This newsletter will be dedicated solely to the results of the 2022 General Elections in Israel
The Next Prime Minister of Israel Will be Benjamin Netanyahu, Who Returns to Power After a Break of 19 Months in the Opposition.
The voter turnout for these election was more than 70%, the highest turnout since 1999.
The Likud Party, Led by Netanyahu will be (again) the biggest in the Knesset (parliament) with 32 seats (out of 120).
Second in number of members is Yesh Atid, led by the current PM Yair Lapid, with 24 seats. This party will be in the opposition.
Third in the list is what is considered to be the “star” of this election campaign: The Religious Zionism party led by Betzalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir with 14 seats.
The right wing bloc, led by Netanyahu, received a solid majority of 64 seats out of 120, which enables Netanyahu to be PM and to lead a full right-wing coalition, with the Religious Zionists, and the two Haredi parties: Shas, which represent the Spharadi orthodox , with 11 seats and Yahadut Hatorah (UTJ or Jewish Torah), which represent the Ashkenazi Orthodox with 7 seats.
On the other side of the aisle in opposition we find Yesh Atid with 24 seats. This party, led by Yair Lapid, increased its representation from only 17 seats.
The big story in the left camp is the fact that Meretz, the party that was home to all Zionist liberals in Israel did not manage to cross the minimum threshold of 3.25% and will not have any representation in the Knesset, after serving 50 years.
As you may know, the Arab parties split into three, two of the parties managed to get in with 5 seats each: Hadash-Ta’Al is one and Ra’Am - Joint Arab List, is the second. The Joint Arab List was part of the current coalition.
Netanyahu announced time and again that if he gets into power he will head a full right-wing coalition and lead a right-wing policy. Netanyahu has already started negotiations with his partner parties towards composing his coalition. The official negotiations will start in ten days, after the official results will be presented to the President of Israel, who will start the official meetings with the different parties who will tell him who they recommend as PM. The negotiations will concern themselves with the roles each party will play. Which representative will receive which ministerial or deputy ministerial portfolio and who will be designated deputy prime minister to serve as prime minister if the PM is incapacitated or abroad. Also a topic of the negotiations is what legislation the coalition will commit itself to bringing to the Knesset during its term so as to enable the parties to fulfill campaign promises.
The climax of these elections is the impressive pool of votes that gave power to the extreme right-wing party Religious Zionism. The program of this party is based on three values: The Jewish People (Am Israel), The Jewish Torah (Torat Israel) and the Jewish Land (Eretz Israel). They openly speak about the need to enable the Jewish component of the State at the expense of the democratic component. The state of Israel is defined as a Jewish-Democratic State. But Religious Zionism promote Jewish supremacy and argue time and again that the Jewish people is the sole “landlord” of all Israel. They are considered hawkish and even nationalists.
They promote annexation of the West Bank, as part of their ideology, and call for expulsion from Israel for anyone that they define as a terrorist, whether they be Palestinians from the occupied territories or Arab citizens of Israel. They call for treating the Arabs with a strong hand, so they will understand who dominates the land.
The leader of Jewish Power, Itamar Ben-Gvir has already announced that he wants to be minister of homeland security and to ride roughshod against the Arab minority.
Another policy that is waiting to be implemented is the weakening of the legislative gatekeepers, especially the High Court of Justice, and the Legal system in general, the Attorney General and other gatekeepers. They also want to promote a legislative change that will cancel the felony of fraud and breach of trust. If that happens, Netanyahu’s current trial before the courts will be canceled.
Yet another reform they want to lead is a statute that will enable a given majority in the Knesset to overcome a ruling of the supreme court. If that happens, it will nullify the ability of the court to fulfill its’ role as a guardian of minority rights or of anybody whose human rights were violated.
The US Administration has already expressed concern about the need to preserve the rights of the minorities in Israel. Other countries are viewing with concern the new developments in Israel.
Gender and LGBTQ: Number of women in the new Knesset (the 25th) will be fewer, 29 women overall. But only nine in the new coalition: three from the Religious Zionists and six from Likud. Two of the parties that will compose the new coalition do not allow women to run for office, the two Jewish Orthodox parties, Shas and Yahadut Hatora which are composed solely of men.
In terms of LGBTQ issues, members of the new coalition have already announced that they will cancel some of the statutes that promote equality. They will cancel the ban on conversion treatment for homosexuals and more.
Twenty percent of the Knesset members will be newcomers.
For More Reading:
About the Results: Here, here, here, here, here
About the System: Here, here, here
About Religious Zionists and Ben Gvir: Here, here, here, here
There is no solution that can skip the most basic things: recognition that a regime of ethnic supremacy is not a legitimate regime. Hiding at the end of every sentence about Israel being “Jewish and democratic” is Rabbi Meir Kahane, even if you imagined something closer to Zehava Galon or Merav Michaeli.
It is time to realize that this situation is not decreed by fate. This resounding defeat could actually mark a new beginning, the beginning of taking responsibility for dismantling the regime of Jewish supremacy. A new start for building an alternative. One that is leftist, egalitarian and democratic.