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Eric Fried

Eric Fried

Tuesday 29 January 2013

A SWING TOWARDS THE CENTRE


To me the most significant recent event of the week was the Israeli election. Candidly, I waited for the election results with a sense of dread: a further swing to the right which in turn would lead to Israel’s continuous isolation, strained relations with US, and the reinforcement of the general perception, especially on the campuses, that an organization such as Hamas, an undeniably terrorist entity, occupies higher moral ground than the Jewish state.  This did not happen. No matter what the right wing pundits say the electorate sent a clear and unambiguous message to Netanyahu: address the issue of an equitable distribution of service to the state and the issue of Israel’s standing in the international community. The first is clearly aimed at the religious segment of the population, which is exempt from compulsory military service; the second would necessitate a renewed commitment to the two state resolution of the conflict and a resumption of talks with the Palestinians.

I suspect that once the coalition has coalesced, we will begin noticing some encouraging trends.

Meanwhile, below is a table of political parties in the Knesset, their leadership and their place on the political spectrum.

Name of party
Leader
Position
18th
Knes-set
19th
Knes-set
COMMENTS
Likud-Beitenu
Netanyahu
Centre Right
42
31
Will lead the coalition.
Yesh Atid
Yair  Lapid
Centre left
0
19
Universal military service, resumption of talks. Dismantling of far flung settlements.
Labour
Shelley Yachimovich
Left of Centre
8
15
Favours resumption of peace talks; primary focus on economy and security
Habayit Hayehudi
(The Jewish Home)
Naftali Bennett
Extreme Right
Settlers’ party
3
12
Settlers’ Party;
Opposed to two state solution.
Shas
Reb Ovadia Yosef
(Sephardi)
Zionist religious party
11
11
Supports two state solution
United Torah Judaism
Haredi-Ashkenazi rabbis
Non Zionist
5
7
Not really a party; coalition of Hassidic groups. Not likely to be in the forthcoming government.
Hatnua
Tzipi Livni
Centre Left
-
6
Broke away from Kadema to form the new party.
Kadima
Shaul Mofaz

Centre Left
28
2
Favours resumption  of talks; unlikely to be influential.
Meretz
Zahava Gal-On
 Left
3
6
Roots in the hard left Mapam party. Committed to two state solution.
TA’AL
United Arab List
Ibrahim Sarsur, 

 
Represents the Islamic movement
 
4
Religious Muslim Party
Hadash
Mohammed Barakeh
Far Left. Former Communist party.
 
4
Two state solution and abandonment of Jewish state concept.
Balad
Jamal Zahalka
Pan Arab
3
3
Opposed to a Jewish State.
 
 
 
 
 120
 

 Coalition Partners in the previous, 18TH Knesset:  Likud-Beitenu,  Habayit Hayehudi, (The Jewish Home), Shas,  and United Torah Judaism. 
61 IN TOTAL 

Tuesday 8 January 2013

2013, THE ELECTION YEAR


I have no idea what Nostradamus predicted for the forthcoming year, but there are two events that are of some considerable interest to me personally: the first is that I am now very likely to reach my allocated time on earth, i.e. three score and ten; the other is that sometime in or before November of this year, Julia Gillard will have to call an election. To me both these events are thought provoking.

During most of the exciting times of Hawk and Keating Governments I have been away from Australia. On my return to this country I encountered John Howard’s tenure: competent, purposeful, annoying at times, and rather boring. Rudd was not in long enough to leave a real impact before he got stabbed through the toga. Julia took over and I must say that neither the way she came to power nor the way she wielded it, is either impressive or laudable; the last three years has been a litany of broken promises and underperformance. Her cabinet is painfully insipid and lack lustre. And this is the opinion of someone who, I hesitate to admit it, has always, without fail, even when overseas, voted Labor, albeit, partly out of fear that my children would disown me if I voted otherwise. Well, the time has come to reconsider. Perhaps.

Certainly, the Liberals, under Tony Abbott’s leadership, hold no appeal. In the seminary he was trained to be a mender of souls. Now he has ambitions to cobble together a government.
He is a misogynist, a bumbler and a stumbler, and a political light weight, who has done a wishy-washy job as Leader of the Opposition and, I think, is likely to perform even worse as Prime Minister.
The Greens give me indigestion. They remind me of the Temperance League of old; holier than thou, high moral ground, full of clichés and moral platitudes. I rank them, God forgive me, below One Nation.  They benefited from the polarization of the voting public in the last elections; I suspect that this is not going to happen again. In any case, a party that accepted Lee Rhiannon, a failed communist and a racist, into its ranks, is unworthy of respect.

Finally there is the cross bench. And seldom has these benches been so well used, a phenomenon that must be a function of widespread discontent with the major political parties and disenchantment with the Greens. I suspect that their numbers will grow.  I also think that this is one section of the Parliament that is worthy of our attention.  And unlike the members of the major parties, they are COLOURFUL. Just look at Bob Katter, for example. Almost as entertaining as Paul Hogan!

Politically, this year promises to be interesting. Both leaders will be taking off their gloves and stealing themselves for a ten round bout, winner takes all; the loser banished to the “dust bin of history”.

Before signing off, I rather think that the following are likely to be the central issues facing the electorate:

·        Carbon tax

·        Boat People

·        Budget ( balancing thereof)

·        Economy

The last item on the above list is going to become of growing concerns to Australians. We have done well out of the mining boom. Australia has fuelled the economies of China, India, and Japan.  However, I fear that our well-being is much too dependent on the economies and the politics of the countries we supply. Moreover, we have assumed the traditional role reserved in the past for colonies:  i.e.   supplier of raw materials, without significant value adding.  

Not at all sure that I relish this role. Do you?