Israeli generals in the policy

His advisers had chosen the strategically important vantage point, Mizpeh of Ronen, of the one has a good Overview of areas in the neighboring country Syria and the city of Quneitra. From this hill, Benny Gantz promised that Israel would give up the Golan heights, never. On the contrary, It will settle in the Region of the poet and to international recognition as part of Israel's insistence. Israel had conquered the Golan heights in the six day war in 1967, Syria, and in 1981 annexed.

It was a staging: Gantz as a field commander on a hill, flanked by two other Ex-Army chief, Moshe Yaalon, and Gabi Ashkenazi. The Fourth of the bunch and the Only one without a military career, Yair Lapid, took off his brown leather jacket visually, the black-clad Ex-generals. You lead the blue-and-white Alliance, according to polls, chances of the elections on may 9. To win April. Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu from the right-wing nationalist Likud is not only faced with charges for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three cases of corruption, but for the first Time in years, with a serious Challenger.

security is in addition to the allegations of corruption, Netanyahu is currently the only topic in the election campaign. The tensions with the Palestinians to take in these days: in the West Bank, along the Gaza strip and on the temple mount in Jerusalem. The fragile relationship to the neighboring States. Only with Egypt and Jordan, Israel has a peace Treaty. The relations with Lebanon and Syria are tense, Israel wants to prevent a spread of the Iran with air attacks. Gantz, who was until three years ago, as chief of staff of the Supreme military leader, knows all of these challenges. As a politician, Gantz is trying to convey to voters the impression of leadership, strength and security. This also includes the assurance that the Golan heights will not be abandoned by him.

In the past few decades,
were with Rabin, Barak and Sharon, three Ex-generals of the Prime Minister.

In the new party program, which was released on Wednesday evening, included other well-known positions, which also represents the Likud party. Although the 45-page paper contains the proposal, negotiations with the Palestinians, but there is no reference to a two-state solution. Rather, it means: "The Jordan valley will be Israel's Eastern security." An evacuation of Jewish settlements in the West Bank once the Gaza strip in 2005, the blue-and-white Alliance rejects explicitly: "We will strengthen the settlement blocks and a normal life to all the places where Israelis live," it says in the program. Thus, the possibility of annexation is indicated. In addition, Jerusalem is the "unified capital of Israel". The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as a capital for their state.

In the security policy to the politicians mutant generals appear as a Hardliner, in the company's policies will be represented according to the program, but liberal positions: more rights for homosexuals, more public transport and more open stores on Shabbat, as well as the convening of ultra-Orthodox for military service.

The new Alliance has positioned itself on the first four list seats, three former army chiefs – for the Israeli political scientist Ofer Kenig is a smart move: "The only way to challenge the right-wing government of Netanyahu to try to convince moderate the rights of voters to move more in the direction of the centre. The concentration of so many Ex-at the top is a wise strategy is to generals." Kenig, a researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute, points out that security for the average citizen was the most important issue. "The presence of politicians with a poor background is not a new phenomenon in Israel. Politicians with a military career had always been part of the political landscape."

For Kenig "are left-wing and center-left parties even more dependent on the presence of candidates with a career in the army".

In the past few decades, with Yitzhak Rabin, Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon are three Ex-generals, Ministers were presidents. Sharon, between 2001 and 2006, the Premier, was involved up to the Yom Kippur war in 1973, all military conflicts of the Israeli army, mostly in leadership position. The hardliners emerging politicians of the Likud and the Kadima party surprised, however, as he was in 2005 the command for the evacuation of all Jewish settlements in the Gaza strip.

For Kenig "are left-wing and center-left parties even more dependent on the presence of candidates with a career in the army". The labour party Awoda has heaved with Tal Russo, another Ex-General to place on the list for the election in April. Because the perception in the Public that politicians who do not belong to the right camp, be more willing to negotiate for peace, says Kenig: "If Israeli voters consider to support these views, then they feel safer, when in these parties, people are able to deal with challenges in the area of security."

Until 1977, left-wing Prime Minister

In the first 29 years after the Foundation of the state only politicians of the labour party, the Prime Minister and the fortunes of the country. With Menachem Begin of the Likud came in 1977. "The only elections, which was able to win the Left since then, were candidates, the former Army chief-of -: in 1992, Rabin and in 1999, Barak. Military experience is a formula for success. To have a Ex-General as its candidate for Prime Minister, increases the chances of Election," says Kenig.

With Rabin and Barak combines the current Netanyahu-Challenger Gantz, that each of them was once chief of the General staff. With a other predecessor, he does not prefer to be compared to: Amnon Lipkin-Shahak was the end of the nineties as the most promising Challenger to Netanyahu, but tripped over his own mistakes. The race was finally Barak won the 1999 election and Netanyahu after his first term in office as head of government was replaced. But in Israel is not discussed, a comparison with Barak, but the question of whether Gantz as head of the government would be more likely to act in the Tradition of Rabin and Sharon, who was apart from the settlers ' withdrawal from Gaza with no concessions to the Palestinians ready.

most of Gantz’ 19 predecessors as chief of the General staff has moved into the policy: Eleven members of Parliament in the Knesset, ten Ministers, two Minister-presidents were. Only three have to go to the end of their military career, the temptation in politics to resist.

generals That is, a concentration of Ex-as in the blue-white Alliance of the democratic and civil norms in Israel, endanger, this danger looks Kenig – "neither as a citizen nor as a political scientist," as he stresses: "It is not the risk that there could be a military coup in Israel." Since 2007, a law in Israel, that between the exit from the army and entry into politics three years. "This reduces the risk that military interests are transferred into the policy."

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 07.03.2019, 21:43 PM