The results of 2019 Israeli elections is nothing less than amazing!
Hilton beach, Tel Aviv, Israel
Extremely interesting:
The power of mainstream media, or lack of it
In Spite of ongoing, massive, relentless work many different media outlets did to expose Netanyahu’s suspected corrupted ways - investigative reporting that turned into lengthy and expensive police investigations, then into recommendations for indictment - it had the opposite effect on the people.
The people showed that not only they are not concerned with Netanyahu’s supposed corruption, they want him even more. Is it either that the media is not as powerful as they made us believe, or that this power just does not work in the special case Netanyahu is.
Could also be that for Netanyahu’s voters, the media represents a ‘hallucinatory’ left, a disgusting, educated elite of the socialist-inclined regime which established Israel and ruled it for decades. By voting for Netanyahu, the public is showing its contempt for the media.
Tel Aviv building craze
Keep the old. Reject change
Netanyahu was the prime minister of Israel for the past 13 years. He could have made great changes. Yet he did not. Cost of living is ridiculously high, the housing crisis is full on, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has no prospects, public servants are corrupt.
None of these issues - all critical and at the heart of Israeli citizens - were advanced in any way during Netanyahu’s 13 years as prime minister. Even if we forget about the media onslaught. Netanyahu’s track record tells us none of these issues will be addressed even in his 5th term.
Yet even these facts did not deter a million people and more from voting again for the same leader. How come? I guess they prefer to stay with what they know, with the familiar, than to risk a change, even when avoiding change can be so risky.
Palm, desert oasis, Negev desert, Israel
50-50
The two largest parties, Likud and Kahol Lavan, both got the same number of seats. Meaning Israeli center-inclined voters are divided nearly 50-50. It is an important fact, and it was not mentioned by any of the TV studios experts.
Old and new at the heart of Tel Aviv, Israel
Rise to the top
Kahol Lavan political party was born about 90 days ago. It’s main man, Ganz, was never a politician. Yet the newly born party and its rooky leader did as well as the established, decades old Likud. It says something about the desire of the people for a change. A desire so great, they are willing to take a risk with an inexperienced politician as their leader.
Will Netanyahu’s new government succeed in managing Israel’s critical challenges? There are a lot
‘Managing’ seems to be a key word here.
I don’t expect the new government to do anything but ‘manage’.
Netanyahu proved to be a leader who contains, keeps the old order.
He is not a leader that brings forward change, bold and inspired by a clear vision.
What do you think?
@yannay
