Bibi, Kulanu (All of Us) and Voting in My First Israeli Election

This Tuesday, I along with almost 5.9 million eligible Israeli adults will be voting for the 20th Knesset. This will be my first time voting as an Israeli citizen after making aliyah nearly 7 months ago. At first I was very excited to vote and fulfill my civic duty, but then I quickly realized “I don’t know who to vote for?”  There are 26 parties running in the election with only about 11 parties likely to pass the required minimum of 3.5% of the vote to get into the Knesset. The parties then form coalitions to form the next government which will either re-elect Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu of the Likud Party or a rotation of Isaac “Bojie” Herzog and Tsipi Livni from the Zionist Camp.

So who do I vote for in this all important election that has worldwide implications and everyone’s attention? Hmmm Let us talk “tachles”-keeping it real.  The election is really about whether Bibi should be re-elected to another term as Prime Minister. Now there are things I like about Bibi and things that I don’t like about him.

First off in America I was a liberal Democrat and voted for President Obama, the first time he ran. But my love for Obama, even crying out loud when he was first elected, slowly became crying out loud because he is a terrible president who has very little love for Israel. I respected Bibi for standing up to Obama, although the whole debacle should have been avoided and he should have backed out gracefully and not let his ego get in the way. But okay, he didn’t.  I also respected him when he went to France and pushed his way to the front of the line of world leaders after not being invited and asked not to come by the French Government. Bibi has guts and chutzpah, traits that are required for a leader of Israel. And only a strong Israeli leader can make peace.

However under his leadership, the rich have gotten richer and the poor poorer. The percentage of poor people in Israel is the highest in the Western World. The average Israeli is in minus at the bank in the craziest banking system ever created. Salaries are low, rent is high and the average Israeli can’t make ends meet. Buying a house is almost impossible for the average Israeli.  Bibi seems to be out of touch with the plight of the average Israeli living the life of luxury while the average Israeli is scraping by on plates of humus.

However Bujie Herzog is a poor alternative for Prime Minister. While he is a brilliant man, he is a terrible speaker and not very charismatic. He is not a good choice for leader for a country in a rough and tough neighborhood.  If he wins and he might, according to the latest polls, it will be on an anti-Bibi vote and not because of his own laurels. I simply don’t trust the ticket of the very liberal Herzog/Livni, who will depend on the support of the Arab Parties who are not very supportive of Israel as a Zionist State.

While I hope that Bibi will be re-elected because I fear the alternative, I will not be voting for him and Likud because I am one of the struggling people in Israel and I believe that he is out of touch economically with the majority of Israelis. I decided to vote for the centrist Kulanu Party (All of Us) led by Moshe Kahlon for a number of reasons.

First because Kulanu will join any coalition formed and it is important that their voices representing the average Israeli will be heard loud and clear. They are a new party and thus far are scandal free, which is important in a country that has pictures of some Knesset members in prison cells. Kahlon’s positions on many issues like mine, is B’emtza Haderech –in the middle of the road. He is for a two State solution for the Israelis and Palestinians, but like me, believes presently Israel has no partner for peace. He is concentrating on fixing the cost of living for the average Israeli.  Kahlon is responsible for me paying $20 a month for my cell phone bill including international calls, after he reformed the cell phone industry as the Minister of Communications. Lastly, the diverse list of representatives from all walks of Israeli life including the presence of former Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren is reason enough to vote for Kulanu.

And this is the message that my little first time vote is saying. Kulanu (All of Us) are suffering!