Knesset Coalitions

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  • #608529
    simcha613
    Participant

    Why is the law in Israel that the winning party must form a coalition? I understand why a party would want to form a coalition and make alliances, but why is it necessary legally? Why can’t the law be that the party that wins the most seats gets the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister gets to form his cabinet, and the Knesset is then made up of all the different parties… as opposed to a coalition and an opposition (which pretty much has no say) filled with parties that have to compromise their ideology. If the winning party and Prime Minister can make alliances, that’s great. But if he can’t, why should that force new elections? Why can’t there be a government of parties without a coalition?

    #935874
    ubiquitin
    Participant

    Its a more Democratic way for the govt to be forced to follow the will of the people. The Prime minister cant just do what he or even his party wants for the duration of his term he need support of opposing parties and thus needs to grant some of their desires as well.

    The US on the other hand, essentially elects a dictator for 4 years (consider the fact that no President was ever removed from office during his term no matter how low their approval ratings may have been). The President can pretty much do as he pleases (to a certain extent) throughout his 4 years no matter how unpopular they may be. Think About Obama’s possible kill list or Bush maintaining the IRaq war when it was wildly unpopular. In most democratic countries includig Israel Bush’s govt would’ve collapsed once the war was unpopular.

    #935875
    mdd
    Member

    If the winning party got a majority of seats in the Knesset — no need for a coalition. Would you want the biggest winner who got only,let’s say, 29 seats to form a government and do as they please?

    #935876
    simcha613
    Participant

    Not do as they please, they just can form the cabinet (and if they want to make deals to give other parties cabinet posts, they can do that too). Other than that, every issue is put to a vote and majority wins. Why do you need a coalition for that? The winning party may not win on every issue, is that such a problem? Do you really need a coalition to run the government?

    #935877
    Torah613Torah
    Participant

    It’s because there are so many factions in Israel. It’s the only way to adequately represent all factions. No one is happy with it, but no one can think of a better solution either.

    #935878
    ukguyinEY
    Participant

    In england it also works like that (and most other countries) if 1 party doesn’t get over 50percent of the vote a coalition has to be made which will then be over 50 percent.

    The reason is because if there is no agreed coalition no law will ever be able to be passed because all the other parties will vote against the law.

    However with a coalition they all give in a bit to each others demands and in turn they agree to work and vote together.

    #935879
    akuperma
    Participant

    The Israelis have been experimenting with a variety of formulas – largely as a result of the desire of the secular parties to minimize the influence of the religious.

    Israel has a parliamentary system meaning that the government is run by the party or coalition controlling the parliament. It doesn’t have to be the largest party, and after the previous election it was the party with the second highest totals that was able to form a majority government. An advantage of a parliamentary system is that the legislature and the executive always work together, without gridlock (as opposed to he USA, with an executive chosen separately from the legislature). The Israeli experimented with a system by which the prime minister was chosen is a separate ballot, and they ended up with a prime minister from one party and a kenesset dominated by the opposition – which doesn’t work in a parliamentary system. Some Israelis have preferred a “strong president” system such as the USA, but that could lead to a new set of problems.

    In addition Israel uses proportional representation, which is reasonable given Jewish history (we always try to be inclusive, rather than preferring to have a ruling group and ignoring the rest). Thus no party gets a majority. However for the period 1948-1977 the socialist parties usually had majority, and from 1977-2013 the nationalist parties usually had a majority. Since the hareidim are being kicked out of the “nationalist” camp, it isn’t clear will be in the future.

    #935880
    147
    Participant

    In england it also works like that (and most other countries) if 1 party doesn’t get over 50percent of the vote a coalition has to be made which will then be over 50 percent.

    In 1974 the party without the popular vote, got more seats in Parliament, and became Prime Minister.

    It was so untenable, that within a few months, a new election was called. But someone can become the British Prime Minister even without 50% of the popular vote, as long as s/he has over 50% of the seats in Parliament.

    Meanwhile, both Lapid & Bennett better begin fearing for their Olom haBo, let alone for what might transpire in the next Knesset election.

    #935881
    Health
    Participant

    147 -“Meanwhile, both Lapid & Bennett better begin fearing for their Olom haBo, let alone for what might transpire in the next Knesset election.”

    HUH?!?! What do you mean? I thought Zionists like you agree with these guy’s policies.

    #935882
    charliehall
    Participant

    “Why is the law in Israel that the winning party must form a coalition?”

    It isn’t. Tzipi Livni won the last election, with one more MK, but Netanyahu got to form the government.

    #935883
    147
    Participant

    Health:- I am in cohort with the Zionists who run & fill up the Hesder Yeshivos, and promulgate Limud haTorah.

    Thanks to my extra trip to Israel this year to show moral support to Medinat Yisroel, I was Zoche to be by the Kever of hoRav Chaim Yaakov Goldvicht ZTKLH’H, the founder of this wonderful Hesder program, on his 18th Johrzeit, on Zayin Adar hoRishon.

    Needless to say, we learn Torh “al Menos Lishmor” which includes giving thanks to hasHem for the wonderful miracles of Medinat Yisroel [almost 6&1/2 decades ago] and for the Liberation of the Kossel almost 46 years ago, and KaDas vChoDin thanking being by means of Hallel recital.

    Furthermore, we Zionists are staunchly opposed to transportation on Shabbos [other than an ambulance or fire engine in case of danger to human life, as we just recently studied in 16th Perek of Tractate Shabbos, whose Siyum was this weekend], as well as no non Halachic compliant marriages, a very strong difference from Lapid’s desires.

    Furthermore, even Shas is now very strongly in favor of the “haTikvah” song, as was recently reported on YWN.

    #935884
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    147 -“Meanwhile, both Lapid & Bennett better begin fearing for their Olom haBo, let alone for what might transpire in the next Knesset election.”

    HUH?!?! What do you mean? I thought Zionists like you agree with these guy’s policies.

    Health, many Dati Leumi rabbonim have expressed great pain at what Bennet and Lapid are trying to do, despite these rabbonim’s differences with chareidi hashkafos.

    It is obvious to many, even not in the chareidi camp, that “share the burden” is just an excuse; they are trying to destroy Torah.

    #935885
    147
    Participant

    that “share the burden” is just an excuse; they are trying to destroy Torah. This is blatant clear cut, because according to Lapid’s theorem, then even Arabs should be inducted into the army, so taht everyone mist share equal burden according to him.

    Fortunately, even the army big shots know, that they cannot possibly absorb all the Chareidim, and that this would be rotten strategic planning for the army.

    #935886
    Health
    Participant

    147 -“Health:- I am in cohort with the Zionists who run & fill up the Hesder Yeshivos, and promulgate Limud haTorah.

    Meanwhile, both Lapid & Bennett better begin fearing for their Olom haBo, let alone for what might transpire in the next Knesset election.

    Furthermore, we Zionists are staunchly opposed to transportation on Shabbos [other than an ambulance or fire engine in case of danger to human life, as we just recently studied in 16th Perek of Tractate Shabbos, whose Siyum was this weekend], as well as no non Halachic compliant marriages, a very strong difference from Lapid’s desires.”

    Hypocrisy at it’s finest! So why did the “Frum” Mizrachists vote for Bennett? He wasn’t hiding any of his plans. I think the reason is because the “Frum” Mizrachists got blinded with his “Share the burden” plan that they weren’t paying attention to anything else he was planning to do.

    #935887
    About Time
    Participant

    The greatest tragedy of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is that everyone knows how it will end. We will divide up the region. Israel will return most of the West Bank, and the Palestinian flag will fly on public buildings in East Jerusalem.

    The only unanswered question is how many more people will have to die along the way. And so we will fight against the extremists on both sides, including our extremists, the settlers.

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