This election belongs to the new brand of “All Israeli Heroes”

So much for the election gurus…  I wonder if they have a refund policy.

As soon as the election was announced both Shelly Yachimovich and Bibi grabbed their mobiles, pressed speed dial and called upon their respective “ election gurus”, Stanley Greenberg and Alan Finkelstein, “ It’s on, get yourself over here”, or something to that effect.

And so they arrived, the world’s foremost political consultants with their, off the shelf, Ikea like, build it yourself, “how to win an election” strategies. 

The only problem is that these so called experts displayed little or no understanding of the unique nature or political dynamics of the Israeli electorate.  As a result both parties ran woefully inept campaigns and paid the price at the ballot box.

Yes, yes, Bibi will be Prime Minister yet again however he is hardly celebrating.  He is in fact, licking his wounds after receiving somewhat of a hiding from an electorate tired and frustrated of the same old politics. A campaign based upon the strength and achievements of Bibi and the Likud over the past four years, was always going to be a stretch, given that for most Israelis life has become much harder on all fronts during the course of this past parliament.  Scaring them into voting for Likud Beitenu was, well, cynical at best.

Then there was the decision to attack Naftali Bennett and the Bayit HaYehudi which somewhat boomeranged, providing Bennett with added credibility in the eyes of the many settlers and disenchanted, right wing Likud supporters who felt let down and who began to see Bennett as a viable alternative.   Then again, Likud’s lurch to the right in its primaries had eroded its appeal to many traditional Likud supporters of a more centrist nature.  Then along comes Yair Lapid and his Yesh Atid party with his slick brand of centre right politics; to offer them a potential new home.

Shelly also had her own problems.  The Likud primaries had gifted Labour with a golden opportunity to take back the centre of Israel politics.  Unfortunately, this opportunity was right and royally squandered.  Her focus on economic and social issues was at first well received, however her failure to recognise that these issues and those of security and diplomacy are inextricably linked in Israel; was perhaps her greatest failure.   A talented and accomplished parliamentarian, at no time was Shelly able to present herself as Prime Minister material or as a viable alternative to Bibi.

Her refusal to allow any of her team to share the limelight during the campaign also cost the party dear.  The Labour list is perhaps the strongest of all the parties however Shelly’s deep set insecurity and refusal to share the stage with any of her team weakened the party further in the eyes of the electorate.   Her last minute decision to publicly state that she would not sit in a “Bibi” led coalition was too little too late. 

Shelly was unable to alter the public perception of a Labour party short on ideas, where the only message coming from Shelly was “Stop Bibi”, which while perhaps an attractive prospect  to many does not constitute strong policies.  Bottom line, the public perceives that the Labour party does not believe in its leader or in what it is selling.   Perhaps the greater problem for Labour is that it no longer believes that the public will in fact buy what it does believe in.

Conversely the success stories of the elections were the only two parties who actually ran positive campaigns, both lead by political novices.  Taking into account that in the age of reality TV and sound bites, new faces were always going to appeal, both leaders displayed the one thing that the country is crying out for overall, leadership.

While the tried and tested, so called experienced politicians floundered, heavily relying on polls and then reacting to what they thought the public wanted to hear, both Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid and Naftali Bennett of Bayit HaYehudi set out their stalls and stuck to their guns.  They both ran positive campaigns and rightly chose to ignore the polls.  The Israeli people responded in kind.

Both Lapid and Bennet are perhaps two examples of the modern Israeli hero, the “Israeli dream”, if you will.

Lapid, 49 years old; is a media celebrity with an impressive record of success as a TV anchor and journalist, as well as actor, writer.  He is perhaps one of the best known and most popular celebrities in the country, where his entry into politics was well documented and much anticipated.

Bennett, 40 is less well known, although perhaps not anymore.  However as a soldier in the elite Sayeret  Matkal unit (Israeli Special Forces ) and a self-made high tech millionaire, Bennett is just as impressive and credible a character in the eyes of the public.

Two nice Jewish boys, any mother could be proud of.

So both are accomplished individuals in their own rights and they ran very effective campaigns, both in their positivity, as well as in their presentation and use of the media, particularly the internet.  Bennett’s campaign was especially effective, given his lack of profile and the traditional image of the National Religious movement.

The key element however to the success of both in addition to their leadership is their passion and dedication to their respective agendas.  This is politics at its best.  It is crystal clear to the Israeli people that here we have two individuals who wholly believe in their respective agendas.

More than the slick campaigns, more than the impressive CVs, the most powerful element and that which resonated most with the Israeli public; is that they both come across as the genuine article.  We believe them.   There is a refreshing lack of cynicism and an apparent realisation that as those who would presume to lead the country, their role is to serve the people and not their own interests, which let’s face it would make a refreshing change.   

One can only hope that this is carried through into their political lives and is as genuine as it currently appears.  Let me state clearly that I have more than a few problems with Bayit HaYehudi’s agenda, especially amongst the more extreme elements.  I also take issue with a number of Yesh Atid’s positions. However, whether we agree or not with their policies, we must surely celebrate and welcome the return of passion and ideology to the political stage.

To its credit, the Israeli public surprised us all.  It has sent a clear message to those who would see themselves as our leaders.  It has rejected the politics of recent years.  It has rejected the back door deals and extortion of the special interests.  It has said no to the self-interest of individuals put ahead of that of the country.  The vast majority have also rejected the fractious nature of Israeli society. 

Yes they voted with their pockets and looked to those who might improve their personal situation, however they also took a view on who might indeed be able to improve the state of the nation overall, which in the end benefits us all.

Whether leaning more to the left or the right, most Israelis declared their desire to see a new kind of government which represents the interests of all its people in as fair and equitable a manner as possible.

The Israeli people are cynical and jaded when it comes to politics and they have shown courage and character, the cynics will say desperation; in electing new and untried faces to the 19th Knesset.  One can only hope that these new faces will live up to this awesome responsibility and deliver on at least some of their promises.

And yes, a workable system of government would be a great help too…  So we start with the people and then the system.