PaulMB
pfm Member
I cannot speak for any Israelis, let alone for a majority of them. I am not Israeli, but have spent a total of maybe three/four years there over a period of fifteen years and know many people there. I am not demanding that anybody credits anything, but merely observe, read a lot and comment, much as I image you do.
In most countries "Right" and "Left" is mainly about economics, but in Israel it is also very much about how to manage relations with the Palestinians and the neighbouring Arab countries.
The electoral system, as I'm sure you know, is perfectly proportional, which means any government has to be supported by a coalition. In the latest elections produced today's disastrous government. Which is perceived as disastrous by many people who once voted for Likkud and may even have voted in the past for a Bibi-led Likkud. What I'm told is that today's Likkud is not the "intelligent" and "reasonable" conservative party of the past, but has become a gang of Netanyahu yes-men. (A bit like the Tories?)
Even so, if Likkud had formed a coalition with Ganz, Lapid and what is left of the Labour Party, the character of the government would have been entirely different and entirely better (IMO). This did not happen because the centre+left had for years accused Bibi of corruption and mismangement and vowed to bring him to justice. So they rejected any idea of forming a coalition with him.
The result is today's coalition of the "new" Likkud with the nationalist settler-supporting parties and the extremist religious groups.
The obvious question is, why did they get elected?
One reason: The original democratic and socialist principles on which the initial concept of Israel was based, a tradition rooted in the European Left since the late 19th century, was embodied by several generations who came from Europe, or whose parents or grandparents came from Europe, with the idea of progressive democracy as absolutely essential. But more recent immigration has come from Arab/Muslim countries, and also from Russia, countries where democracy is/was completely unknown. These people, the so-called "eastern" Israelis, plus the ex-Russians, account for more than half the population. They tend to vote to the Right more than the Europeans, to be attracted by Bibi's thinly veiled "strong man" stance..
Another reason: Over the past 77 years Israelis have had to defend themselves in at least 3 wars that aimed at the destruction of Israel. Plus periods of "attrition" of guerilla attacks, plus a long history of terrorist attacks against civilians in the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv; bombs on buses, shootings at restaurants and bars, bombs in discoteques.
So they are fed up. Many are convinced that there is no hope of ever being accepted as neighbours by the Arabs, whatever they do or do not do. So the only possibility is to be as strong as possible in order to be left in peace.
