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Election Date: February 10, 2009

At stake: Knesset

Background

As World War II drew to a close and the extent of the Holocaust became increasingly clear, an international impetus—particularly among Allied countries—assembled in support of the notion that a state should be created for the Jews.

In 1947, the United Nations (UN) resolved to make the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean—which had been part of the British administered Mandate of Palestine for some thirty years—into separate states for Jews and Muslims.

Jews and Muslims have both claimed the area as their ancestral home for generations. At the time of partition, many settlements had been in place at least since the region was part of the Ottoman Empire.

When the last of the British forces withdrew from the Mandate of Palestine in May 1948, the state of Israel declared its independence. Arab resistance to the partition plan had been fierce from the beginning and a number of wars have been fought between Israel and its Arab neighbours.

Palestinians have lived in the West Bank of the Jordan River and the Gaza Strip under Israeli occupation since 1967. Suicide bombers from extremist Palestinian groups have killed many civilians in Israel. The international community has roundly condemned this practice. Israel has often retaliated to the suicide attacks with overwhelming military force, targeting extremist group leaders in missions that have also killed civilians.

The country's national parliament, the Knesset, is populated by disparate parties who together represent a wide spectrum of political views. Nonetheless, since Israel became a country, national security concerns have always dominated the domestic political agenda.

In November 2005, Ariel Sharon resigned as leader of Israel's governing right-wing Likud party, in a move that also required him to call an early election. Citing irreconcilable differences with hard-line members of a political organization that he helped found more than thirty years ago, Sharon formed a more centralist party called Kadima (Forward).

Sharon was regarded for most of his political career as one of the uncompromising members of the political right that he then claimed would have obstructed his future initiatives the way they hindered his disengagement plan from Gaza and parts of the West Bank.

The unilateral pullout of Israeli forces from these territories was Sharon's strategy for the creation—on Israel's terms—of a Palestinian state, which he considered towards the end of his career as an unavoidable step towards assuring Israel's national security.

In August 2005, the Israeli government—headed by Sharon—evacuated close to 8,000 Israeli settlers who lived in 21 Gaza Strip and four northern West Bank settlements under the terms of the "Disengagement Plan." Israel removed all military personnel from the Gaza Strip, but intends to maintain a security presence in the West Bank.

Palestinians have accused Israel of using its relinquishment of Gaza as licence to annex areas of the West Bank. They were particularly wary of any proposals by Sharon, whose career in the Israeli military and as defence minister they can still recall. Sharon was found by an Israeli tribunal to have been indirectly responsible for failing to prevent a Lebanese militia from killing Palestinian refugees in Israel's 1982 war with Lebanon.

On Jan. 4, 2006, Sharon was rushed to hospital after suffering a cerebral haemorrhage. He has remained in a coma ever since. Deputy prime minister Ehud Olmert become Israel's acting head of government.

The health of Sharon marked the 2006 election to the Knesset, which was scheduled for March.

Many prominent Likud members followed Sharon to Kadima, including finance minister—and later acting prime minister—Ehud Olmert and justice minister Tzipi Livni. Kadima quickly became a major political force.

Amir Peretz became Labour leader and headed the party into the election. Former Labour leader Shimon Peres later endorsed Sharon as the "best" person to serve as head of government.

The Likud party chose former finance minister Benjamin Netanyahu—who resigned from the current cabinet after opposing Sharon's disengagement plan—as its new leader.

In December 2005, the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court rejected a request made by Omri Sharon—the prime minister's son—to postpone his sentencing hearing, which will be held on Jan. 23, 2006.

Omri Sharon, who was convicted of lying under oath, violations of the electoral code, and the fictitious registration of corporate documents, made the request in an effort to prevent any political damage to Kadima during the electoral campaign. According to the indictment, Sharon's son received about $1.5 million U.S. in campaign financing from corporations in Israel and abroad between July 1999 and February 2000.

Also in December, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suggested that Israel be removed from the Middle East and questioned the Holocaust.

On Jan. 25, 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian Legislative Council election, securing 74 of the 112 seats at stake. Hamas is seen in Israel as a terrorist organization that carries suicide attacks within its borders.

On Feb. 19, the Israeli government voted to stop the monthly transfer of close to $50 million U.S. to the Palestinian Authority, after the members of Hamas took control of the Palestinian Legislative Council. The cabinet also urged the international community to discontinue financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority, with the exception of humanitarian aid provided directly to the people.

Voting for the March legislative election showed a voter turnout of 63.2 per cent, the lowest in the history of Israel. Olmert's Kadima secured 29 seats, followed by Labour with 19, Shas and Likud with 12 each, and Israel Our Home with 11.

The coalition of National Union and the National Religious Party was next with nine mandates, followed by the Retired People's Party with seven, United Torah Judaism with six, and Together with five. The three Arab parties—the United List, Balad and Hadash—won 10 mandates.

Click Here for Israel's 2006 Knesset Election Tracker

In late April, Olmert announced that Labour, Gil and Shas would participate in a Kadima-led administration. Peretz was appointed as defence minister.

On Jun. 28, Israel launched a military operation in response to a joint raid carried out by Palestinian militants on a military post outside of the Gaza Strip, in which two Israeli soldiers were killed, and one more, Gilad Shalit, was captured.

On Jul. 12, Hezbollah militants based in Lebanon killed eight Israeli soldiers and captured two more in a cross-border attack. The Israeli armed forces launched air strikes inside Lebanese territory to fight Hezbollah, targeting the country's infrastructure and its airport. Hezbollah retaliated by firing rockets into several Israeli towns.

A ceasefire brokered by the United Nations (UN) came into effect on Aug. 14. Security Council Resolution 1701 called for "a full cessation of hostilities" from both sides and allows Lebanese government troops and a 15,000-member peacekeeping force to enter into southern Lebanon during the withdrawal of Israeli forces, but sets no timetable for the disarmament of Hezbollah or the return of the two abducted Israeli soldiers.

Two separate committees were tasked with investigating the performance of Israel's armed forces during the conflict with Hezbollah.

On Oct. 30, the Israeli cabinet approved the addition of the far-right Israel Our Home party—led by Avigdor Lieberman—to the government. With this addition, Olmert's coalition gained the support of 78 of the Knesset's 120 members.

On Nov. 27, Olmert delivered a speech where he outlined his vision for an agreement with the Palestinians. The proposal included the establishment of a Palestinian state with contiguity in Judea and Samaria and Israel's withdrawal from "considerable territory" in return for an end to terrorist activity and the cancellation of the "right of return".

Around 750,000 Palestinians fled or were forced to leave their territory during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. The "right of return"—under which Palestinians aim to re-occupy their homes in Israel—has always been a questionable point in peace negotiations.

The year 2007 proved to be challenging for Olmert's government. Despite several UN sanctions, the Iranian government went ahead with its nuclear program, claiming that it was solely for civilian use. The possibility of a nuclear Iran increasingly became a major issue in Israeli politics.

On Jan. 16, Israeli authorities opened a criminal investigation on Olmert's role in the sale of Bank Leumi, one of Israel's largest financial institutions, in 2005. The probe would determine whether Olmert favoured business associates in the transaction when he was serving as finance minister. If indicted, Olmert—who has denied any wrongdoing—would have to step down.

In April, a preview of the so-called Winograd Report—which looked into Israel’s handling of the 2006 conflict with Lebanon-based Hezbollah—was released. The document found Olmert, then defence minister Amir Peretz and then Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) chief of staff Dan Halutz responsible for "very serious failings" when making decisions throughout this period.

The full Winograd Report was released on Jan. 30, 2008. The document blames the IDF—and particularly its ground forces—for failing "to meet most of the missions and challenges they were assigned" and characterizes the conflict against Hezbollah as "a major and serious missed opportunity (which) ended without Israel achieving a clear military victory."

In November 2007, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas and leaders from the United States, Israel and several Arab countries attended an international conference on Middle East affairs in Annapolis, Maryland. The meeting was brokered by U.S. president George W. Bush. On Nov. 27, Abbas and Olmert announced they would work towards having a peace treaty signed by the end of 2008, which would include the creation of a Palestinian state.

In May 2008, Israeli police raided the offices of Jerusalem’s city government and seized documents related to prime minister Ehud Olmert’s tenure as mayor, from 1993 to 2003.

In July, Olmert announced that he would not participate in an extraordinary internal ballot for his Kadima party’s leadership, meaning that his tenure would probably end at the same time. Olmert had faced fierce pressure from Israelis, politicians and civilians alike, to resign over the corruption scandal.

In September, Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni—a former member of Israel's secret service—defeated transportation minister Shaul Mofaz in a close race to become Kadima’s new leader.

On Sept. 3, during an election rally, Livni described herself a centrist politician, declaring, "It’s easy to be a rightist and criticize everything without offering alternatives. It’s also easy to be a leftist and ignore realities. It’s harder to be a centrist, and the fact that we are centrists is not a coincidence. It’s an ideology. Kadima will not divide the people."

2009 Knesset Election

Kadima leader Tzipi Livni was supposed to take over as Israel’s prime minister after winning the leadership race, but was unable to assemble a coalition government. A snap election will take place on Feb. 10, 2009

Kadima, led by Livni, is expected to face a tough challenge frim Likud, headed by former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to voting intention polls released by Teleseker and the Dahaf Institute in October.

On Oct. 27, Netanyahu discussed national security, vowing to keep "defensible borders" in Israel, and adding, "We will not negotiate over Jerusalem, the capital of the Jewish people for the past 3,000 years. I didn’t do it in the past and I won’t do it in the future."

On Nov. 6, Livni vowed to continue peace negotiations started by Olmert in late 2007, saying, "It is important that we preserve the process. (…) I believe deeply that stagnation is not in Israel's interest and it cannot be our policy."

In November, former Labour party members discussed the creation of a new political movement. Uzi Baram—who served in the Knesset from 1977 to 2001—declared: “This is an attempt to form a new left-wing party. It is true that Meretz is its central component and that there are still disagreements over the name, however, we have not come to join Meretz but to form a new alternative. Clearly the weakening and collapse of the Labour party from a public perspective has paved the way for us to do this.”

Israeli author Amos Oz discussed the current state of affairs, saying, “I hope the expanded leftist movement will become a replacement for the Labour party. The Labour party has finished its historic role, it isn’t putting forward a national agenda and it joins any coalition.”

On Nov. 3, the National Union and National Religious Party announced they would merge into one single party. Both right-wing organizations currently hold nine seats in the legislature. A statement said that the new party—which was eventually named Jewish Home—will seek “to lead a new national agenda, led by education for the Jewish character of Israel, social welfare, Jewish values, settlement and security and political issues.”

On Nov. 4, Benny Begin returned to Likud and dismissed any past grievances with Netanyahu, declaring, “People can overcome their differences. (...) I saw that the media has taken clips from the attic that were irrelevant. In the last 10 years, Bibi has matured by 10 years, and I have gotten 10 years older.”

On Nov. 8, Barak expressed concerns over Jewish extremism, saying, “We used to call them wild weeds, but now they are tumours with secondary growths. This is no longer a warning sign; it’s a threat to democracy, the Israeli Defence Forces, the police and to all the authorities of a normal society.”

On Nov. 9, Shas chairman Eli Yishai demanded an apology from Barak, declaring, “This is a miserable statement. It incites against the Right, a sector that constitutes the majority in Israel. This is an attempt to exclude this sector from the consensus. (...) I oppose any sort of generalization. [Barak’s] words can lead to incitement instead of to unity.”

On Nov. 16, Israel Our Home leader Avigdor Lieberman announced that former cabinet minister Uzi Landau would join his party. Landau declared: “The decision [to leave Likud] is not an easy one, but I am at peace with it. (...) The Likud is still floating along gradually towards loss of identity, and it is not clear to me where it is headed.”

On Nov. 19, Barak—the current defence minister—discussed global affairs, saying, “The triad of nuclear proliferation, radical Muslim terror, and rogue states, epitomized in the Iran case, can be defeated only through a paradigm shift in international relationships. (...) The time for sanctions is still there, but it is short. The way I see to make it effective is to cut through the psychological obstacles about cooperating with Russia and China and open a new discourse.”

On Nov. 21, Livni expressed dismay at possible collaboration between Likud and Shas, saying, “Whoever is willing to sell everything in an attempt to reach the prime minister’s seat isn’t worthy of that position. (...) I have no doubt that Shas knows what it can get from me and what it can get from [Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu]. If anyone in Israel wants the country to look like that, he should vote for Bibi.”

On Nov. 30, Netanyahu presented his plan to deal with the economy—which includes proposals to expand Israel’s highway and railway infrastructure—saying, “It won’t take days or weeks, but we can get these reforms moving within a few quarters. We will emerge from the crisis stronger. We will create new jobs. To prevent unemployment from rising, we must create thousands of jobs.”

On Dec. 3, Livni condemned a series of clashes provoked by right-wing activists with Palestinians and police officers in the city of Hebron and called for civil leaders to take action. Kadima’s leader declared: “We have here a group that does not recognize the authority of the government, the authority of the court, or the authority of the army or police to act. Israel cannot be a state which has areas that are like the Wild West. (…) The political and societal leadership in Israel, especially those with influence on this group, needs to clearly denounce this, otherwise the phenomenon won’t disappear.”

Likud’s potential victory has raised questions about the future of ongoing peace talks with the Palestinians. Likud has a powerful, ultra-nationalist wing that opposes the peace talks, wants to ban Arab citizens of Israel from serving in the Knesset, and seeks to pull Israel out of the United Nations (UN).

On Dec. 10, Netanyahu referred to such concerns, saying that he has told European Union (EU) leaders that “a Likud government under my leadership will continue the peace talks.’ Netanyahu added: “We intend to interlace them with economic development, rapid economic development for the Palestinians and regional cooperation with Jordan and Egypt.”

On Dec. 15, Livni called for Israelis to support her party, saying, “This is the eve of the election, and I will not launder words. I ask for the opportunity to succeed right off the bat, and not to make improvements like my two predecessors. (...) We need to change the governing etiquette and restore the public’s faith in the politics. The Israeli public can not longer stand the system, and rightfully so. The public has learned it can also say no.”

Also on Dec. 15, Netanyahu unveiled his economic platform, saying that he would implement a four-stage recovery plan including tax cuts and infrastructure spending if elected. The Likud leader also assured that more economic woes lay ahead given the international turmoil in financial markets, but added that Israel will recover “faster than people think.”

On Dec. 18, Jewish State (Meimad) and the Green Movement (Tnua Yeruka) announced a formal coalition. Meimad leader Michael Melchior explained the rationale for the move, saying, “Ten years of environmental and social parliamentary activity made us ripe for this very necessary connection at this time.”

Also on Dec. 18, Netanyahu repeated his call for decisive action against Iran, saying, “We have never had a situation in the history of the world in which a radical regime with a retrograde ideology and apparently known ambitions on the use of force will get access to the weapons of mass death. The coming year or two—this is the timetable we are talking about—will be a pivot of history. (...) If Iran acquires nuclear weapons, then a terribly dangerous threshold will be crossed.”

On Dec. 27, Israel launched a series of aerial attacks against what it deems “Hamas targets” in the Gaza Strip, including the Al Aqsa television station and the Islamic University of Gaza. At least 375 people have died, including 62 civilians. Olmert declared: “We tried to avoid, and I think quite successfully, to hit any uninvolved people—we attacked only targets that are part of the Hamas organizations.”

On Dec. 29, Barak discussed the situation, saying, “We want peace. We’ve extended our hand more than once to the Palestinian people. We have nothing against the people of Gaza but we have a war to the bitter end with Hamas and its offshoots.”

Also on Dec. 29, Netanyahu discussed the operation, saying, “I think we have to stop the missile firing, but we also have to remove the future threat of such missiles. (...) Long-term, we’re going to have to do something to remove this Iranian Hamas terrorist base at the doorstep of Tel Aviv and our major cities.”

Political Players

President: Shimon Peres
Prime minister: Ehud Olmert - Kadima

The president is elected to a five-year term by the Knesset.

Legislative Branch: The Knesset (Parliament) has 120 members, elected to four-year terms by proportional representation.

Results of Last Election:

Knesset - Mar. 28, 2006

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