2009 Israeli legislative election
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Elections for the eighteenth Knesset will be held in Israel on 10 February 2009.[1] These elections became necessary due to the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as leader of the Kadima party, and the failure of his successor, Tzipi Livni, to form a coalition government. Had Olmert remained in office or had Livni formed a coalition government, the elections would have been scheduled for 2010 instead.
Background
On 17 September 2008, Kadima held a leadership election, which was won by Tzipi Livni. Following Livni's victory, former party leader Ehud Olmert (who did not run in the contest) resigned as Prime Minister. Livni was given six weeks to form a coalition,[2] but set a deadline of 26 October for parties to agree to join the new government.
Although the Labor Party agreed to join, current coalition members Shas rejected the opportunity, with Livni claiming that they had made "economically and diplomatically illegitimate" demands (which included increasing child benefits and rejecting the possible division of Jerusalem in a deal with the Palestinians).[3] It was reported that Shas had rejected almost one billion shekels in child allowances offered to them as part of the coalition negotiations.[4] Gil and United Torah Judaism had both rejected offers to join, whilst negotiations with Meretz were still ongoing.[5] On 26 October, Livni recommended to President Peres that early elections be held.[3]
President Peres had three days to consult on the recommendation, after which there was a period of three weeks in which other Knesset members could have offered to form an alternative coalition, but no such alternative was brought[3] The election would have to be held within 90 days after the end of that period.[2] Although Kadima submitted a bill to the Knesset on 27 October to call early elections and bypass the three week period,[6] Peres' announcement to the Knesset that there was no chance of forming a government meant that the full waiting period stood.[7] Ehud Olmert therefore remained as caretaker Prime Minister, until a new government is formed after the elections.[2]
The early elections have called into question the future of the Israel-Palestinian peace talks, which United States President George W. Bush hoped would finish before the end of his term in January 2009.[8]
Parties
By 23 December, a record 43 parties had registered with the parties registrar, compared to 31 for the 2006 elections,[9] although in the end, only 34 parties submitted a list of candidates.[10] On 12 January 2009, Balad and the United Arab List-Ta'al alliance were disqualified by the Central Elections Committee on the grounds that they failed to recognise Israel as a Jewish state and called for armed conflict against it.[11] Balad and Ta'al were also disqualified for the 2003 election, but won a Supreme Court case which allowed them to run.[12] On 21 January 2009, the supreme court again revoked the ban.[13]
Alliances
The Labor-Meimad alliance, in existence since 1999, was ended prior to the elections. Labor will run on its own, whilst Meimad will run a joint list with the new Green Movement.[14]
Meretz and Tnu'a HaHadasha, a new movement of left-wing activists led by Tzali Reshef, will run a joint list, with Tnua'a HaHadasha representatives getting third, seventh and eleventh spots on the alliance's list.[15]
The anti-West Bank barrier movement Tarabut has merged into Hadash.[16]
The Religious-Zionist Ahi, previously part of the National Union alliance, merged into Likud in late December.[17] Ultra-orthodox parties Agudat Yisrael and Degel HaTorah agreed to continue their alliance, United Torah Judaism, for the election.[18]
New parties
Several political parties have been established since the 2006 elections. The first was Social Justice, founded by billionaire Arcadi Gaydamak in February 2007, whilst Yisrael Hazaka was established by former Labor MK Efraim Sneh in May 2008.
After the announcement of fresh elections in late October 2008, the Tkuma and Moledet factions of the National Union and the National Religious Party merged into a single party in early November 2008,[19] which was later named The Jewish Home. However, the National Union was re-established after the Moledet and Tkuma factions broke away from the party and agreed an alliance with Hatikva and Baruch Marzel's Jewish National Front (Marzel had originally formed a new party with Sholom Dov Wolpo, Eretz Yisrael Shelanu, to run in the elections).[20][21][22][10]
MK Abbas Zakour left the United Arab List to establish the Arab Centre Party in early December 2008.[23]
List of participating parties
|
Opinion polls
| Party | Seats | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Dahaf 27 Oct[24] |
Teleseker 27 Oct [25] |
Gal Hadash 30 Oct[26] |
Gal Hadash 13 Nov[27] |
Dialog 20 Nov[28] |
Dahaf 20 Nov[29] |
Shvakim Panorama 15 Dec[30] |
Teleseker 19 Dec[31] |
Dialog 25 Dec[32] |
Dialog 31 Dec[33] |
Reshet Bet 15 Jan[34] |
Panels 22 Jan[35] |
Dialog 29 Jan[36] | |
| Kadima | 29 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 20 | 30 | 26 | 27 | 21 | 24 | 25 |
| Labor Party | 19 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
| Shas | 12 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Likud | 12 | 26 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 34 | 32 | 34 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 28 | 30 | 28 |
| Yisrael Beiteinu | 11 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Jewish Home | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| National Union | 3 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||||
| Gil | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | - | 0 | - | 2 |
| United Torah Judaism | 6 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
| Meretz | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| United Arab List–Ta'al | 4 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Hadash | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| Balad | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| The Greens | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 3 | - | - |
References
- ^ Israel sets Feburary 10 as date for general elections Haaretz, 30 October 2008
- ^ a b c Q&A: Israel's road to elections BBC News, 26 October 2008
- ^ a b c General election looms for Israel BBC News, 26 October 2008
- ^ Livni: We've made final offer to Shas The Jerusalem Post, 23 October 2008
- ^ Livni: I won't sell Israel's future for the prime minister's seat Haaretz, 26 October 2008
- ^ Livni push to speed Israel polls BBC News, 27 October 2008
- ^ Peres sets Israel polls in train BBC News, 27 October 2008
- ^ "Israeli election looms as coalition bid rejected". CNN. 2008-10-24. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
- ^ Record 43 parties are tentatively registered for February's election The Jerusalem Post, 23 December 2008
- ^ a b 34 Parties Make Knesset Bid Israel National News, 30 December 2009
- ^ Arab parties disqualified from elections Ynetnews, 12 January 2009
- ^ Poll ban on Arab Israelis lifted BBC News, 9 January 2003
- ^ Supreme Court revokes ban on Arab parties from national elections Haaretz, 21 January 2009
- ^ Green Movement, Meimad run together The Jerusalem Post, 18 December 2008
- ^ Hatnua Hahadasha, Meretz work on combined list The Jerusalem Post, 18 December 2008
- ^ Hadash merges with anti-fence movement Ynetnews, 13 December 2008
- ^ Likud, Eitam's party sign agreement to run together The Jerusalem Post, 29 December 2008
- ^ UTJ decides to run again as unified party The Jerusalem Post, 29 December 2008
- ^ Israeli Left Tries a New Party
- ^ Marzel, Rabbi Wolpo to run for Knesset Ynetnews, 15 December 2008
- ^ Arutz 7 head to chair NU; Habayit Hayehudi reshuffles list The Jerusalem Post, 29 December 2009
- ^ Moledet breaks from newly formed Bayit Hayehudi The Jerusalem Post, 18 December 2008
- ^ MK Zkoor launches new Arab party Ynetnews, 3 December 2008
- ^ Kadima beats Likud in new poll Ynetnews, 27 October 2008
- ^ Polls: Next Coalition Will Need Nationalist and Religious MKs Israel National News, 27 October 2008
- ^ Tie between the right and the left Israel Today, 30 October 2008
- ^ Likud is Opening a Gap Israel Today, 13 November 2008
- ^ Independent Media Review Analysis, November 20, 2008.
- ^ Polls show Likud heading to victory in elections The Jerusalem Post, 20 November 2008
- ^ 15 DecSupport for Likud Soars Before Israeli Ballot Angus Reid Global Monitor, 15 December 2008
- ^ Ma'ariv-Teleseker Poll: Equal between Kadima and Likud Ma'ariv, 19 December 2008
- ^ Likud looses 6 six seats within two weeks Haaretz, 25 December 2008 Template:He icon
- ^ Gaza Operation Boosts Labor, Barak in Latest Poll Israel National News, 1 January 2009
- ^ סקר "הכל דיבורים" Reshet Bet, 15 January 2009 Template:He icon
- ^ סקר: קדימה הולכת אחורה, נתניהו מגדיל את הפער Channel 2, 22 January 2009 Template:He icon
- ^ סקר "הארץ": אביגדור ליברמן עוקף את העבודה Haaretz, 29 January 2009 Template:He icon
