Election Chronicles > Core Issues > On the Agenda

On the Agenda

 

Four core issues facilitate presentation of the abundant election materials brought to this project by the National Library and partners: economy, religion and state, social agenda, and peace and security. These concerns have remained central to the State of Israel and its citizens throughout its history: the Arab-Israeli conflict, economic policy, social struggles and tensions regarding religion and state. While these issues have been on the Israeli agenda for decades, they tend to surface with renewed vigor during election campaigns, when conflicts between approaches, ideologies, platforms and programs, as represented by the various parties, are about to determine the outcome.
 
One or more of these core issues is addressed in relation to each election campaign, with a view to emphasizing its impact on the public at a given moment in time. The historical materials reiterate the continued relevance of the issues, albeit in different styles, language, and contexts.
 

 
ליכוד 1984 
 

 

All Elections
1949 •​ 1951​ •​ 1955 •​ 1959 •​ ​1961 •​​ 1965​ •​​ 1969 •​​ 1973 •​​ 1977 •​​ 1981

 

1984​ •​​ 1988​​​ •​​ 1992​ •​​ 1996​​ •​​ 1999​​ •​​ 2001​​ •​​​​ 2003​​ •​​​ 2006 •​​​​ 2009​​

  

 

 

 
המערך 1984 
 
 
The State of Israel was established in May 1948, at the height of the War of Independence. Some existing public organizations became official organs of the young state. Other functions had to be set up in the early years. David Ben Gurion's ruling party was primarily socialist in its ideology. This shaped its handling of affairs in the state, which found itself absorbing enormous numbers of immigrants. From the beginning, there were several ideologies at play in the Israeli arena. Under the British, there had been a fairly free economy, and this remained in place after the establishment of the state. Thus, alongside the socialist principles of centralized planning and uniform (to the degree possible) distribution of resources, the market economy had a firm footing.
 
There was much talk among the first generation after the establishment of the state regarding the need for economic self-sufficiency and for the state to meet its citizens' every need. This approach corresponded to the government-backed drive for large-scale industrialization, which was particularly directed at areas where new immigrants were settled. Over time, as Israel became part of the global economy, the quality of life went up and along with it individual expectations.
 
Given various economic crises that occurred in the history of the state, the two economic approaches became the focus of public debate, and political and civil struggle. Whether and to what extent the government should be involved in economic control were central questions. Another was whether Israel could afford to define itself as a free economy given the security constraints resulting from the complex political situation. These issues have featured prominently the Israeli agenda, and affected election campaigns, throughout the history of the state.​
מפלגת פועלי ארץ ישראל 1951
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All Elections
1949 •​ 1951​ •​ 1955 •​ 1959 •​ ​1961 •​​ 1965​ •​​ 1969 •​​ 1973 •​​ 1977 •​​ 1981

 

1984​ •​​ 1988​​​ •​​ 1992​ •​​ 1996​​ •​​ 1999​​ •​​ 2001​​ •​​​​ 2003​​ •​​​ 2006 •​​​​ 2009​​

  

 

 

 
Questions of religion and state have been on the agenda throughout the history of the State of Israel. Does Israel have to be a Jewish state in order to be a state for the Jews? What precisely is a Jewish state? Which aspects of the state' character and laws should be derived from Jewish religious tradition and which from modern western norms? How do the principles of European enlightenment apply to a state in which a significant sector of the population abides by rabbinic law, and privileges it over secular authority? Should Jews be entitled to automatic citizenship when they immigrate to Israel? Who determines who is a Jew? What are the relevant criteria?
 
These issues have been the focus of discourse and ideological debate for many years, the repercussion of which exceed the merely theoretical. Judaism's character as a religion of law, which dictates all aspects of the individual's life, gives rise to a series of tensions that have highly practical implications.

If the state requires mandatory education, how does this affect the children of observant Jews? If the state requires compulsory military service, does this apply to religious women? Will yeshiva students from sects that oppose the existence of the state also be drafted? How will the state handle the Sabbath and festivals? Will trade, public events and sports be permitted on the Sabbath? How will official representatives of the state behave with regard to observance of the Sabbath and dietary laws? Many questions of this nature, in various permutations, have occupied Israeli society over the years. More than a few have evolved into political issues. Since the inception of the Knesset, it has included representation of various religious sectors. Hence, almost every issue related to Jewish affairs or religious obligations is discussed in parliament and thus rendered political. The question of religion and state is inextricably interwoven with the mechanisms of the state. Some of the issues are resolved, perhaps temporarily, but new ones are continually arising, and old ones being revisited. Some constitute major electoral issues.
יהדות התורה 1996 
מרצ 1996מפדל 1981
 
 

 

 

All Elections
1949 •​ 1951​ •​ 1955 •​ 1959 •​ ​1961 •​​ 1965​ •​​ 1969 •​​ 1973 •​​ 1977 •​​ 1981

 

1984​ •​​ 1988​​​ •​​ 1992​ •​​ 1996​​ •​​ 1999​​ •​​ 2001​​ •​​​​ 2003​​ •​​​ 2006 •​​​​ 2009​​

  

 

 

Israeli society is extremely complex. It consists of immigrants from all over the world, people from different ethnic groups with different customs and languages, alongside the veteran locals, themselves a diverse mosaic of ethnic, religious and cultural identities. Clashing ambitions and customs have resulted in a state of constant social foment. As a democratic country, Israel excels at lively public debate in its uniquely crowded public arena.
The State of Israel is no stranger to social tensions. These are often triggered by competition over the division of national resources: How much state support should immigrants get? How much help should discharged soldiers get? How equitable is distribution of resources among minorities? To what extent should the state assist the weak, disabled, and elderly? What obligation does the state bear towards Holocaust survivors? These, and many other issues, are on the national agenda.
 

But distribution of resources is not the only bone of contention. Tensions between ethnic groups, perceptions of neglect and discrimination among eastern communities, the condescending attitude many immigrants encounter from representatives of the establishment, these too are issues that have been disputed since the establishment of the state.
 
Since Israel has no constitution, public discourse determines reality. Not infrequently, public discourse translates into social protest movements that pursue specific agendas. The protests give rise to political parties, or effect changes in existing political bodies. Thus, social protests dictate significant aspects of election campaigns for the Knesset. The Israeli social dynamic, freedom of expression and parliamentary tradition, along with the changing circumstances in and around the country, will continue to overlap Israeli election campaigns.

 

 
 

 

 

All Elections
1949 •​ 1951​ •​ 1955 •​ 1959 •​ ​1961 •​​ 1965​ •​​ 1969 •​​ 1973 •​​ 1977 •​​ 1981

 

1984​ •​​ 1988​​​ •​​ 1992​ •​​ 1996​​ •​​ 1999​​ •​​ 2001​​ •​​​​ 2003​​ •​​​ 2006 •​​​​ 2009​​

  

 

 

The Arab-Jewish conflict has persisted since the first Zionist Jewish settlement in Palestine. The State of Israel was established against the background of a struggle between Jews and Arabs within the country, and military offensives from five Arab countries that were aimed at thwarting the establishment of the young state.

Even after the War of Independence, the conflict never ceased to be a central axis of life in the State of Israel. The Arab countries and Muslim world in general, refused to accept the existence of a Jewish state in the Middle East. Time and again, the State of Israel faced threats from without: Palestinian intruders, border conflicts with Arab countries, and a significant existential threat on the eve of the Six-Day War in 1967.

Israel's triumphant victory in this war extended the borders of the state, but also created a situation in which Israel was controlling hundreds of thousands, even millions, of Palestinian Arabs. Now, more than ever before, the Arab-Israeli conflict was not between states, but a desperate struggle between two nations, or perhaps two nationalist movements.
Palestinian terror posed another challenge to the State of Israel, within its former borders, in the territories it had occupied in 1967, and the world over. In 1973, Syrian and Egyptian forces attacked the State of Israel

 

 

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All Elections
1949 •​ 1951​ •​ 1955 •​ 1959 •​ ​1961 •​​ 1965​ •​​ 1969 •​​ 1973 •​​ 1977 •​​ 1981

 

1984​ •​​ 1988​​​ •​​ 1992​ •​​ 1996​​ •​​ 1999​​ •​​ 2001​​ •​​​​ 2003​​ •​​​ 2006 •​​​​ 2009​​