Israeli elections: the doomsday merchants proven wrong
The dust is settling after the election in Israel, and the efforts to establish a stable coalition are well underway. Prior to the election, concerns were raised in the global media and the blogosphere, about the rise of the so-called ultra-nationalist religious right in Israeli politics.
Doomsday-esque predictions about a right wing coalition dominated by the ruling party Likut-Beitenu along with Ha-Bayit Ha-Yehudi (the Jewish Home) and the ultra-Orthodox parties prematurely eulogised the two-state solution, warning against settlement expansion and supposed Israeli reluctance to negotiate.
As results of the election started pouring in, with centre-left parties gaining seats and the left-right blocs almost at a tie, it became increasingly clear that the hysteria about the “shift to the right” was exaggerated, and the critics were left with an anti-climactic disappointment- with the highest voter turnout since 1999 the Israeli public proved, once again, that Israelis are pragmatic, rational and moderate.
Once their initial concerns had not materialised, critical commentators were faced with a problem- if Israel is not shifting to the right, on what grounds could they base their claim that the Israeli public rejects the two-state solution?
http://theconversation.edu.au/israeli-elections-the-doomsday-merchants-proven-wrong-11831