Tomorrow, members of the Likud Party in Israel will be voting in the party's primaries. Most of the Likud members I know joined, like myself, in order to help Moshe Feiglin [and Shmu'el Sackett] enter the K'nesseth. I, myself, have been a member for eight years. Voting for the Likud in national elections is a completely different story.Only today, did I receive word regarding the primary voting "rules."
The voting "rules" include having to vote for 12 national candidates, two new immigrant candidates, and one candidate from the member's district of residence: Negev, Gallil, Haifa, Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv, Dan, Foothills, Judea & Samaria. All other areas not included above are grouped together as "residents within local councils."
Ballots containing too many or too few candidate votes will not be counted. A complete list of rules, polling locations, and instructions for voting can be found in English, on Moshe Feiglin's Likud site.
The entire voting process is computerized, and members may vote at any polling station across the country. Votes are cast by "touch screen," choosing candidates with their ballot ID numbers.
A complete list of Likud list candidates (Hebrew) and their ballot ID numbers can be found (pdf) here on Binyamin Netayahu's website. (Actually, Avi Abelow just sent me a partial list of "artzit" (national) candidates in English, which I have listed at the bottom of this post.)
My first thought about these "rules" was how the heck am I going to fill up my ballot with 15 candidates?
One expellee from Azza suggests voting for the Likud "Rebels" who crossed, then Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, by voting against the expulsion of Jews from Azza in 5765/2005 (Sharon's "Disengagement Plan"). Here is a partial list of those Likud "Rebels." An asterisk (*) denotes that s/he is not in the running to be on the Likud Party list of candidates for K'nesseth:
| Uzi Landau* Michael Ratzon Yuli Edelstein Reuven Rivlin Gilad Ardan David Levy* | Hayim Ka"tz Moshe Kachlon Yehiel Hazan Naomi Blumenthal* Michael Gorelovsky* Ehud Yatom |
Gila Gamliel abstained, along with Bibi Netanyahu and Limor Livnat.
I have been doing quite a bit of emailing back and forth, primarily with Batya Medad, trying to fill my ballot, so that I do not have to spend a lot of time tomorrow in the voting booth. I have also received a few recommendations from other friends, acquaintances, and strangers.
Besides filling up my ballot, a number of other questions have come up. How can I be expected to vote for a former Shabba"k (Israeli secret police) agent, Ehud Yatom, even if I share his views more than most of the other candidates? For some reason, his experience did not taint his current views,...or did they? Maybe he worked mostly against Arabs. Who knows....
Others have been asking me why I am participating in this "Hellenistic" process at all. Others have reminded me of the World Likud's vote to assist Christian aliyah, which for some reason nobody else wants to listen to, let alone believe.
Nonetheless, I have decided to vote in the primaries, and have spent some time trying to make heads or tails of it. I hope that my research will assist you, too.
Moshe Feiglin (151) recommends Zo Artzeinu co-founder Shmu'el Sackett (211) from the U. S. and Asya Entov (203) Qarnei Shomron resident from Russia, for the new immigrant slots, and Bo'az HaEtzni (358) for the YeSh"A district slot.
I am afraid I cannot support another one of Feiglin's recommendations, Sagiv Yasulin at this time, until I receive more information about his discussions with Christian "Zionists" (missionaries). MK's and prominent members of city councils have had a "sit down" with him, yet I am still awaiting the results of this intervention.
A friend from Shiloh, whom I trust implicitly, recommends voting for Tzippy Hotoveli (125), from Giv'ath Shmu'el. According to this friend, she is a woman of integrity, and has the endorsement of Chief Rabbi Shmu'el Eliyahu of Tzfath.
Batya recommends Moshe Moshkal, a man of integrity, for an "artzit" slot. Another friend, Yekutiel Ben Ya'akov recommends Fred Monchars for the Jerusalem district slot. So does Jameel @ The Muqata. "Integrity" seems to be a theme here. Also according to Jameel, "Bilha Nissanson (145) is a 57 year old Physicist and artist who is extremely pro Eretz Yisrael and moved to Gush Katif weeks before the expulsion, and was dragged out by the IDF. She is running on the Artzi list."
Many people were excited to see the return of Benny Begin to politics.
Besides Feiglin and Sackett, the only candidate I truly feel strongly about is Michael Kleiner (157). He is the only one I will firmly endorse here.
I hope that this post provides you with enough information, not only to negotiate tomorrow's primaries, but also to help make up your minds about for whom to vote.
Please feel free to express your opinions about candidates and the primaries in general in the comments section below.
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A partial list of "artzit" candidates and their ballot numbers, from Moshe Feiglin:
| Moshe Feiglin (151) Sagiv Asulin (106) Benny Begin (109) Ruby Rivlin (163) Yuli Edelstein (103) Efraim Even (102) Gideon Saar (147) Gilad Ardan (107) Moshe Kachlon (135) Tzipi Hotubele (125) Gila Gamliel (116) Osnat Mark (141) Miriam Erez (108) Daniel Ben-lulu (112) Eli Gabai (115) | Zev Jabotinsky (120) Ehud Yatom (133) Michal Kafri (136) Moshe Moshkal (142) David Mena (143) Belha Nisnion (145) Lea Ness (146) Ayoub Kara (158) Nazia Abdallah (150) Miki Ratzon (164) Michael Kleiner (157) Zalman Shuval (166) Eti Talmi (170) Nurit Koren (156) |
Ya'aqov, this is a tough one. I wish I could ask each candidate a very simple question:
ReplyDelete"Are you prepared to give away Eretz Yisrael to our Arab enemies?"
We've been getting lots of recorded phone calls from candidates. Only Dr. Leah Ness had a real person call. The woman was very nice and tried to answer my questions from her instructions. She admitted that if the Arabs "promised" certain things, she'd be in favor of giving our Land away.
I have no doubt that many of those, even on Feiglin's list would say the same. It's very problematic.
Sagiv Assulin, Gideon Saar,and
ReplyDeleteAyoub Kara all addressed the xians at the inauguration. They have at the very least given these xians the idea that they will help them make aliyah. Assulin refers to Joel Bell as his mentor and brother. How can any G-d fearing Jew associate with these people(Assulin,etc) much less help them attain a position of authority? You can't achieve anything through this corrupt system. The erev rav get their sustenance from kedusha. If true holy Jews would separate from the government it would not survive.
Gila Gamliel became a deputy minister in Sharon's government just right after the Disengagement because she stopped voting against it. That's tacit agreement in my book.
ReplyDeleteThere are other very deserving people:
1. Fred in the Jerusalem area, deserves more than almost anyone.
2. Bilha Nissanson (145) is a 57 year old Physicist and artist who is extremely pro Eretz Yisrael and moved to Gush Katif weeks before the expulsion, and was dragged out by the IDF. She is running on the Artzi list.
Batya, GG, and Jameel,
ReplyDeleteThank you for all of the additional information. It will definitely help people make up their minds.
I think I can find a place for Bilhah Nissanson.
Many know how to talk the talk, but apparently fewer still can walk the walk.
ReplyDeleteso you have no compuction about setting the list for a party that you seem to have no intention of voting for?
ReplyDeleteGnivat haDaat
so you have no compuction about setting the list for a party that you seem to have no intention of voting for?
ReplyDeleteDon't be so sure. Look at the crap they're coming up with to reinvent the NRP. What are my choices? Throw away my vote on Marzel? Vote for HaTiqvah, which may actually be a right wing version of Shinu'i?
I have to look into Rav Hershkowitz, recently named head of the reinvented NRP. Then, we'll see.
Gnivat haDaat
Me? Feiglin? Um,...no. Feiglin wanted to bring the Likud back to what he believes are ideas much closer to the original Likud values, than what we see expressed today.
Even so, it wouldn't technically be GHD, as he's never made any bones about what he's trying to do.
BTW, thanks for livening up my blog a bit. I'm being serious, not sarcastic.
if you really want to do something for eretz israel, do what I'm doing - vote Green party. Thanks for the compliment BTW
ReplyDelete