the Palestinians. I also think that, thank G-d, Congress and the vast majority of Americans support Israel and know how right Bibi is on it’s peace and secuirty. But he has been in office for quite a while. And if it were up to me, we’d have new (cough, Bennett) blood as prime minister, but now is apparently not that time.
And so we have Bibi from Likud or Tzipi Livni/Isaac Herzog (yes, those two are supposedly going to alternate being Prime Minister, how bizarre?) from the deceitfully named “Zionist Union.” Those are the options. And whoever can make up a larger coalition will be the leader(s) of the country. And if, G-d forbid, that is Livni/Herzog, I believe we are in trouble over here. So this is where the dilemma sets in. Do I vote with my heart- for a party whose platform represents me most closely? Or do I vote for Likud, who needs right-wing votes in order to stay in leadership? My cousin certainly thinks so. He’s every bit as right-wing as me, but tries to convince me constantly to support Likud. To him, Iran is the main issue here, and he knows Bibi is the only one able to deal with the threat (probably true). He sends me videos, articles and slogans daily, trying to sway my vote. Do I really believe the tides of the Israeli election turn through me? No. But I did become one of several million votes in Israel, rather than one of hundreds of millions of votes back in the US. And so, in raw numbers, my vote does matter more here! What to do?!
To get a grasp on the situation, I signed up for an event where candidates from each major party represented their party’s positions to young olim like myself. The experience was such a trip that it needs it’s own blog post to truly do it justice. So stay tuned for Part 2, okay? Thanks, you’re the best!