The election of Israel again become a referendum on NetanyahuA the hunt for the jewish vote “Russian”
Five months later, Israel returned to the polls in some elections turned into a referendum on the figure of Benjamin Netanyahu and the former head of the Army, Benny Gantz , aspired to become the new strong man of the country.
According to the soundings of the Channel 12, which more closely approximated to the final photograph in the elections of April, Blue and White would get 34 seats, and the Likud, 33 , a situation that, together with the data of the other configurations in the camera, it could lead to a tie in seats between the big “block of rights” led by Netanyahu and qualified as center-left Gantz, where would the seats of the deputies arabs. Two other polls gave the most voted candidate to Gantz, but in both cases pointed to Netanyahu as a future prime minister by the final victory of the “block right” in the camera .
The day was marked by the nervousness of the candidates, which got Netanyahu’s strategy of trying to get votes until the last second by land, sea, and social networks. Nothing more to deposit his ballot in Jerusalem the prime minister-in functions are approached to the central bus station of the holy city and speaker in hand, he turned to the astonished travellers who surrounded him immediately, shouting “Bibi, Bibi, Bibi!” (nickname loving that used in Israel to refer to the leader of the Likud party). “If you do not want a left government, a coalition with the arab parties, get out to vote already,” asked the politician screaming in a video that soon after he moved up to the networks, where their activity was frantic until Facebook suspended, temporarily and for the second time in less than a week, a chatbot for publishing election polls, something prohibited until the close of the polls. The previous suspension occurred Thursday due to a message that violated the policy of hate speech from the network: “the arabs want us to annihilate all”. The electoral commission also had to call the attention of the leader of the Likud due to the interviews that he granted to several radio stations, something that is prohibited on the day of the vote.
Vote of fear
this is Not the first time that Netanyahu appeals to the discourse of fear against the arab minority of Israel, which is 20 percent of the population. Unlike what they did in April, this time, their parties have come together in an alliance called “Joint List” and aspire to become an important hole in the camera.
In the different centres of the vote, plus a election day the atmosphere was of pure query on the prime minister. In the college street Hillel, to the doors of the Museum of Tolerance which will soon open its doors, Pray muses aloud about “the racist policy that has imposed Bibi in this country and that has filled us all with hatred. It is time for you to go, for the good of all”, says this young jew of argentinean origin who claims to have voted for the “Joint List”. Next to her, Yael, shakes his head with a gesture of disapproval. 18 years old, has voted for the first time in his life, and his full support “is for Netanyahu because it is the only one able to guarantee the security in a place as complicated. Here we live under constant threat and I do not see another politician as strong as him. Netanyahu means security, and I is the only prime minister that I remember, I don’t even want to imagine that you will not continue in the position.”
After his failure five months ago at the time of forming a government, after failing to gain the support of former Defense minister Avigdor Lieberman, Netanyahu opted for repeat elections, and pointed out in red the 17 of September on your calendar. The next date also sure you have pointed to is the 2 of October, the day on which it is scheduled the first hearing before the attorney general of the country, Avichai Mandelblit, who in late February announced his intention of imputing to you by bribe, fraud and breach of trust in three different cases. The leader of the Likud party is being investigated in the well-known case 1000, 2000 and 4000. Opponents fear that if he manages to continue in office, the next government will accelerate efforts to pass a law that guarantees immunity to the prime minister.
Charged in the Netherlands
corruption has been the main weapon employed by Benny Gantz against his rival. The former chief of the Army voted in Tel Aviv and from there traveled to Haifa where he stated to his followers that “we want a new hope, we voted for a change, we will bring hope, we bring change, without corruption and without extremism, all together.” is The fight against corruption have served him to earn the nickname of Mr. Clean in the local media. Gantz had an eye on Israel, but another in the Netherlands, where he was denounced for “war crimes” because of the bombing of a house in Gaza in 2014, which killed six members of the same family. Gantz was chief of the Army during the operation “Margin Protector” in which Israel killed more than 2,200 people, the majority civilians, according to UN data. His defense attorney argued that this offensive had as its objective “to protect the people of Israel and to end the continuing rocket attacks that took place from the Gaza Strip”.
