The curious absence of the Israeli elections in US mainstream media

Maasanova

Americans aren't known for their support for many things outside of their country, but their support, and especially American politicians' support for Israel is legendary. The Israeli press and Zionist organizations like to regularly concoct polls that show this overwhelming American support and rub it in the faces of the rest of the world. But for all of this alleged support of Israel, the mainstream tv outlets and all the talking heads in America, both Republicans and Democrats alike neglected to even mention the Israeli elections.

Some background on how the election works in Israel: after the results of the election are formally published in a week's time, President Shimon Peres will consult the leaders of all parties and will choose one to form a coalition. Whoever is chosen will have 42 days to form a coalition. In the past, the president has always turned to the leader of the largest party, though the law does allow him to turn to others if they are more likely to form a majority.

With all of the recent US media coverage of the slaughter of over 1300 Palestinians during Operation: Cast Lead, you would think that the mainstream media would have been more than keen to cover such an important election of its best ally. There was no American media coverage at the deadlocked election results. There was no media grandstanding even as Israel could have elected Tzipi Livni as it's first female prime minister. The return of the US educated, former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to generate even the slightest bit of coverage, even though he will most likely emerge as prime minister of Israel.

The American media didn't even feel it necessary to cover the it's favorite topic: racism. By covering the anti-Arab Avigdor Lieberman and the rise of his ultra-nationalist party, Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Is Our Home), Americans could have been given some insight as to how a country that supposedly shares our values promote a leader that is openly racist. Lieberman, a former nightclub owner and Russian immigrant regularly and openly threatens Arab leaders , and once proposed that Israel "should fight Hamas just like the United States did with the Japanese in World War II," which I'm assuming means to genocide the Palestinians.

In the beginning of the 2008 US election season, the entire world follwed the US elections and Israel was no different. Haaretz.com's panel, the Israel Factor, tracked the progression of the politicians' campaigns, not for how the would benefit the US or the rest of the world, but how good or bad the politicians would be for Israel if elected. Not what would be good for America, but good for Israel.

Surprisingly, before his AIPAC speech and before prominent Jews threw their support behind him, President Obama ranked the lowest out of all frontrunning candidates in the Israel Factor panel. Rudy Giuliani, who ran the most disastrous campaign of all presidential candidates, ranked at the top of who would be most beneficial to Israeli interests.

But the question that Americans should be asking themselves is "why is the US so apathetic when it comes to the knowledge of the relationship between the US and Israel? Why would Israel hold such a large stake in the outcome of the election of the President of the United States when the average American doesn't seem to care about the Israeli elections or the dangerous manner in which the Israeli government is conneted to the American government?

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Comment by truth on February 12, 2009 at 12:44am

Israeli rivals claim election win

Both Tzipi Livni and Benjamin Netanyahu held rallies at which they each claimed victory

The leaders of Israel's two main parties have claimed victory in an early general election.

With almost all the votes counted, the governing centrist Kadima has 28 seats and the right-wing Likud opposition 27, election officials said.

Kadima's Tzipi Livni told supporters she was ready to lead the country. But Likud's Benjamin Netanyahu said the "nationalist camp" had won.

Both need coalition partners. Ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu came third.

Benjamin Netanyahu addresses Likud supporters at the party's headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israel, 11 February 2009

With God's help I will lead the next government

Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu

Horse-trading begins

Highs and lows of election drama

In pictures: Outcome of vote

The results - if confirmed - push the Labour party led by Defence Minister Ehud Barak into an unprecedented fourth place.

Final results will come within days.

Likud had held a solid lead in opinion polls prior to the election, but Kadima closed the gap in the final days.

Cheers erupted at Kadima's headquarters as the exit polls were announced on Israeli TV.

"Today the people chose Kadima," Ms Livni later told crowds of ecstatic supporters.

"The land of Israel does not belong to the right, just as peace does not belong to the left."

Ms Livni appealed to Mr Netanyahu to join a national unity government that she would lead.

Kingmaker

The strong showing by right-wing rivals will make it difficult for Ms Livni to form a coalition government, analysts say.

Several smaller parties, whose support Ms Livni would need, are opposed to some of her policies, especially her pledge to exchange land for peace with the Palestinians.

Israelis define their politics according to their views on the conflict with the Palestinians

Jeremy Bowen's Election Diary

Send us your comments

Mr Netanyahu claimed victory, saying a Likud-led coalition would lead Israel.

"With God's help I will lead the next government," he told cheering crowds at Likud's Tel Aviv headquarters.

On the basis of the exit polls, analysts predict that Likud and various nationalist parties will between them control 65 of 120 seats in the Knesset.

BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says the closeness of the forecasted result is in many ways the worst outcome for Israeli democracy, as it sets the scene for days and probably weeks of fractious political horse-trading.

Likud looks to have already sewn up a deal with the strongest of the Orthodox Jewish religious parties - Shas - ahead of the election, our correspondent adds.

Corruption probe

Once the final results are in, President Shimon Peres will consult with party leaders to determine who among them stands the best chance of forming a coalition government, but he does not have to choose the leader of the largest party.

The chosen party leader has then up to 42 days to form a coalition. If the attempt fails, Mr Peres can ask another leader to assume the task.

Much will depend upon what the Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Lieberman tells the president, and which way he leans may be decisive in determining who is the first to be asked to try to form a coalition government, our correspondent says.

Elections were called early after Ms Livni failed to form a new government following Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's decision to step down last year amid a corruption probe against him.

Mr Olmert will stay on as caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed.

The election has been dominated by security issues following Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip controlled by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Although its rival in the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority, has not expressed preference for any candidate, senior negotiator Saeb Erakat expressed dismay right-wing parties that oppose the traditional land-for-peace formula had performed so well.

"It is obvious the Israelis have voted to paralyse the peace process," he said.

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