This was a poster published by the Progressive Party in the run-up to the second national Israeli elections in 1951. In the centre of this very colourful poster is the word בעד, which means “in favour of,” and it is followed by the words “social stability” and “political responsibility,” two central slogans of this political party. Underneath these slogans is the letterפ , the initial letter of the Progressive Party. On the right and left side, accompanied by the word נגד which means “against,” is the party’s criticism of the two opposing parties – Mapai and the General Zionists. On the right-hand side, the text reads “against Key political factionism” and the letter א representing Mapai is depicted inside a circle of people dancing around a key, representing the fact that jobs were secured according to Mapai’s control of employment and the civil service. On the left-hand side the text reads “against the Golden Calf” and the letter צ representing the General Zionists is depicted inside a circle of people dancing around piles of money. This is the Progressive Party’s critique of the other parties standing in the 1951 election: Mapai for their tendency to hand out jobs and resources according to political considerations, and the General Zionists for their prioritization of money over all other considerations.
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The Progressive Party - The Progressive Party was a centrist-liberal party headed by Pinchas Rosen, which won four seats in the 1951 election. In 1960, the Progressive Party combined with the General Zionists to form the Liberal Party, which won seventeen seats in 1961. In the ensuing years, this party combined with other parties and created the Likud Party.
Connection to Parashat Ki Tisa
Parashat Ki Tisa details the episode of the Golden Calf, when the Jewish People, impatiently awaiting Moses’ return from Mount Sinai, demand Aharon to create gods to replace him.
Aharon collects the people’s golden jewellery, throws it into a fire, and creates a Golden Calf. On his return, Moses sees the people worshipping the Golden Calf and smashes the Ten Commandments in anger.
As can be seen in this poster, the Golden Calf is often used as a metaphor for people who worship money and riches.
