Monday Jan 26, 2009
Posted by Ira Sharkansky
The election campaign begins in earnest this week. Voting is on February 10th..
This note is for all political mavens dying to know what Israelis do when we are not fighting, preparing to fight, arguing about the most recent fighting, or that on the horizon.
Israelis vote for party lists in one nationwide district. The parties getting at least two percent of the total vote send a proportional number of members to the 120 seat Knesset. No party has ever won a national majority. The leading party gets a chance to put together a coalition that can garner majority support in the Knesset.
Sunday Jan 11, 2009
Posted by Ira Sharkansky
The IDF has destroyed a considerable part of Hamas facilities, its munitions, and the homes of its leaders. It has killed more than 750 people, and injured more than 2,500.
What about the propaganda war?
Israeli officials, as well as countless Jews and other friends explain the IDF's actions. They may convince those already committed to Israel. They cannot convince those committed to the Palestinian narrative. The pictures and statistics make it difficult to reach people in the middle, including those who seldom pay attention to Israel, but are revolted by disproportionate death and destruction.
Israeli sources note the practice of Hamas to use human shields for their evil work, and to delight in publicity given to pictures of dead women and children. Media friendly to the Palestinians have shown films from years ago as if they were current.
Sunday Dec 21, 2008
Posted by Ira Sharkansky
In this season of political campaigning, there are vignettes that seldom reach the international media. Most are unimportant, except to the people who participate, or political mavens for whom every quest for votes merits attention. They reveal something about the country's style, even if they do not have much impact on what happens.
To understand the little dramas it is necessary to know some essentials of Israeli democracy. (We should ignore those who assert that such an evil place cannot be a democracy.)
Monday Dec 08, 2008
Posted by Ira Sharkansky
If I may be so bold as to issue some advice to President-Elect Barack Obama, it is to be cautious in the extreme about two issues on his agenda: Afghanistan and Israel-Palestine.
His campaign rhetoric included proclamations that Afghanistan is "the right war" "It's time to heed the call...for more troops...and "I'd send at least two or three additional combat brigades to Afghanistan."
Since then, Obama has been cautioned by a variety of experts. There are no clear signals as to his intentions as president.
Thursday Dec 04, 2008
Posted by Ira Sharkansky
After 60 years as an independent state, Israel is far from a united society.
We should expect nothing else. The Arabs are 20 percent of the population, and the Jews have come from diverse cultures. Some Diaspora communities existed for more than two thousand years. Migrants and their children have included the overtly secular and intensely religious. Among the religious are those who view the State of Israel as a creation with theological significance, and others who see it as an affront to the Almighty.
Currently the Jews of Israel are wrestling with their diversities. One story comes out of the tragedy at the Chabad Center in Mumbai. Another is still evolving around a contested building in Hebron.
Wednesday Dec 03, 2008
Posted by Ira Sharkansky
The once mighty Israel Labor Party has descended into a deep crisis, and may even be twitching in its final moments. It led the Jewish community of Palestine and then Israel unchallenged from before statehood until the election of 1977. It came as close as any party to winning an absolute majority in a national election when it gained 56 seats in the 120 member Knesset chosen in 1969.
Latest polls show it winning as few as seven or even six seats in the coming election. There are conversations that could join what remains of Labor with the Kadima party. The party may go the way of the Wachovia Bank, that is also poised to disappear into a merger meant to save something from annihilation.
Tuesday Dec 02, 2008
Posted by Ira Sharkansky
Events in Mumbai (Bombay) offer several lessons for the war on terror.
Sisyphus is the most helpful of all the experts. He is the chap condemned to roll forever a huge boulder up a hill, never reaching the top.
The war is enervating and--as far as we can see into the future--endless.
Wednesday Nov 26, 2008
Posted by Ira Sharkansky
Tzipi Livni won a primary contest and is the nominal leader of the governing party, but the still sitting prime minister seems to be doing everything in his power to assure that she cannot win the national election.
Nominal Prime Minister Olmert continues to meet with the nominal President of Palestine, and has told the still sitting President of the United States that an agreement between Israel and Palestine is possible before the end of their terms.
While he was in Washington, Olmert's one-time close ally the finance minister outlined a program to deal with part of the economic crisis that has begun to threaten Israel with increasing unemployment. The problems look pretty much like what are affecting numerous other countries, and the Finance Ministry's proposals are as complicated and controversial as those offered elsewhere.
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About this blog
Window on Israel
Hebrew University Political Science professor evaluates the latest happenings in Israel.
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Recent Comments
Laine Frajberg Montreal: Response to John R #10,
Why not set an example John and return the southwest to Mexico which Pres. Polk STOLE fron Mexico in 1847?You Americans called it "manifest destiny".The rest of the world called it THEFT.
Till then you have no right to criticize Israel for taking-and keeping- land in a DEFENSIVE WAR.Now go away!
Laine Frajberg Montreal: Response to EdB #1,
Hey Ed,didn't your country steal northern Georgia from the Cherokee in 1838?You did this even though the Cherokee were at peace with you and your own Supreme Court declared that the Cherokee had a right to retain their land.Didn't make any difference.General Winfield Scott expelled them anyway-and over a quarter died on the way to their new homes.Contrast this with Israel,which
took east Jerusalem after being attacked by Jordan on June 5,1967-so indeed Israel's Jews have every right to build anywhere they want in Jerusalem.
David USA: Just when did Gilo become part of Jerusalem? Surely not at the time of David hamelech. When and by whose idea was Gilo "Jerusalemized "? Pretty soon Maale Adumin will also be Jerusalem. And why not Ariel ?? The sky is the limit when it comes to gerrymandering. (For instance, Montreal could become New York just at some poltician's say-so, even if Canada objects).
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