Rabbi Dr. David I. Bernstein, Dean of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in New York, gave a talk yesterday at the Smokler Center for Jewish Life. He discussed a broad range of topics related to the recent elections held in Israel on Jan. 22.
The elections saw the highest voter turnout since 1999, and the Likud Party, headed by current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, won 31 seats in the Knesset, the unicameral legislature of Israel. This was an eleven seat loss for that party, while the newly formed Yesh Atid Party received 19 new seats.
Bernstein addressed the reason why he felt that this change in dynamic occurred.
“Most analysts believe that in this election the conflict with the Palestinians was not the major issue,” he said. “Factor number one is that the great ideological debates, the two great dreams in the last 40 years in Israel have been Greater Israel and Peace Now. That conflict has dominated Israeli politics since the 1967 war and for most Israelis both of those dreams have been shattered.”
He said that Israeli voters have been voting strategically and not necessarily consistently with a particular party, which has led to the large rise of new legislators being elected.
“Out of the 120 members of the Knesset that will be sworn in, 53 of them will be new,” he said.
The newly formed Yesh Atid Party, and its leader Yair Lapid, rose due to Lapid’s charismatic personality and reformist politics as well as his incorporation of a diverse group of people into his party, according to Bernstein.
Lapid’s plansinclude
incorporating the Haredim, an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect, population into the armed forces and the mainstream community, as well as strengthening the Israeli middle class.
Bernstein also discussed the Intifadas and the prevalence among Israelis for a two-state solution in his explanation.
He touched on the widespread view that the idea of peace in Israel has been shattered due to the withdrawal from Gaza and the Arab Spring, including tensions with the new government in Egypt.
The other factor he cited for the lack of concern for conflict with Palestine in this election was the state of the West Bank.
“[There has been a] remarkable period of prosperity and quite on the West Bank for the last few years. Perhaps that gives Israelis an illusory sense that this issue is not the burning issue.”
Bernstein concluded with a reflection on whether Israel is likely to become a more pluralistic and liberal society.
“I think what we are looking at in Israel is perhaps if the Yesh Atid will be successful, I think what we’ll see is the power of the Haredim may be cut, the power of the Rabbinate may be cut, but anyone who thinks we are going to see some massive conversion to the liberal movements of Judaism in Israel, I think is mistaken,” he said. “There might be changes in terms of easing of conversion and perhaps the introduction of civil marriage.”
Junior Caren Lewis though Bernstein offered a fresh perspective on the Yesh Atid.
“I’m fairly familiar with Israeli politics but this was an interesting side that I didn’t know so much about... because [the Yesh Atid party is] new. So I was glad learn a little bit about what they stand for.”
