Japan Brief / FPCJ, No. 0908
February 16, 2009


Right-Wing Parties Make Gains in Israeli General Election

Israel’s general election for the Knesset, its parliament, held on February 10, ended with the ruling centrist forces losing ground and right-wing opposition parties making gains. According to official results announced on February 12, Kadima, which had been the largest party (29 seats) in the 120-member Knesset and leader of the ruling coalition, captured 28 seats, thereby just clinging on to its position as the number-one party, but the Labor Party, a coalition partner, slumped from 19 to 15 seats and dropped to fourth place. The ruling coalition as a whole saw its strength fall abruptly from 67 to 52 seats and thus lost its majority in the Knesset.

Opposition forces, meanwhile, made significant gains, with Likud more than doubling its strength from 12 to 27 seats to become the number-two party in the Knesset, just one seat behind Kadima. Furthermore, the ultranationalist party Yisrael Beiteinu (“Israel Is Our Home”) increased its presence from 11 to 15 seats, becoming the third largest party in the Knesset. The five opposition parties acquired a combined total of 68 seats, giving them a comfortable majority.

Reporting by Japan’s Main Newspapers

In their morning editions on February 12 Japan’s main newspapers prominently carried articles written by their Jerusalem correspondents on their front and international pages under such headlines as “Right-wing forces make gains; hopes for peace clouded” (Asahi Shimbun); “Can the first and second largest parties form a coalition? Hard-line right-wing holds the key” (Yomiuri Shimbun); and “Right-wing forces gain majority; stagnation in Middle East peace?” (Mainichi Shimbun). The Asahi correspondent wrote, “Behind the surge by the right-wing parties lies a shift of public opinion to the right. In the wake of the 2006 war in Lebanon, in which more than 140 soldiers and civilians lost their lives, and rocket attacks from Gaza in the Palestinian Autonomous Territories, the Israeli people have come to place priority on security over peace.”

The newspapers also mobilized their Washington correspondents and reported on the response of the US government. As indicated by such headlines as “Right-wing gains pose test for US government” (Yomiuri) and “Blow for Obama strategy” (Mainichi), the general view was that the Israeli general election results would likely place a new hurdle in front of US President Barack Obama’s administration.

Editorials on Israel’s General Election Results

The common thread running through almost all the editorials of the main newspapers was their concern that the results of the Israeli general election might hamper moves toward Middle East peace. They also strongly appealed to the next administration in Israel to cooperate with the Middle East peace initiatives of the Obama administration.

The Yomiuri editorial (February 13) opened, “Prospects for the Middle East peace process, which has been stagnant anyway, have become even more blurred, because in the Israeli general election right-wing forces that are negative toward the realization of peace with Palestine have greatly increased their strength.” Drawing attention to the possible response of the new government in Israel, it went on, “Obama’s first interview with the media after becoming president was with a satellite television station in the United Arab Emirates. In that interview, President Obama highly praised the Arab side’s proposal for an exchange of land for peace. This has been seen as an indication of Obama’s strong desire for the realization of peace. In order to maintain solid relations with the United States, Israel will probably be forced to recognize the need to keep a close watch on the Obama administration’s efforts toward peace.”

The Asahi editorial (February 12) observed, “Late last year, Israel launched a large-scale military offensive in the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by the Muslim extremist group Hamas. Whereas the attack drew a wide round of international condemnation, at home it was supported by over 90 percent of Israel’s dominant Jewish population. Alarmingly, public sentiment in the country appears to be tilting further toward support for military attacks against Iran, which is suspected of developing nuclear weapons.” Expressing concern that the policies of the next administration in Israel will exert an impact on the whole of the Middle East, it went on, “The formation of a rightist government in Israel would be a problem for U.S. President Barack Obama, who has displayed a strong commitment to diplomatic efforts to build peace in the Middle East. Obama has promised dialogue with Iran because he thinks improving the US relations with the Muslim state is essential for stability in the region. Heightened tension between Israel and Iran could jeopardize his overall Middle East strategy.”

Noting that “The election was held at a time when the frenzy stoked by the Israeli military’s violent offensive against Gaza (in the Palestinian Autonomous Territories) had not yet cooled down,” the Mainichi editorial (February 12) commented, “The safety of the Israeli people is certainly important. It is natural for them to wish for a way of life in which Hamas rockets do not fall from the sky. But if Israel is a democratic state and a country that respects human rights, then the lives of the Palestinian people should be important, too. However much it makes Hamas out to be the villain, the problem caused by Israel’s own occupation of land will not go away.” Expressing great interest in the form of coalition government that will emerge in Israel, the Mainichi added, “While excluding Arabs, Israel continues to build Jewish settlements, which the international community fears will be an obstacle to peace. This is the standpoint of the ultranationalists and others. We are concerned that a coalition with these forces will make the new administration hawkish.”

(Copyright 2009 Foreign Press Center / Japan)