Israel/Palestine
Related: About this forumWhy Netanyahu failed and Lapid surprised
Benjamin Netanyahu’s election campaign failed because he had nothing much to say. The world-champion orator, king of political survivors, lost his connection to the public mid-term and has been coasting ever since, in the absence of a serious challenger. He did not offer any hope to Israelis, he conducted a pathetic campaign and, instead of issuing a platform, made do with promising to be a "strong prime minister."
Netanyahu was aware of his weak position, which was reflected consistently in the polls. He easily beat out all other candidates in response to the question, "Who is most suited to be prime minister?” but he failed to lure a single new voter to Likud. Instead of trying to win the public's hearts once again or addressing the serious issues that came to light during the 2011 social-justice protests, Netanyahu took the easy way out. He cut a deal to extend the lifespan of his government, joining forces with Yisrael Beiteinu for the election. The agreement with Avigdor Lieberman presumably helped the prime minister to retain his post, but only after a painful slap in the face from voters.
The reasons for the early election – the crisis over drafting the ultra-Orthodox into the army and the difficulty in passing the 2013 budget – came through in the voting results. The public enthusiastically supported the candidates who promised “an equal division of the burden,” namely, Yesh Atid’s Yair Lapid and Habayit Hayehudi’s Naftali Bennett. Labor, headed by Shelly Yacimovich, did not do as well as expected, mainly because she ran a poor campaign and flip-flopped over whether she would agree to join a Likud-led government. Still, she increased Labor’s strength considerably, because she campaigned on the social-justice protests and added leaders of the movement to her ticket.
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/why-netanyahu-failed-and-lapid-surprised-1.495735
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azurnoir
(45,850 posts)here are Yesh Atids priorities and platform seeing this I do understand your glee
In the application submitted to the party registrar, Lapid listed the party's eight goals. According to this statement, the goals of the party are:[9][10]
Changing the priorities in Israel, with an emphasis on civil life - education, housing, health, transport and policing, as well as improving the condition of the Middle class.
Changing the system of government.
Equality in education and the draft - all Israeli school students must be taught essential classes, all Israelis will be drafted into the Army, and all the Israeli citizens will be encouraged to seek work, including the ultra-Orthodox sector and the Arab sector.
Fighting political corruption, including corruption in government in the form of institutions like “Minister without portfolio”, opting for a government of 18 ministers at most, fortifying the rule of law and protecting the status of the High Court of Justice.
Growth and economic efficiency - creating growth engines as a way of fighting poverty, combating red tape, removing barriers, improving the transportation system, reducing the cost of living and housing costs, and improving social mobility through assistance to small businesses.
Legislation of Education Law in cooperation with teachers' unions, eliminating most of the matriculation exams, raising the differential education index and increasing school autonomy.
Enact a constitution to regulate tense relations between population groups in Israel.
Striving for peace according to an outline of "two states for two peoples", while maintaining the large Israeli settlement blocs and ensuring the safety of Israel.
This page was last modified on 22 January 2013 at 22:50.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yesh_Atid
Yesh Atid's platform statement wrt the I/P situation is essentially a remouthing of the unsuccessful go nowhere policies of the past 20 years but coming from a new and unfamiliar to the West talking head they can be presented as a breakthrough or something
oberliner
(58,724 posts)Yair Lapid, Israel’s Obama?
For those of you who don’t know much about Lapid, here are a few insights into the leader of Yesh Atid, who looks like he will be THE big player on the Israeli political scene. Lapid is kingmaker to King Bibi.
Lapid says he knows Israeli politicians well from covering politics for many years as a journalist, and he’s “not afraid of them.” I wonder though about his staying power: just how much fight does this former amateur boxer have in him? Because listening to his fighting words, especially against the current political system and pretty much every single serving Israeli member of Knesset [especially the religious MKs but not just them], I predict that Yair Lapid is going to get into the fight of his life – whether he joins the next coalition or stays in the opposition. And it’s going to be a long and ugly fight, so it’s just as well that Lapid said he’s going into politics for the long run. “It’s my second career and there won’t be a third,” he says.
He says he’s going to be a good, thorough, and professional politician, that he’s going to take it extremely seriously, and stuck to his promise of not recruiting any serving Israeli MK into his new party.
Like US President Barack Obama when he ran for his first term, Lapid is someone who is banking on a message of change; change in the political system, change in the nation’s fiscal and social priorities, change in the education system, change to the rules of national burden: he promises that he will work for seismic changes to the national fabric of Israeli society: the ultra-Orthodox must serve in the army or national service and they must join the workforce etc.
http://amirmizroch.com/2013/01/22/yair-lapid-israels-obama/
Lots of other places to learn about him and the party - better start reading up!
azurnoir
(45,850 posts)like I said I do understand your glee at this win fully and completely it will mean quite possibly a better economic situation for most Israeli's
