While media tend to fixate on a set number of agenda-driven issues when it comes to Israel, the resilience of the Jewish state’s democracy is taken for granted. Israel’s parliamentary system is older than those of half of the democracies in the world. In a region characterized by authoritarian regimes, the persistence of Israel’s vibrant experiment in democratic rule is no mere happenstance.
No doubt, Israeli democracy is a complicated attempt at getting representative government right. But the quirks and inconsistencies that define it are not unique. As Winston Churchill famously said: “No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”
So what makes Israel’s democracy tick? On the eve of a fourth national election in less than two years, below are some examples that highlight key elements related to the Jewish state’s political system.
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Constitutional Revolution Without a Constitution: The State of Israel was established without a formal constitution, the development of which was outlined in the country’s Declaration of Independence. However, in 1992 the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, adopted two Basic Laws dealing with human rights. The Supreme Court has since utilized them as a platform for ensuring that the rights of all Israelis are upheld.
Rock the Vote: In total, there are around 6 million eligible voters in Israel. During the three last elections, voter turnout grew consistently, from 68.4 percent in April 2019 to 71.5 percent in the March 2020 election. Clearly, Israelis of every background are deeply concerned and care about their home. As a result, most citizens exercise their right to shape the country’s path forward.
Sky’s the Limit: Drones will be utilized by the Central Elections Committee on Tuesday to monitor lines at 751 special polling stations across the country that will be used exclusively by those either infected with COVID-19 or who are in forced isolation. If the drones detect that the lines are too long, voters will be sent to other polling stations. In addition, vans and taxis will be taking the sick and quarantined to vote.
First Time Voting: Early voting for Israeli diplomats and staff at the Israeli missions abroad started earlier this month. Approximately 4,000 Israelis were given the opportunity to cast a ballot at more than 100 polling stations erected at some 100 missions worldwide. For the first time ever, votes were cast in Morocco, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
A Knesset of a 120 Stars? Over the last few years, the composition of the Knesset has undergone an extreme makeover. Increasingly, former television personalities and journalists and other famous faces have joined the Israeli political echelon. For better or worse, this appears to be a trend towards personalizing Israeli politics, whereby the familiarity and likeability of candidates can at times be a greater defining factor than their party’s platform.
Israeli Democracy Ranks High: Freedom House’s 2019 Freedom in the World report gave Israel 13 out of 16 points for ‘political pluralism and participation,’ a perfect score for ‘electoral process,’ and 10 out of a possible 12 for ‘functioning of government.’
American Connection to Israel’s Declaration of Independence: The 1776 US Declaration of Independence served as a reference point for the drafting of the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948. First drafted by Mordechai Beham, the Jewish state’s founding document adopted the United States’ original focus on human values, national identity, and belief in God.
Some of the Happiest Voters on Earth: Despite recent political uncertainty, Israel ranked high on the World Happiness Report 2021. The survey specifically measures the ability of a country and society to provide citizens with, among other things, a sense of freedom – with respect to speech, movement and action – and the feeling of belonging to a nation with which they identify with and trust.
Most Unpredictable Election Ever? Even by Israeli standards, Tuesday’s election is replete with unknowns, a primary reason for it being so compelling. A record number of undecided voters; an unprecedented number of parties teetering on the 3.25 percent electoral threshold; the COVID-19 factor; and the possibility of election fatigue together add up to a lot of uncertainty. The outcome is, at this point, anyone’s guess.
That said, Israelis are most fortunate, exercising their right to have their voices heard and help direct the course of the Jewish state’s future.
On March 23, every Israeli will win.
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