Comments on: Israeli Elections: Whither the Charedi Parties?

By: David Brand

David Brand — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 16:50:12 +0000

As to Israeli Charedim feeling left out, I think another factor is that there’s a feeling that the only people who really benefit from Israeli politics are those who have “Proteksia”. Yet another might be the lasting effects of Socialism, where a very few made the rules for everyone else. That makes individuals feel that they have a very small ability (if any)to have any type of impact. Of course, we do not have the same ideas in America, and it is more natural for us to feel an obligation to get involved and to feel that we can make a difference by participating.

By: Perplexed

Perplexed — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 14:55:24 +0000

“Voting is something chareidim do because the gedolim tell them to do. But for some, it seems, that is no longer enough. ”

I find this to be very insulting.

If this is a true statement then most people are not Charedim.

By: Perplexed

Perplexed — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 08:06:34 +0000

Toby Katz
“Maybe the child support payments should be phased out”
They started phasing them out how is is this going to help anything?

By: Toby Katz

Toby Katz — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 05:34:58 +0000

Maybe the child support payments should be phased out.

By: Yisrael Moshe

Yisrael Moshe — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 17:53:14 +0000

If the representative of the Chassidic groups had a lower spot on the list, shouldn’t that have encouraged the Chassidim to vote?

By: david

david — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 15:20:25 +0000

Wasn’t there an effort a little while ago to form a charedi working people’s party? What ever happened to that?

By: Bob Miller

Bob Miller — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 12:52:43 +0000

Parties should speak and act as if they were ready to step up to direct national policy. The religious parties have to express their visions and action plans for the nation as a whole, to show that their candidates are more than lobbyists.

Closer relations between the leadership and the constituents would be easier to accomplish if Knesset members were elected by district. The at-large election system fosters a lack of accountability.

The voter also has a personal responsibility to become informed and involved.
“Some folks don’t understand it. That’s why they don’t demand it.”