Tuesday was election day in Israel — the second time in six months, since the election in the spring resulted in a failure to build a coalition. Essentially there are two things making the biggest difficulty in putting together a government: people’s growing distaste for the corrupt grand-stander Bibi Netanyahu, and Avigdor Lieberman’s decision that even though he is far right, he wants no part of the religious right with whom he would have get in bed to form a coalition. As of this moment it looks as though the right/center group calling itself Kakhol/lavan (blue/white) has slightly outperformed Bibi’s Likud party. The more liberal parties have a smaller share of votes, as do the religious parties, and Avigdor Lieberman’s far right secular Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel our home) is in a position to help or hinder the forming of a coalition with either Kakhol/lavan or Likud. (But he doesn’t want to associate with Likud, he says….)To better understand the Israeli election, you can read this article from the Forward: https://forward.com/news/israel/431427/what-you-need-to-know-about-tuesdays-israeli-elections
To see how its all unfolding, you could read here: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-49753221
For a sense of how many people feel about Bibi, you can see the photo at the top…
Election Day is a holiday in Israel. I guess this is theoretically true in the US — I know schools are closed, and many government offices — but I think most people go to work, and it feels like a pretty normal day. Not here. Even though everyone has the feeling that the election might just be another frustrating round of what happened in the spring, the mood yesterday was festive. I was hard put to think of a place to go that wouldn’t be mobbed. The Gan HaBotani (Botanic Garden) where I’ve been wanting to go, had a one day Playmobile interactive installation for kids, so that was out. Some museums were closed, and others only open partial hours. I decided to take the bus into the downtown area. Lord, it was wall-to-wall people! I managed to buy a new spatula, and to find the English language bookstore (I was looking for Alan Lew’s wonderful book for the High Holy Days, This is Real and You are completely Unprepared, for a book group I’m in, but they didn’t have it). Then I made the mistake of venturing into the shuk (market — the Mahaneh Yehudah, Jerusalem’s amazing covered marketplace. You couldn’t move for all the people. I had been hoping to buy some spices, but the idea of breasting the tide of bodies and trying to communicate over all the din in my pathetic Hebrew was simply too daunting. After that, the thought of seeing the little Dr. Ticho Museum I had intended to go to was driven form my head, so I came home. Never mind — I’ll go back to the hsul and the museum at a less busy day and time!
The shuk is always a very beautiful sight, even when crammed with people. There piles of scarlet dragon fruits, pomegranates, fresh figs, and big lumpy orange mangoes. There were displays of spice mixtures and dried fruits. There were whole fish, not long out of the Mediterranean or the Kineret (Sea of Galilee –actually a big lake), displayed elegantly on ice. There were arrangements of Middle Eastern sweets — baklava, maimuna, etc — and of Eastern European baked goods — rugelach, burekas, and so on. Here, fresh juices of all sorts pressed on the spot. There, a long line to get a pita with falafel and all the fixings. Also, kitchenwares, household staples, clothing, and so much more.
Since I didn’t take any pics , I’ll share a few from a previous trip! The shuk looks empty in these — picture every one of these shots crammed shoulder to shoulder with people. Also, it was March — the fruit at this time of year is much more abundant and amazing. I’ll take some more photos next time go! As for the election – -stay tuned, it will be awhile before we know if a government really forms and what it will look like.
Nine months in Israel 