Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on March 18, 2015

An Israeli voter casting her ballot in Tel Aviv, March 17, 2015. Photo by Tomer Neuberg/Flash90

Relaxing on a bench on Rothschild Boulevard here, first-time voters Ellie Ashkenazi and Ziv Oran, both 18, talked about wanting to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But they couldnt agree on which party to support to meet that end.

Voters needed to close ranks around Netanyahus main challenger, Isaac Herzog, Ashkenazi said, adding that the the policies of the staunchly leftist Meretz not least the idea of dividing Jerusalem were too brutal for her.

Im left wing, I believe in Bougie and I want to replace Bibi, she said, using the nicknames for Herzog and Netanyahu. Im worried about Bibi winning again. Anything is better than Bibi.

Much to her chagrin, Oran had cast his ballot for Meretz to annoy me, Ashkenazi joked, nudging him. But Oran worried that with left-wing votes consolidating around Herzogs center-left Zionist Union, Meretz would not acquire enough votes to even enter Knesset and its voice would be absent.

I believe in their social policies, Oran said. Im center-left and I want them in Knesset. Meretz will recommend Herzog [to be prime minister], so youre not losing votes.

In Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, voters took advantage of the Election Day national holiday to stroll the streets with their kids, picnic on urban patches of grass and go shopping. They walked among political banners and dodged volunteers angling to stop them with a last-minute appeal.

But behind the carefree attitude, voters were divided not just between left and right, but between whether to support the flagship party of their political camp or one of the smaller, more ideologically driven factions.

There shouldnt be extremes this way or that, said Yakir Yaakovi, 23, a dried-fruit merchant in Jerusalems Mahane Yehuda market and a Netanyahu voter.

Hes the only real one, he doesnt mess around, Yaakovi said of the incumbent. If the left governs, God help us. There will be a civil war.

See more here:

Deep divisions apparent as Israelis head to polls

Category: Ashkenazi
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