ELECTIONS/ISRAEL-RIGHT WING PARTIES A look at how the Israeli political landscape has become more right wing than in the past

Record ID: 399270

  • Title: ELECTIONS/ISRAEL-RIGHT WING PARTIES A look at how the Israeli political landscape has become more right wing than in the past
  • Date: 4th March 2015
  • Summary: JERUSALEM (FILE) (REUTERS) VIEW OF JERUSALEM VIEW OF JERUSALEM FROM AFAR JERUSALEM (FILE) (FEBRUARY 23, 2015) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Hebrew) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING: "It says that the choice on March 17 is between a government of the Likud in my leadership that will stand against the many pressures we're under regarding Jerusalem and will continu
  • Embargoed: 19th March 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVACY9AYZKJ69ACVKWJX76D1G9W1
  • Story Text: As security is one of the dominant issues in Israeli elections, right wing parties, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud, use uncompromising rhetoric and made nationalist statements to secure pro-settler vote at the ballot and gain greater support from their voters.
    Ongoing conflict with Palestinians, recent attacks all over Israel and the turmoil in the Middle East is having a significant effect on the Israeli voters.
    "The public leans to the right, there is a shifting to the right, few reasons, in my opinion the stiffness of the Arab countries and what is happening around, make a lot of people to go to the right. Right is power, Intensity. Presumably, this election will lean to the right as well," Pini, last name not given, Jerusalem resident, said.
    Another Jerusalem resident, Assaf Cohen, said that he does not believe the left wing or centre parties in Israel can currently provide an agreement with Palestinians, "If and when there will be an agreement- only right wing government would be able to form it. Do I believe it is going to happen? Apparently not, because it looks like the other side is not interested. Cohen said.
    Israeli Channel Two Political Analyst Amit Segal explained that Israelis finding it hard to believe that an Israeli-Palestinian agreement is possible, "Israel's political map is shifting to the right to the extent that Israelis do not like the idea of two-state solution or to be more precise, do not believe it is feasible. But, I wouldn't say that Israelis do support building settlements and the idea of the greater Israel and so forth, so I would say Israelis less leftist not that it is more rightist."
    "The right wing fails to pay attention towards the cost of living, housing prices and so forth and the left fails to pay attention for the Middle East, people don't "buy" the solution of the left wing parties," Segal added.
    Even if the centre-left wins, most analysts expect Prime Minister Netanyahu will be the only one able to form a workable coalition among right-wing and religious parties, allowing him to return as prime minister.
    "It says that the choice on March 17 is between a government of the Likud in my leadership that will stand against the many pressures we're under regarding Jerusalem and will continue to develop Jerusalem, and between the left government of Tzipi and Buzhi (nickname for Issac Herzog) that will crumble under the pressures." Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu said.
    Netanyahu could find a potent future ally in Economy Minister Naftali Bennett's "Jewish Home" party, which is predicted to win some 15 seats, in the 120-member parliament.
    Bennett's party is looking to boost its influence in the election, after Netanyahu fired two centrist ministers, saying he could no longer tolerate their opposition to his policies.
    Far right leader, Naftali Bennett, is on a mission to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state: "I think that we should not give up land, I think every piece of land that is given turns in to radical Muslim base, we can't afford that anymore, I think what we should do is becoming a tower of democracy in this very crazy region. That exactly what we are doing, I oppose founding of Palestinian state west of the Jordan River, I think we should allow the Palestinian to have full self governance and economy and that's what we should be working for". Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, said.
    Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, leader of "Israel Is Our Home" party is another potent future ally for Netanyahu's Likud.
    Recently, Liberman said to Israeli Media that he is aiming to be the next Israeli Defense Minister.
    Lieberman's party main slogan in this election is "death-sentence to terrorists"
    "We saw what was the response of King Abdullah in Jordan, the killing of their pilot, and I think it's a language that everybody understands in the Middle East."
    Lieberman's party, hit by corruption probes and high-profile resignations, is seen taking around 6 parliamentary seats - down from its current 12.
    With the election so tight - the latest polls suggest the centre-left alliance- the Zionist Union, will win 24 seats in the 120-member Knesset, three seats ahead of Likud.
    Personality politics is seen as a key driver of swing votes.
    The polarizing figure of Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader since state founder David Ben-Gurion, makes him fair game.
    The centre-left slogan is: "It's us or him." Netanyahu's slogan is: "It's us or them."
    While security issues are never far from Israelis minds, surveys indicate that the cost of living is the other dominant issue ahead of the next election.
    After years of hammering on about the existential threat Israel faces, the next leader has to offer hope to those struggling to make ends meet if he is to hold on to power.
    "There is a great poll conducted five month ago after the last operation is Gaza and it found that more people in Israel defined themselves as vegetarians then defined themselves as leftist, it's funny, so I mean people usually belong to the right and the centre- right",Segal explained.
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