Israeli elections: 85 candidates to vie for Labor seats in Knesset

The Jerusalem Post ^ | 25 November 2002 | GIL HOFFMAN

[anotherview]

85 candidates to vie for Labor seats in Knesset By GIL HOFFMAN

Eight-five candidates registered on Monday to run for a spot on the Labor party list to the next Knesset, including all of the party's 25 MKs, except for Dalia Rabin-Pelosoff, who is quitting politics.

The newcomers who signed up included former cabinet secretary Yitzhak Herzog, former foreign-ministry director-general Alon Liel, former absorption minister Yael (Yuli) Tamir, former Mossad chief Danny Yatom, Labor activist Orna Angel, and author Eli Amir.

Several public figures rejected invitations to run, including former Shin-Bet chief Ami Ayalon, businessmen Dov Lautman and Benny Gaon, and immigrant activist Yasha Kedmi. Only MK Salah Tarif will run unopposed for a slot on the list, the 20th spot, which was reserved for a Druse candidate.

Labor's list will be decided on December 9 in a primary among the 110,000 party members.

[goldstategop]

The Labor Party will be lucky to finish ahead of Meretz and the Communists in the upcoming election. No way they can win 85 seats in the Knesset even in a good year and times as they are in Israel are not particularly kind to the Left.

[anotherview]

Errr... there hasn't been an active Communist Party in Israel for many years. The Arab Communist Party dissolved into other Arab lists. I think the Jewish one simply died of lack of interest.

Labor (center-left) will outpoll Meretz (leftist). Even at their peak Meretz never had more than 17 seats. Of course, that's likely all Labor will have left after this election. Likud, OTOHm is projected to win about 40 seats in the next Knesset.

[rmlew]

Errr... there hasn't been an active Communist Party in Israel for many years. The Arab Communist Party dissolved into other Arab lists. I think the Jewish one simply died of lack of interest.

Hadash is still around. It is simply vote-sharing with the United Arab List.
I would argue that Meretz is the succesor to the Communist Party. I figure that between them, Labour and Meretz should get 30 seats.

If Likud gets 40 seats, how many will National Union and Israel Together get?
Will Mafdal (NRP) share votes with anyone?

[goldstategop]

Israel is crawling with Jewish Commies. There's Tamar ("Madame Gulag") Gozansky in the Knesset and high brow tenured Red Traitors Comrades Pappe and Kimmer ding a ling. To be a Communist in Israel is almost a badge of honor on the Left today. Once upon a time the Marxies were shunned by the Labor Party but now that Mitzna's in charge its like there's a race to the bottom to see who can be more anti-Israel and anti-Zionist on the Left.

[anotherview]

Great post. Hadash would be unlikely to meet the minimum qualification for a seat in the Knesset if they ran on their own, but you are correct that they are part of the United Arab List.

Effi Eitam has made it clear that Mafdal will run it's own independent list.

Meretz (Mapai + Ratz now that Shinui is separate again) is about as close to Communist as you can get in Israeli politics, but they are still democratic in nature and still (mostly) Zionists. In 1974, when Ariel Sharon split from Herut to form his own party, his choice for #2 was Yossi Sarid. People forget little details like that. I don't think even Meretz would advocate a Soviet-style Communist government. You don't hear them talking about a "bicultural state" any more, do you? Perhaps they are learning.

I don't know if Yisrael Beytanu/National Front will gain many seats. I think not. They are still outside the political mainstream. Also, listening to their debate on whether or not to join a narrow Likud-led government after Labor pulled out of the coalition I really wonder if they will hold together much beyond this next election. I expect we'll eventually see Moledet, at least, on their own again.

I think Labor and Shas will be the big losers in this next election.

[anotherview]

Red baiting and name calling will get you exactly where in a political debate? All you are doing is looking silly.

[goldstategop]

Red-baiting and name-calling? I don't think so. The people mentioned belong to HADASH. And while Mitzna isn't a Communist, it doesn't look like Labor is learning from its last election losses that being soft on terrorism and cuddling the PLO will help it to attract the majority of the country. Besides what agenda does it have besides offering more national suicide? If it severed its connections with the weirdos, kooks and wackos on the Left it would have a half decent chance to remain a major party in Israel. Stating the obvious in a political debate reminds people of what's wrong and what Israel needs to do to survive. And 10 years of Oslo are far from silly, believe me, not when Israel was turned into a lake of blood by misguided policies with a count of over 600 Jews dead and rising.