Israeli Elections
“Hosen L’Yisrael” (“Resilience for Israel”) will seek “continued development and strengthening of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state according to the Zionist vision as it is expressed in the Declaration of Independence, while establishing and changing national priorities in the fields of education, development of national infrastructure, agriculture, rule of law and internal security, peace and security.”
The principle questions: Why elections now, what will they focus on, and which individuals are throwing their names into the fray?
Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon was the first Israeli envoy to be appointed to head the U.N. Legal Committee and served as vice president of the General Assembly on behalf of Western states.
Smaller parties will spare no effort to chip away at what early polls say is a guaranteed Likud win in 2019 elections • All eyes are on former IDF Chief Benny Gantz, who, if he enters politics, may single-handedly reshuffle the center-left base.
A calendar of key dates in the 2019 Israel Election cycle, including party primaries.
With early elections in Israel set for April 9, 2019, Tipping Point hosted political analyst Professor Abraham Diskin for an in-depth conversation about what may be Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s last campaign.
On the date of the upcoming elections, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will have served 4,775 days in office over his multiple terms, just behind founding Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion’s 4,877 days at the helm. “Case 4775” will be a public referendum on Netanyahu’s performance in one of the world’s most difficult jobs.
“In April, we will win,” said Avi Gabbay, leader of the largest opposition party Zionist Union. “In April, we will bring change to Israel.”
U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and other officials have warned against releasing the plan during the Israeli election season, so that the vote is not a referendum on the American proposal.
Still, the Israel prime minister cautioned in a meeting closed to the media that “there are no guarantees, and we will have to fight mightily.”
With early elections set for April 9, 2019, TIP hosted president of the Israel Democracy Institute Yohanan Plesner and senior fellow at the Kohelet Policy Forum Emmanuel Navon for analysis of events to come.
The upcoming elections will produce the 21st Knesset (Parliament) of Israel, which will lead to the formation of Israel’s 35th government. After the election results become clear, the president (Reuven Rivlin) tasks the leader of the party likeliest to be able to form a government to begin negotiations to put together a 61-plus seat majority in the 120-member Knesset.
