By Marney Blom
More than 5 million Israelis went to the polls on February 10th to elect Israel’s 18th government.
In what turned out to be a tight race, Israel’s centrist party, Kadima, lead by the only female front runner foreign minister Tzipi Livni, slipped past former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party by a meagre one seat of the Israeli Knesset (parliament).
Although buses were still running and many shops still open, election day in Israel was officially a holiday. This encourages Israelis to make the effort to cast their vote.
However, as the day progressed, inclement weather threatened voter turnout. By day’s end high winds had turned into pelting rain and eventually hail; all in a nation currently experiencing a prolonged draught.
And that wasn’t all voters had to contend with. Based on an assessment of the security situation during the elections, the level of alert was raised to level C, the highest level of vigilance during a time of peace.
Voter turnout was considered high despite these challenges. Israelis appeared to be passionate about a number of issues.
“I would say that a good sum of Israelis at this point are very focused on security,” contended Abra Kayne, a volunteer for the Green Movement Party combined with the Jewish State Democratic State Movement. “And our party believes that really we need to move towards more the root of the problem which often lies in things like education.”
A young ultra-orthodox student had different convictions. “We need to convince the government that we (should) study all day,” he said as a strong gust of wind blew his kippa (prayer cap) down the street. “And,” he continued, “We need to get paid for it.”
However, for Israelis such as soft-spoken Asaph, choosing a political party was based on a platform of narrowing “the economic gaps in the Israeli society.”
The process of forming an Israeli government had only just begun after election night. With a whopping 34 parties represented in the election of 2009, it simply was not possible for one party to take home anything close to a majority. Forming a coalition with a combination of parties was the only way to tally up at least 61 of the 120 Knesset seats up for grabs.
In the end the task of forming a coalition government was assigned to Binyamin Netanyahu. As the majority of ballots cast went to right wing Israeli parties there was greater confidence in his ability to form a coalition over centrist party leader Tzipi Livni. If Netanyahu is indeed successful in forming a coalition in the next four to six weeks, he will once again be awarded the top job – Prime Minister of Israel.
As Israeli politicians jostled for power in the week leading up to the elections, the passage of scripture read in every synagogue in Israel was striking. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given,” reads Isaiah 9:1. “And the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Considering the combination of extreme weather conditions and this profound portion of scripture, could it be that God is trying to get this nation’s attention as to whom ultimately is in charge?
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