Israeli Election Day 2013

Because of the Knesset elections, all public institutions - Gan, the post office, banks, government offices - are closed and the day has become a middle-of-the-week holiday.  Many people went traveling up North, and based upon the news report I saw on television last night, a large number of these citizens don't particularly care to end their vacation early in order to vote.

As a political science major at Barnard College and as a human being who generally throws herself gladly into the arena of Democracy, I think this voter apathy is a shame and an embarrassment.  These same families who choose a hike over the gift of choosing the next Prime Minister will be the first to complain once the election ends.

The Israeli system can seem baffling if you have grown up with the American version of voting.  First off, it is considered most impolite and practically a violation of your personal rights if you ask a person whether he voted for Obama or Romney;  but on the streets of Jerusalem this morning, every conversation in which I was involved or overheard started with the sentence, "So, who got your ballot today?" With a 15% Undecided coming into the elections, that question became much more interesting than usual.

Secondly, America pretends at direct elections, but then starts with the bullshit of the Electoral College, compounded by Blue and Red states.  So for example, when I voted this past November, it didn't really matter because I am registered in Massachusetts, Seriously Blue territory, and it was obvious that Obama would take the state and its delegates even if no one showed up at the polls.

In Israel they have direct elections in the sense that you vote for a party list.  You cannot choose the list per se, though as a registered member of a party you can vote in the primaries.  A designated price per seat is assigned, and literally each vote is counted toward that goal;  private deals have been negotiated for the 'spare change' so to speak.  In order to sit in the Knesset, your party must receive enough votes to account for at least two mandates out of 120;  if you fail to pass the threshold, your party disappears into oblivion.

The party with the most seats almost automatically gets the nod for forming the government, which then deteriorates into an ugly and expensive series of back room meetings, until the sitting government can claim a majority of at least 61 out of the total 120 seats.

The procedure itself dates back to the Byzantine Era, you stand behind a flimsy piece of card board, you choose a little piece of paper that represents your list and put it in a blue envelope.  The blue envelope goes into a blue box, and at the end of voting at ten pm, a bunch of really dedicated and really tired people count them by hand.

Based upon recent polls, Netanyahu's sitting Likud-Russian Mafia party will most surely receive the most seats, although less than they had anticipated.  They will then most likely form their majority government with other similar leaning parties (The Jewish Home), at least one despicable Ultra Orthodox party (Shas), and maybe, if they have the balls, one Center-Left party (Yair Lapid, Labour). In other words, silly business as usual.

For myself, I quite enjoyed the day off with Raphaela, we walked in the spectacular Summer-like weather to the voting station; sat at our favorite bakery and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast; Mommy got a haircut while Raphaela cooperated more than I ever imagined;  and then we went to the mall and bought our weekly groceries.  We spent the afternoon playing together and taking walks around the neighborhood, grabbing the sun shine wherever we could find it.

Raphaela has become such an active and real person, she has a brilliant sense of humor (for a three year old) and a calm happy disposition.  I feel like I won the biggest lottery in the Universe, and I am thankful for the time we had today to spend with each other.

Matters of Perspective

One more week before we are meant to travel to the States for Thanksgiving.  I, or rather the nerdy girl in me who always hated missing even one day of class, sat with her teacher today and asked essentially how I could make up for the loss of "material" about Chanukah that Raphaela would miss while we are away.

Her Head Nursery Teacher, who recently lost her 91 year old mother to prolonged illness and old age.

Meanwhile, our actual Thanksgiving plans remain in the Undecided category;  the original plan included a festive meal with cousins (in Long Island) and Shabbat with my sister (in Long Island).  Due to Hurricane Sandy, my cousin does not have electricity, and my sister cannot live in her house. 

An Ultra-Orthodox mother of five and due to give birth in December to her sixth child, my sister and her family lost their car and the entire first floor of their house to the flooding.

Not Undecided is the American Public, who go to the polls today in an atmosphere of a dead-heat between Romney and Barack Hussein Obama.  Will it be the Muslim or the Mormon who wins the day?  Is there ever really a candidate who likes Israel, or just likes getting that bloc of votes?  What effect will Hurricane Sandy and its terrible aftermath have on the election?  When do the Americans get smart and abolish the Electoral College?  And how many lawyers are gearing up as we speak to fight the inevitable recounts and State-by-State law suits?

Hey, that's a thought, maybe my Absentee Ballot will count this year, for a change.

Tisha B'Av Postscript

In dressing for the Romney event yesterday, I had quite a conundrum:  I am going to meet the man who may possibly be the next President of the United States, so I should appear clean and somewhat formal and respectful.

And yet, Romney chose the unfortunate day of Tisha B'Av, and so I was limited in my hygiene and comfort levels. I heard many people around me ask each other if they had smuggled in food, just in case the speech ran over-time and we needed to break the fast together.

 I wore a simple black pants outfit, with flip flops (no leather shoes), and saw many men there following suit with Crocs.  I did not want to wear real jewelry, so I raided Raphaela's stash and found a beaded bracelet that gave just enough color to the ensemble.

Raphaela gave me permission to borrow her jewelry, and warned me sternly that I must bring it home and return it to her in one piece.  I hope she remembers that when she gets older and starts borrowing Mommy's things.

Mommy met Mitt

Today was Tisha B'av, a Jewish and national Israeli day of commemoration/mourning; Raphaela did not have Gan, and I did not work, and overall fasted rather well.

This afternoon, when returning from a family visit (family with air conditioning :-) an entire parade of motorcycles, limousines, vans and sirens stormed by, prompting Raphaela to rush over to me and grab my leg and cry out, "What is that terrible noise?"

"That was Governor Mitt Romney returning to his hotel," I answered.

This evening, I had the privilege of hiring our favorite baby sitter so that I could attend the Mitt Romney speech, which took place in Jerusalem next to the newly refurbished Montiffore Windmill, across from the walls of the Old City.  I am by nature intensely fascinated by the human political animal, and though I long ago ceased to use my background in political science and politics on a regular basis, I felt jazzed to be at this event.

Half of the space sat the big money people, and the other half were "regular" people like me, Americans who moved to the Middle East, but still care about our native land and have registered to vote absentee in the upcoming elections.  There was much political talk, voters from all backgrounds and all parts of the United States.  As one would expect, we were coached as to when to stand and applaud, so as not to block "the perfect picture" for the swarming international press.  Security was high with many checkpoints, and several people marched off, saying that Romney had lost their vote because they had to wait too long on line.  "If this is any indication of the way he plans on running his administration..."

For the record, the lines and security procedures are typical of a function like this, anywhere in the world, and especially in the Middle East, where everything starts later than scheduled.

I met Mitt, as well as a brief encounter with the Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barakat; and Sheldon Adelson, a good ole' Boston boy who has thus far contributed over $20 million to the Romney campaign.

My impressions of Romney?  He looks "presidential," reminding me in appearance of Ronald Reagan;  Romney is more attractive in profile than as a frontal view.  The speech itself added no innovation nor hint of his potential policy toward Israel and the Middle East, everything that was said tonight has been said or written before.  The words "territories" and "Palestinian" never appeared, not once. 

He speaks well, radiates a certain charisma and inner confidence, and does better in connecting to people when makes a joke or talks about his family, when he veers slightly off script.

Will he be the next President of the United States?  I don't know, Romney and Obama have four months until elections, and a lot can happen in that time.  (I leave my person political views for more private forums.)