NOVANEWS
- Over the course of the country’s nearly 67-year history there has been a period of only about one year (1966-67) that Zionist did not rule over large numbers of Palestinians by military decree, granting them no civil or political rights simply because they are not Jewish.
- Zionist regime has no constitution, only a set of basic laws that refer to equality while setting up a system that explicitly preferences Jews. According to one of those laws, it is prohibited for any political party or candidate to question Zionist status as a Jewish state.
- During the first 18 years of the state’s existence (1948-1966), Palestinian citizens of ‘Israel’ were ruled by military decree, not unlike Palestinians in the occupied territories have been since 1967. Although they have the right to vote, Palestinian citizens of ‘Israel’, who make up about 20% of the population (approximately 1.7 million people) are discriminated against in almost every aspect of public and private life, ranging from land ownership and family reunification rights, to employment and access to higher education.
- As a state that systematically privileges Jewish citizens over non-Jewish ones, that is engineered to maintain a Jewish majority, and that rules over millions of people to whom it grants no political rights because they are not the right religion, ‘Israel’ would more accurately be described as an ethnocracy, or an apartheid state.
2015 Election Quick Facts
- Election date : Tuesday, March 17, 2015
- Number of parties/electoral lists: There are 12 main political parties or combined electoral lists running in the current election.
- Total number of seats in the Zionist Knesset (parliament) : 120
- According to new rules , in order to qualify for a seat in the Knesset, a party or electoral list must win at least 3.25% of the popular vote, rather than the 2% required in previous elections.
Result Forecasts
- Polls have shown a tight race between the ruling Nazi Likud party and the Zio-Nazi Union for first place, with the latter taking a lead late in the campaign, with each projected to win about 23 seats. Given the predicted makeup of the remainder of the next Knesset, it’s unlikely that the Zio-Nazi Union would be able to form a successful coalition, meaning Naziyahu is likely to lead another Nazi right-wing coalition, perhaps including the Zio-Nazi Union.
Noteworthy Stories of the Election
- So far, the most noteworthy stories of the campaign have been the rise of the Joint List, a coalition of non-Zionist (mostly Palestinian) parties, and a drop in support for Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s ultra-Nazi nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party, likely related to a major corruption scandal.
- Ironically, the law raising the Knesset threshold to 3.25% from 2%, which many believe was intended as an attack on the Palestinian/non-Zionist parties, resulted in them unifying on a joint list that has vaulted up the polls. It’s possible that for the first time in Zionist history, the official opposition in the next Knesset may be comprised of non-Zionist parties.
- Naziyahu’s much publicized and controversial speech to a joint session of Congress on March 3 doesn’t appear to have had a significant impact on his or his party’s standing in the polls.
The Parties/Electoral Lists & Notable Candidates
Broadly speaking, the parties and electoral lists can be divided into two categories: Zionist and non-Zionist, the latter comprised mainly of Palestinian citizen. The following guide offers a brief description of the parties, their policies towards the Palestinians, and some notable candidates.
