By Rabbi Dow Mamur
JERUSALEM — Israel is “blessed” with some twenty political parties each aspiring to be represented in the Knesset. But the law that requires a party to have a minimum number of votes in elections in order to qualify would exclude many of them.
That’s why before each election the small parties, i.e., most of them, are coming together in blocs. These must be registered before the end of this month to qualify for the September elections. Hence the current intensive negotiations among politicians and at times wild speculations in the media. Neither affinity nor affection but necessity brings them together
It’s already decided that, in addition to the two large parties – Likud, led by Binyamin Netanyahu, and Blue and White, led by three former chiefs of staff (Gantz, Ya’alon and Ashkenazi) and Yair Lapid – three left of center parties have consolidated and are waiting for another two to join them in the hope of presenting a credible alternative to the two main parties, now when what was once Israel’s Labor Party has fallen apart.
Similarly, on the right there’re hopes that several parties will come together to outflank Likud or at least force it to share power.
The one party that stands alone is Yisrael Beiteinu, led by Avigdor Lieberman. It was originally the party of right-wing immigrants from the former Soviet Union, but as they’ve become integrated into Israeli society, they now often vote for different parties. Lieberman is, therefore, in search of a new constituency in order to stay in the limelight.
He may have found what he’s looking for among Israelis appalled by the antics of the Orthodox establishment. Lieberman’s refusal to join a government that included ultra-Orthodox political leaders forced Netanyahu to call a second election this year. As a result, Lieberman has emerged as a major force to be reckoned with, likely to get enough mandates to be the pivotal force I the next Knesset.
Though it’s not easy to follow Lieberman politically, let alone to like him personally, he may end up doing good things for the country. For he has declared that his aim is to help shape a government consisting of the two large parties – Likud and Blue and White – and, of course, his party with himself as an important figure. He’s realistic enough to know that he can’t be prime minister, but having already been minister of defense, he may want to return to that office – despite the three former chiefs of staff who’d be his colleagues in the cabinet.
Though there’s no love lost between Lieberman and Netanyahu, and though many in the country believe that it’s time for Netanyahu to retire, circumstances may give him another term at the helm. As difficult as this may be, a government without the extreme right and the extreme Orthodox may be worth the price.
The next couple of months are going to be confusing, frustrating and interesting.
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Rabbi Marmur is spiritual leader emeritus of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto, Canada. Now a resident of Israel, he may be contacted via dow.marmur@sdjewishworld.com