To give you a brief Israeli Elections 101: In Israel, representation is proportional. This means that each party wins a certain number of seats in the Knesset (Parliament) based on the votes it receives. Each party chooses 160 people to fill all the seats of the Knesset (to be prepared for the improbable scenario in which one party wins every single seat!). The parties have different ways of choosing and ranking their candidates -- some use primaries, some choose based on the preferences of their leaders, etc. So if a party wins, say, 10 seats, then the top ten candidates on its list get become MKs (Members of Knesset).
The leader of the party that wins the most seats gets to be Prime Minister...but not so fast: This person must piece together a governing coalition with a majority of the MKs. This is not always so easy, since each party wants very different things. When Tzipi Livni won the Prime Minister position in 2009, she could not put together a satisfactory coalition and was forced to resign. Which is why Bibi Netanyahu is PM now.
The biggest mainstream left-of-center party, Labor, has recently united with Tzipi Livni's party, and early polls show that they will get more votes than Likud (Bibi's party). Very exciting! People here, across the political spectrum, seem to be tired of the same old tactics and want change; but security is still a strong concern about national security throughout the country, which bolsters the conservative Likud's strength.
These elections are important not just for the peace process, but also for Israel's economic situation. As an outside observer, comparing my experience in the USA, it really seems that the Israeli working class is hurting. To me, it's a different level of hardship vis a vis America. Salaries are much lower than in the States, but the cost of living is higher. For instance, cars are taxed 100% - that means a car costs nearly twice as much in Israel as it does in the States. Electronics and other imported goods are also taxed like crazy.
When Israelis order stuff on Amazon, the shipping costs are usually twice or 3x the cost of the item itself. So while at home I ordered a ton of stuff on Amazon to bring back to Israel with me. I've done the rough math, and the savings cancel out more than half the cost of my flight!
The contrast is stark: while middle class Americans wonder if they can afford a second or third car, and struggle to pay the mortgage on the McMansion, young Israelis wonder if they can afford to have a second or third child, and they save up for years before they can buy a small run-down apartment. And some never get there. I know many professional Israeli 40-somethings with good careers and young families, who still can't afford to own their own homes.
Now, look. I know that life in America is very comfortable compared to nearly everywhere else in the world. And Israelis know how to persevere, whether its the rigor of the IDF, the discipline of going to university while working full-time, or the resilience to deal with missile attacks and suicide bombers. Israelis know how to endure hardship and make something out of nothing. That's why Israel's Happiness Index ranks higher than the United States.
But Israeli people also understand when such hardship is needlessly amplified by a corrupt and incompetent government that has enabled the wealthiest to become more wealthy at the expense of the common citizen; which has prioritized defense while gutting education and healthcare; which has focused on housing for the rich even as Israel's poverty rate has soared to nearly twice that of OECD countries.
Sound familiar? These accusations probably ring a bell with American readers who have witnessed the "Occupy Wall Street" movements over the past few years. I'm telling you, Israelis have it worse. Way worse.
I see this first-hand. Many of my friends from the Masa Program who stayed in Israel are barely scraping by. Some have given up already and moved home, unable to make ends meet. Others are being supported by their parents. Many had arrived here with the intention of making Aliyah and building a life, and now they are facing a hard decision to return home. Is this what the government of Israel wants? Young Diaspora Jews committed to living in Israel, turned away by an economy that makes it impossible to stay afloat?
But what about all the young Israelis I see at the bars every night, living large? They seem to be doing alright. The answer is two-fold. First, as I've said in previous posts, the Israelis living in Tel Aviv are the ones who have "made it." The people that still live with their parents in Modiin and Kfar Saba are less visible (because they're at home with their parents!) But also, many of the young bar-hoppers in TLV are running up massive credit card loans. A lot of young people are in major and unsustainable debt, and they don't seem to be concerned about it. This is part and parcel with the Israeli "live in the moment, carpe-diem" attitude, but it doesn't bode well for the country at the macroeconomic level.
Israelis are not known for passively accepting the status quo. In the past half decade, there have been a few organized revolts for better living conditions, most notably the "Cottage Cheese Boycott" and the resulting Rothschild Social Justice Protests. But that did not really lead to any concrete results, because Bibi's Likud party stayed in power.
The most recent manifestation of Israeli disaffection has been the Olim Le Berlin movement, also coined the Milky Rebellion because it centered around the relatively high cost of pudding and other groceries. Please read this excellent article, It's not the pudding, stupid, written by Naor Narkis, leader of the movement. He is a native Israeli who loves his country, served in the army, and wishes he could remain at home. But he simply couldn't afford to make ends meet and feels he deserves better than a life of poverty. In Berlin, the salaries are double and the rent is one-third, and the city already has a sizable Jewish population:
"I am saying to the Israeli government point blank: Congratulations, you've defeated us. You've created the exact economy you wanted here. The State of Israel of 2014 is a nation state for rich Jews, for high-tech workers and generals' children."
As usual considering this country and this region, there is a lot to consider. First, the obvious point: Israel, despite its imperfections - both economic and otherwise - is the one and only place where Jews have self-determination. It may be tough economically, but in terms of security it's a world away from the Berlin of 1944 (and from the Paris of 2015). If there was another holocaust, the young Israelis that today are flocking to Berlin would be welcomed back to a safe haven in Israel. Indeed, 2014 was a record-breaking year for immigration. French Jews topped the list of Olim for the first time in Israel's history, and helped make 2014 the first year ever in which there were more Olim from the free world than from countries in distress. These Jews from France are forsaking a better economic life for the ability to practice their religion without fear.
Second, I'm an American, and although I see Israel's fate intertwined with my own, I am for all intents and purposes an outside observer. Who am I to chastise this country which has come so far without my lecturing? I want to be a part of it. I want to participate, to vote, to watch the talking heads on the News and yell at the TV. I want to hear the real deal from the horse's mouth. (It's a strong impetus for me to redouble my efforts to learn Hebrew!) But I can't put myself in an Israeli's shoes. I don't presume to understand. And as Israelis leave the country seeking a better quality of life, Americans continue to make Aliyah seeking more meaning of life. They understand that it will be extremely difficult, yet through inner certitude, they leave their families behind and forsake their comfortable lives in a bid not only to be a part of this great Zionist endeavor, but also to make that endeavor better.
But these caveats should not preclude Israel's citizens, and all Jews of the diaspora, from demanding nothing less than what is fair and right. Indeed, the fact that Israel is the land of the Jews means that we in the Diaspora should make an even stronger effort to ensure that all our Sabra brethren get a fair shake, a chance for a life with dignity. The government has an obligation to make things better for the common Israeli. It's the premise on which Ben-Gurion founded this country. This upcoming election is the opportunity to take a stand, no matter where you are.
Even Naor Nakis is hopeful. In a recent article, he said he'd love to come home if he could only have a fair chance to make a dignified life for himself, and this election is the chance for change. "If there is one thing I have realized in the past few months, it is that instead of leaving Israel, the state which so many generations of Jews fought for, it's time for us to exile the leaders who hurt us from politics. These elections are about whether our generation will have anything left in Israel in the coming years."
So these elections matter. As a political junkie, I'm enjoying the ride. But as a Jew, I'm anxiously and hopefully awaiting the results.
But what about all the young Israelis I see at the bars every night, living large? They seem to be doing alright. The answer is two-fold. First, as I've said in previous posts, the Israelis living in Tel Aviv are the ones who have "made it." The people that still live with their parents in Modiin and Kfar Saba are less visible (because they're at home with their parents!) But also, many of the young bar-hoppers in TLV are running up massive credit card loans. A lot of young people are in major and unsustainable debt, and they don't seem to be concerned about it. This is part and parcel with the Israeli "live in the moment, carpe-diem" attitude, but it doesn't bode well for the country at the macroeconomic level.
Israelis are not known for passively accepting the status quo. In the past half decade, there have been a few organized revolts for better living conditions, most notably the "Cottage Cheese Boycott" and the resulting Rothschild Social Justice Protests. But that did not really lead to any concrete results, because Bibi's Likud party stayed in power.
The most recent manifestation of Israeli disaffection has been the Olim Le Berlin movement, also coined the Milky Rebellion because it centered around the relatively high cost of pudding and other groceries. Please read this excellent article, It's not the pudding, stupid, written by Naor Narkis, leader of the movement. He is a native Israeli who loves his country, served in the army, and wishes he could remain at home. But he simply couldn't afford to make ends meet and feels he deserves better than a life of poverty. In Berlin, the salaries are double and the rent is one-third, and the city already has a sizable Jewish population:
"I am saying to the Israeli government point blank: Congratulations, you've defeated us. You've created the exact economy you wanted here. The State of Israel of 2014 is a nation state for rich Jews, for high-tech workers and generals' children."
As usual considering this country and this region, there is a lot to consider. First, the obvious point: Israel, despite its imperfections - both economic and otherwise - is the one and only place where Jews have self-determination. It may be tough economically, but in terms of security it's a world away from the Berlin of 1944 (and from the Paris of 2015). If there was another holocaust, the young Israelis that today are flocking to Berlin would be welcomed back to a safe haven in Israel. Indeed, 2014 was a record-breaking year for immigration. French Jews topped the list of Olim for the first time in Israel's history, and helped make 2014 the first year ever in which there were more Olim from the free world than from countries in distress. These Jews from France are forsaking a better economic life for the ability to practice their religion without fear.
Second, I'm an American, and although I see Israel's fate intertwined with my own, I am for all intents and purposes an outside observer. Who am I to chastise this country which has come so far without my lecturing? I want to be a part of it. I want to participate, to vote, to watch the talking heads on the News and yell at the TV. I want to hear the real deal from the horse's mouth. (It's a strong impetus for me to redouble my efforts to learn Hebrew!) But I can't put myself in an Israeli's shoes. I don't presume to understand. And as Israelis leave the country seeking a better quality of life, Americans continue to make Aliyah seeking more meaning of life. They understand that it will be extremely difficult, yet through inner certitude, they leave their families behind and forsake their comfortable lives in a bid not only to be a part of this great Zionist endeavor, but also to make that endeavor better.
But these caveats should not preclude Israel's citizens, and all Jews of the diaspora, from demanding nothing less than what is fair and right. Indeed, the fact that Israel is the land of the Jews means that we in the Diaspora should make an even stronger effort to ensure that all our Sabra brethren get a fair shake, a chance for a life with dignity. The government has an obligation to make things better for the common Israeli. It's the premise on which Ben-Gurion founded this country. This upcoming election is the opportunity to take a stand, no matter where you are.
Even Naor Nakis is hopeful. In a recent article, he said he'd love to come home if he could only have a fair chance to make a dignified life for himself, and this election is the chance for change. "If there is one thing I have realized in the past few months, it is that instead of leaving Israel, the state which so many generations of Jews fought for, it's time for us to exile the leaders who hurt us from politics. These elections are about whether our generation will have anything left in Israel in the coming years."
So these elections matter. As a political junkie, I'm enjoying the ride. But as a Jew, I'm anxiously and hopefully awaiting the results.
