I have since come to a different realization. First, it is also plausible that either Ganz or Lieberman would be willing to sit with UTJ and Shas in the coalition, notwithstanding some of their past statements. Second, there is just as plausible a case to be made that an approach such as that of Yemin HaChadash would do more to ensure education for charedim and integrate them into the workforce than the hostile or even disinterested approach of others. In addition, I decided that a Ganz-led government seems to be a bit more of a security risk than I had previously considered.
Basically, there are all kinds of speculative arguments that can be made, and no absolutely clear way to see how the problem will be solved, nor who is best equipped or most motivated to solve it. So instead of speculative strategic voting, I might as well just vote for the party whose values I most strongly identify with. Which is the one that I perceive as having a reality-based approach to security, strong Jewish values, a desire to improve the lives of as many people as possible, and a strategy to do that. To my mind, this is best accomplished by Yamina. (It has some people in it that I am really not enthusiastic about, but every party is like that.)For those who are still undecided - as long as you're voting for a Zionist party, then no matter which one it is, I urge you to go and vote! And don't forget to also take advantage of the day to visit the Biblical Museum of Natural History; we have an English tour at 10am and a Hebrew tour at 11:30. Write to office@BiblicalNaturalHistory.org to book!
Maybe you shouldn't write about things of which you don't have a clear understanding? There is also a lack of serious thought in your posts on the subject of elections.
ReplyDeleteFor all the chareidi "lovers":
ReplyDeletehttps://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/1786691/see-the-video-what-would-israel-look-like-without-chareidim.html
Kol hakavod
ReplyDeleteI don't know enough about the individual parties, but I couldn't agree more that speculative strategic voting is not the way forward and probably counterproductive. Voting for the party thay you most feel represents your views on balance (and a vote is such a blunt instrument it really does need to be on balance) is surely the way to go.
I would suggest that this is even the case if your preferred party is unlikely to meet the threshold criteria. Ultimately it's not really a vote "wasted" as it sends the (incremental) message that this view should be taken seriously and will therefore have an effect on how the other parties act. (Again, genuinely not talking about any specific party, just ij principle.)
"as long as you're voting for a Zionist party"
ReplyDeleteWhich parties do you define as Zionist parties? I would hope that includes the Democratic Camp. And I would hope that does NOT include Otzma Yehudit, whose hateful racism is a perversion and mockery of real Zionism.
I think your last sentence should read "of my version of real Zionism". I'd think that Meretz's "surrender everything" version is at least as much of a perversion of historic Zionism as Otzma's. And no, I'm not planning on voting for either of the two - but I object to the exclusionist nature of your post.
DeleteIt's clearly my comment, with my name attached. Why would I have to qualify it with the equivalent of "in my opinion"? Would I be writing someone else's opinion that I disagreed with?
DeleteI said that it was a perversion of YOUR VERSION of real Zionism, i.e., emphasizing that what you consider "real Zionism" is only a narrow subset of what would generally qualify. I was calling you out on your exclusionary redefinition of what constitutes "real" Zionism, as opposed to the broader, more inclusive historic definition.
DeleteYemin Hehadash isn’t running. Yemina is running. The one that would make Smotrich a minister. That’s the one you’re voting for.
ReplyDeleteAnd? Why is Smotrich beyond the pale? You may not agree with him on many things, but he represents a significant percentage if Israelis who have as much a right to have their representative in government as anyone else. And, if you read the original post, Rabbi Dr. Slifkin specifically notes with respect to the composition of the list that "It has some people in it that I am really not enthusiastic about, but every party is like that". There's an old expression that "The perfect is the enemy of the good" - if you're trying for perfection, you'll never get anything accomplished.
DeleteEliyahu, which party are you voting for? All of them are going to uphold coalitions with people who are at least as problematic as Smotrich.
DeleteIf you vote for otzma, you are voting for 4 right wing seats. Any other party, you vote for 1 right wing seat. Oztma I'd polling at 4 seats.
ReplyDeleteNow let's rephrase that more accurately: If you vote for Otzma, there is a very small chance that you are voting for 4 right wing seats, and a very large chance that you are joining with tens of thousands of wasted votes.
DeleteIf all the people who said that would vote for them instead of chronic naysaying they would have at least 4 mandates
Delete
ReplyDeleteTotal non-sequitur. No one said get rid of the charedim. All anyone said is that their current leadership is not encouraging them (enough) to support themselves.
Hatzoloh, Zaka, Ezra L'Marpe and Yad Sara don't exist because of the charedim in government. They exist because of caring people,and will continue what they do regardless of who wins the election.
Rabbi Slifkin and all others who read this blog. I urge you to vote Kahol Lavan again. Rather than explain why, I will leave it to Yair Lapid himself who wrote a very short concise and clear article explaining why we should all vote Kahol Lavan.
ReplyDeleteYou can find it here:
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/post-election-day-imagine-a-new-reality/
I urge/ask you all to read it. It's very short.
It's also good. It clearly presents the choice we all face.
Please read it and then vote Kahol Lavan.
I include here the last paragraph, but again, it's worth reading the whole thing:
"That’s the choice in these elections. After all the mudslinging and insults, there is the question of who will run the country and who they will run it for. On the one hand a prime minister who has stayed in his job three years too long. Who is being held hostage by extortionists and extremists because of his legal problems. Who abandons the interests of those who serve in the army and work in exchange for immunity and staying out of prison. Or a government with integrity which will work for your children. Which understands it has no role except to work for your children. That’s the choice."
Yair Lapid
You sound desperate.
DeleteIt's going to be Bibi again.
The left has no vision and no desired alternative. Surrender has never been embraced or supported by the populace at large. The left is today the party of surrender and submission.
You urging me to vote for your candidate with such passion does not impact the ideological divide that separates us and guarantees I will never support the candidates you want.
@Nice try Fozzi: Whoops, nice try :)
DeleteVoting Otzmah is the only way to make a right wing government possible.Without them, the Lieberman phenomenon is blocking a good government.
ReplyDeleteKol hakavod to Rabbi Slifkin for thinking this through again. Gantz seems to be a disaster.
ReplyDelete