Is Israel’s ‘Left’ Dead?

When Benjamin Netanyahu squeaked out his fifth victory in April, making him the longest-serving prime minister in Israel’s history, eclipsing even legendary leader David Ben-Gurion, the election results revealed more than the winner. It demonstrated that Israel’s left-leaning parties may be dead in the water.

I shouldn’t have been surprised. Last year I participated in an Israeli government-sponsored outreach to Christian media. For a few days I sat in the epicenter of Israeli politics in Jerusalem, along with members of the Christian media from around the world. We heard from Netanyahu; Israeli President Reuven Rivlin; U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman; former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren; as well as other politicians, journalists, and influencers in Israel. The days were packed full, but one discussion stood out from the rest.

Five Israeli women, all Knesset (parliament) members at the time, who varied in political affiliation from religious conservative to socialist Left, got into a heated argument during a panel discussion. One of the women from a left-leaning party made a comment I won’t soon forget. Today, she said, most Israelis consider left a nasty word. The recent election cycle proved her correct.

Israel’s Labor Party received a paltry 5 percent of the vote. If it loses two more percentage points, it will forfeit its seat at the political table. Each party (there are more than 30) must garner a minimum of 3.25 percent of the vote to win seats in the 120-seat Knesset. Other left-leaning parties were barely able to pull together 3.3 percent of the vote.

Center-left parties weren’t always the minority in Israeli politics. The Labor Party dominated the political landscape for nearly 30 years. Prime Ministers Levi Eshkol, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, and Ehud Barak all were leaders of the Labor Party. Yet after the failed attempt to achieve peace with the Palestinians in 2000 and Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, the center-left movement became ineffective.

How does Netanyahu keep winning?

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton’s campaign may give us an answer. In an attempt to keep the campaign focused on what he felt would win Clinton the election, Clinton’s campaign strategist James Carville coined the phrase The economy, stupid. If the economy is doing well and people are working, they’re more likely to be satisfied.

Over the past 10 years, Israel has experienced uninterrupted economic growth, with record-low unemployment. Israel moved from being a socialist-structured economy to a highly competitive, capitalist one that encourages the lucrative, high-tech start-up environment. As a result, when Fortune 500 companies look to invest in new, advanced technology, they often turn to Israel.

Israel also has made new friends and deepened relationships with old ones. The Jewish state has established relations with India, China, the Gulf States, and even countries in Africa. Netanyahu made it a priority to deepen ties to the East in order to open new doors of economic opportunity and establish peace with countries once considered enemies. And let’s not forget about the strong bond between Israel and the United States.

But when all is said and done, what Israelis want most is security; and security remains a top priority with the Netanyahu government. When the Western leaders were kowtowing to Iran, Netanyahu diligently exposed the dangers of the U.S.-Iran nuclear deal, reminding the world that Iran poses an existential threat to Israel and the Middle East.

Netanyahu wasn’t alone in his thinking. Many Sunni Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia, agreed with him, which opened a dialogue that previously didn’t exist.

Netanyahu, of course, won’t be prime minister forever. He has his share of detractors and domestic problems, but he has been influential in promoting a conservative agenda to Israel’s citizens; and Israelis know you don’t fix what isn’t broken.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Features

Antique fountain pen on parchment.

From the Editor Jul/Aug 2019

Every now and then, the Lord brings someone into your life who changes everything for you. I met Rennie and Ellie Showers 33 years ago when I was a student at Word of Life Bible Institute...

How God Turned the Foolish Into Fantastic

As a frequent traveler to Israel, I know enough to go to a specially designated area for taxis located outside the terminal at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv...

What Heathenism Wrought

Without any announcement, the prophet Elijah appeared in Israel and boldly confronted his generation with a strong warning from God...

Confrontation on Carmel

The scorching sun beat down on Obadiah as he walked the arid path, each step sending a swirl of dust upward...

Passing the Mantle

It’s so important to teach the younger generation. Elijah mentored Elisha for almost eight years. Then Elisha made an unusual request...

‘I Will Send You Elijah’

Elijah has always been a bit of a puzzle. An iconic figure among the Old Testament prophets, he appears center stage, bigger than life—and then disappears...


Share Your Story.
Has God used The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry in your life? Share your story with us!
 

Subscription Options

1 Year Digital Subscription

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Download of Current Issue

$9.99 every 1 year

1 Year Digital with Archive Access

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Downloads of Current Issue & select Archives

  • Complete Access to our Growing Archive - eventually dating back through our inaugural 1942 issue

$19.99 every 1 year

2 Year Digital Subscription

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Download of Current Issue

$19.99 every 2 years

2 Year Digital with Archive Access

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Downloads of Current Issue & select Archives

  • Complete Access to our Growing Archive - eventually dating back through our inaugural 1942 issue

$39.99 every 2 years

3 Year Digital Subscription

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Download of Current Issue

$29.99 every 3 years

3 Year Digital with Archive Access

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Downloads of Current Issue & select Archives

  • Complete Access to our Growing Archive - eventually dating back through our inaugural 1942 issue

$59.99 every 3 years