Isaac Herzog’s lead ahead of election reveals Israel’s changing values

[King_David]

If ever a man was born to hold high office in Israel it would seem to be Isaac Herzog, leader of the Labour Party and co-chair of a voting bloc known as the Zionist Union. His grandfather, Yitzhak Herzog, was the first chief rabbi of Israel; his father, Chaim Herzog, was the country’s sixth president; his uncle was Abba Eban, the great orator and Israeli foreign minister.

So it should come as no surprise that less than a week before Israel’s election, Mr. Herzog’s bloc has a lead over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, and that Mr. Herzog has a good chance to become Israel’s prime minister.

But it is a surprise, a bombshell. The soft-spoken, cerebral Mr. Herzog is far from a typical candidate for prime minister. Israelis like their leaders tough and gruff – think David Ben Gurion, Golda Meir, Menachem Begin, Ariel Sharon.

That Mr. Herzog is in the running so close to election day speaks volumes about the changing values in the Jewish state. This is not his father’s or his grandfather’s Israel.



http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/isaac-herzogs-lead-ahead-of-election-reveals-israels-changing-values/article23401074/?service=mobile

[Agnosticsherbet]

1. "Public-opinion surveys this week showed the majority of Israelis consider the economy the greatest"

"with security a distant second."

It is high time the left returned to power in Israel.

[Scootaloo]

4. So, you're pulling for Meretz and the Arab block?

Good luck with that!

[Agnosticsherbet]

5. No, I think Herzog will wing the most seats,

though the polls i've see shows that the Arab Block is also likely to pick up a few seats, which I think is a good thing.

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. Netanyahu says:

[guillaumeb]

3. In a rare moment of agreement

If Isaac Herzog wins the election, and he can craft an electoral coalition that allows him the room to maneuver, and if he is true to the many statements he has made regarding the settlements, his election could indeed be a large step toward a two state solution. Three big if statements to overcome. For the sakes of the Palestinians and the Israelis I hope Herzog is successful on all counts.

He has talked about giving up settlements, but how many, which ones, and what about the status of Jerusalem are all big issues. In my view, a view shared by many, only a return to the pre-1967 borders will ensure a lasting peace.

[Agnosticsherbet]

6. The Pre-1967 failed to ensure any peace at all.

Borders agreed upon by both sides in open neogiation is the only chance of a lasting peace. And they would require a strip of land along the Egyptian border so the West bank would have free access to the Gaza Strip.