ISRAEL: Elections, the smaller parties’ platforms

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Kadima, Likud and Labor are household names in Israel.

So are their leaders, their candidates for prime minister and their platforms and big-issue policies.

But there are many other, lesser-known parties with civic agendas they feel are neglected by the large parties. Here are some of the key points of the other groups seeking representation in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament:

Hayeruka-Meimad, headed by Knesset member Rabbi Michael Melchior, with a green emphasis: ‘Vote for Zionism that respects not only the land but the people who live on it. Vote for the good, not the lesser of two evils.’

Koach Lehashpia, ‘the power to influence,’ promotes equal opportunity for people with special needs: ‘It is our responsiblity to allow 1 million people with special needs to get on the playlist of Israeli society,’ says singer Ron Shoval.

Ephraim Sneh, former deputy defense minister, broke away from Labor to form ‘A Strong Israel,’to ‘eliminate crime before it eliminates us’ and restore personal, social and national security.

Koach Hakesef, ‘the power of money,’ reminds that 18 families control 75% of Israel’s main bank, media and capital assets: ‘Give us the power to dismantle the bank cartel and fight the money families who translate their wealth into political clout.’

Or, ‘light,’ led by former ultra-Orthodox Rabbi Yaron Yadan: ‘The haredim want to destroy Israeli democracy. The day will come when we’ll be a minority here. How many times can you vote for the large parties and get the same thing? We are the only party that will preserve a secular Israel.’

Hayerukim, the green party: ‘If we won’t take care of the environment, soon this land will not be worth fighting for. Making peace with the environment, this is the only news in Israeli politics.’

And there are many others who feel the time has come to engage in ‘real’ issues.

But with two days left, the big issues prevail.
On the personal level, it’s Tzipi (Livni) or Bibi (Netanyahu). On the map, it might boil down to this:

-- Batsheva Sobelman in Jerusalem