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MEMORANDUM
To: Rabbis, Synagogue Leaders, Key Contacts
From: Richard B. Stone, Chairman
Betty Ehrenberg, Director, International and Communal Affairs
Re: Israel Election Update, November 2002
On November 5, 2002, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon petitioned
President of Israel Moshe Katzav to dissolve the 15th Knesset,
thus forcing early elections within 90 days. As you know, Israel
is a Parliamentary democracy and the public votes for parties. In
1996, the Knesset voted to change the system and divided the vote
for Prime Minister from that of Members of Knesset. After two such
elections, the Knesset voted to change the law back to the former
system last year.
Some points pertaining to the 2003 elections:
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Elections
will be held prior to February 5, 2003.
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Parties must
submit a list of candidates for the Knesset by December 20th,
2002.
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The Likud
primaries are expected to be held within a month of the call for
new elections. Approximately 305,000 Likud members are eligible to
vote in the party primaries.
-
Labor Parties
primaries will be held on November 19th, 2002. Approximately
113,000 Labor Party members are eligible to vote in the primaries.
General
Facts about Israeli Elections:
-
All 120 seats
of the Knesset are determined in these elections.
-
Israelis vote
for a party, not an individual, by secret ballot.
-
Knesset seats
are distributed according to the percentage of votes each party
receives. This is called proportional representation.
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Knesset
elections are scheduled for every four years, but early elections
can be held if:
- The government loses a no-confidence
vote in the Knesset
- The Prime Minister asks the President
to dissolve the Knesset.
- The Knesset votes to dissolve itself.
- The budget fails to pass within three
months of the start of the fiscal year.
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Only parties
that receive a minimum of 1.5% of the votes will receive Knesset
seats.
-
Israeli
parties compile a list of candidates as a result of party
primaries called party lists.
-
Only
registered party members can participate in the party primaries.
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The head of
the party list that receives the most votes is asked to form the
government. If he is successful, he becomes Prime Minister.
-
Parties may
join in coalition and present combined lists for voter
consideration.
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The Israeli
President can postpone elections in case of a national emergency.
The 1973 elections were postponed due to war.
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The current
Prime Minister and his Cabinet will govern the country until the
next government is formed following the elections. It cannot be
brought down by a no-confidence vote in the Knesset prior to that
time.
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A government
is formed when a party wins 61 of 120 seats on its own or forms a
coalition with other parties to reach that number.
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A National
Unity government is formed if Labor and Likud form a coalition.
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Political
parties are provided free television time by the government. All
political television time is suspended 48 hours prior to
elections.
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All political
polling must be suspended 24 hours prior to the beginning of
voting.
For more
information, please call (212) 613-8124.
RBS
BE
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