2009 Election Resource Page

 Background, polls, platforms and analysis

1. Israel's Election System     

Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs offers a comprehensive breakdown of the entire election process.

Israel's official website for the Knesset also has a summary of the election process.

 

2. Polls

Click here to for a table in English of the most recent election polls in the Jerusalem Post

Click here for a table in Hebrew of the most popular election polls in Uzit

 

 

 3. Party Platforms

The New Movement-Meretz
Website:- Hebrew - Platform in English
Leader: Haim ORON
Seats won in last election: 5

Kadima
Website:- Hebrew
Leader: Tzipora ("Tzipi") LIVNI
Seats won in last election: 29 

Likud
Website:- English - Hebrew
Leader: Benjamin NETANYAHU
Seats won in last election: 12

Labor
Website:- Hebrew
Leader: Ehud BARAK
Seats won in last election: 19

Shas
Website:- Hebrew
Leader: Eliyahu ("Eli") YISHAI
Seats won in last election: 12

Yisrael Beytenu
Website:- English
Leader: Avigdor LIEBERMAN
Seats won in last election: 11

Gil - The Pensioners Party
Website:- English (Knesset website)
Leader: Rafael "Rafi" EITAN
Seats won in last election: 7

United Torah Judaism
Website:- English (Knesset website)
Leader: Yaakov LITZMAN
Seats won in last election: 6

Hadash
Website:- Hebrew
Leader: Muhammad BARAKEH
Seats won in last election: 3

United Arab List- Arab Renewal Movement (UAL-ARM) / Reshima Aravit Meuhedet- Tnu'a Aravit LeHithadshut (Ra'am-Ta'al)
Website:- English (Knesset website)
Leader: Ibrahim SARSUR
Seats won in last election: 4

Balad
Leader: Jamal ZAHALKA
Seats won in last election: 3

National Union-Moledet (Ichud Leumi)
Website:- English - Hebrew
Leader: Ya'akov Katz ("Ketzeleh")
Seats won in last election: 9

The Jewish Home
Website:- Hebrew
Leader: Daniel HERSHKOVITZ
Seats won in last election: N/A
(ran as part of National Union party)

Green Movement - Meimad
Website:- English - Hebrew
Leader: Rabbi Michael Melchior
(Meimad ran with Labor in last election)

Da'am
Website:- Hebrew

Israel Hazaka
Website:- English - Hebrew

Green Leaf (Ale Yarok)
Website:- Hebrew

Koah HaKesef
Website:- Hebrew

The Greens - HaYerukim
Website:- English - Hebrew

Lev LaOlim

Brit Olam

Justice for All

Tzomet

Yisrael HaMihadeshet

Lehem

4. Analysis

(News and analysis of the upcoming Israeli Elections from the Israeli and International Press)

Gideon Levy: Let Netanyahu win - Haaretz

Ari Shavit: Why the Israeli voter is turning right - Haaretz

Yossi Sarid: Who can stop fascism in Israel? - Haaretz

The idea of voting green turns brown around the edges  - Haaretz

Cease-fire in place, Israeli politicians can now take pot shots at each other - JTA

Haaretz-Dialog poll: Extreme right party overtakes Labor in elections forecast - Haaretz

Truth, lies and Obama / Contending Israeli parties kick off TV campaigns - Haaretz

Yossi Verter: The Israeli non-debate - Haaretz

Netanyahu: Iran nukes trump global economy -AP

Shas to endorse Likud's Netanyahu as next prime minister - Haaretz

Kadima kicks off campaign with threat to assassinate Hamas chiefs - Haaretz

Israeli Election Watch: Poll says Kadima gaining, smoking pot for Holocaust survivors - JTA

Israeli election campaign heats up - JTA