Comments on: Israeli election, view from a Shas driver’s seat

By: Steve Brizel

Steve Brizel — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 22:30:04 +0000

Just curious-would the author be able to give a rough estimate of whether Shas won votes at the expense of its UTJ or Mafdal?

By: Shira Schmidt

Shira Schmidt — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 19:29:41 +0000

Rosh Hodesh Nissan
Seems that today Shas went down to 12 seats, because the soldiers’ votes were counted and factored in.
The reason the Pensioners’ Party got so many votes, and other election results, is explained in two articles from Haaretz. Avirama Golan writes about the Pensioners and how that success has many negative ramifications and is a “bubble party” for many who wanted a trendy place to cast their floating vote. See “The Pensioners’ Party:Compassion, Inc.”
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/700352.html

Shahar Ilan, who is usually anti-religious, writes rather mildly about Shas, the Pensioners, and others in “Things are Different when it Comes to Shas”
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects/pages/PrintArticleEn.jhtml?itemNo=700320
Now back to Pesah cleaning. Hodesh tov.

By: Perplexed

Perplexed — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 14:24:44 +0000

KOl Hakovod to Shas they ran on a social platform to help the poor and the elderly and you see people were impressed and went out to vote for them and they increased their existing numbers. I wish the the UTJ would learn from them. You see even the seculare party Labor did well because of the platform they ran on.

I am not point fault at the gedolei Yisrael but at the members of the UTJ party themselves of the UTJ party itself. i am amazed that the pensioners were able to get 7 seats and UTJ could only garner 6. Perhaps the english speaking spoke person Rav Rosenblum could expalin what it it is with UTJ that they behave in such a matter that people do not go out to vote for them.

Sincerely,

By: yaak

yaak — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 23:37:39 +0000

Hizki Uvirchi, Shira!
It’s nice to know that someone in the media stands up for R’ Ovadia and Shas.