Israel+elections

Israel Elections Feb. 18, 2009 =General Information and background = ·  **Procedure: ** Elections to the Knesset allocate 120 seats by party-list proportional representation, using the d'Hondt method. The election threshold for the 2006 election was set at 2% (up from 1.5% in previous elections), which is a little over two seats. After official results are published, the President of Israel delegates the task of forming a government to the Member of Knesset with the best chance of assembling a majority coalition (usually the leader of the largest party.) That designee has up to 42 days to negotiate with the different parties, and then present his government to the Knesset for a vote of confidence. Once the government is approved (by a vote of at least 61 members), he/she becomes Prime Minister. =2009 Parties and Results = ·  **Number of eligible voters in the 2009 Knesset elections: ** 5,278,985 ·  **Number of ballot boxes in Israel: ** 9,263, including 194 in hospitals and 56 in prisons ·  //**Voter turnout **////: // 65.2% ·  //**Number of votes cast **////: // 3,416,587 ·  //**Number of valid votes: **// 3,373,490 ·  //**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Number of invalid votes **////<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">: //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> 43,097 <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> 1. **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Kadima **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> is a centrist political party in Israel. It became the largest party in the Knesset after the 2006 elections, winning 29 of the 120 seats. The party is currently headed by Tzipi Livni. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> 2. **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Likud **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> is the major right-wing political party in Israel. Founded in 1973 as an alliance of several right-wing and liberal parties, Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had lost power. However, after ruling the country for most of the 1980s, the party has won only one Knesset election since 1992, though its candidate, Binyamin Netanyahu, did win the popular vote for Prime Minister in 1996 and was given the task to form a government after the 2009 elections. After a big win in the 2003 elections, a major split in 2005 saw Likud leader Ariel Sharon leave to form the new Kadima party, with Likud slumping to fourth place in elections the following year. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> 3. **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Yisrael Beiteinu **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> is a political party in Israel. The party describes itself as "a national movement with the clear vision to follow in the brave path of Zev Jabotinski. It takes a hard line towards Arab citizens of Israel and Palestinians. Its main platform involves reducing the number of Arab citizens by redrawing the borders with a future Palestinian state, in conjunction with efforts to increase Jewish immigration. Yisrael Beiteinu took 11 seats in the Knesset in the 2006 elections. In October 2006 the party became part of the Kadima-led coalition government, but pulled out in January 2008. In the 2009 elections, the party picked up four more seats, making it the third largest party behind Kadima and Likud. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">As of February 18, Peres started meetings with parties in the new parliament at a fast pace, evidence that he wants to pick a prime minister-designate soon. He must choose between Tzipi Livni of the centrist Kadima Party and Benjamin Netanyahu of the hawkish Likud Party. The election results were inconclusive. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">As of February 23, - Israel's Labor Party leader declined an invitation Monday by Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu to join his government, the second rejection in two in the hawkish leader's efforts to form a moderate coalition. Netanyahu could piece together a right-wing coalition of right-wingers who take a hard line against territorial concessions to the Palestinians and have serious disputes among themselves on religious issues. But the Likud Party leader hopes to bring moderates like Labor's Ehud Barak and centrist leader Tzipi Livni into his coalition to win international support and a stable parliamentary majority. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Elections for the 18th Knesset **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> were held in Israel on 10 February 2009. These elections became necessary due to the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as leader of the Kadima party, and the failure of his successor, Tzipi Livni, to form a coalition government. Had Olmert remained in office or had Livni formed a coalition government, the elections would have been scheduled for 2010 instead.
 * **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">General//:// **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> On Election Day, voters cast one ballot for a political party to represent them in the Knesset. Every Israeli citizen aged 18 or older has the right to vote. Israelis of all ethnic groups and religious beliefs, including Arab Israelis, actively participate in the process and for many years, voting percentages have reached close to 80 percent.
 * **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">National: **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The entire country constitutes a single electoral constituency.
 * **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Direct **//<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">: //<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> The Knesset, the Israeli parliament, is elected directly by the voters, not through a body of electors.
 * **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Equal: **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> All votes cast are equal in weight.
 * **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Secret: **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Elections are by secret ballot.
 * **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Proportional **//<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">: //<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> The 120 Knesset seats are assigned in proportion to each party's percentage of the total national vote. However, the minimum required for a party to win a Knesset seat is 2% of the total votes cast.
 * <span style="font-size: 20pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">The major parties **
 * <span style="font-size: 20pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Results **
 * **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Party ** || **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Votes ** || **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Percentage of votes ** || **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Seats ** ||
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Kadima || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">758,032 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> 22.47 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">28 ||
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Likud || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">729,054 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> 21.61 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">27 ||
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-decoration: none; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-underline: none;">[|Yisrael Beiteinu] <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">394,577 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> 11.70 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">15 ||
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-decoration: none; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-underline: none;">[|Labor Party] <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">334,900 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> 9.93 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">13 ||
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-decoration: none; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-underline: none;">[|Shas] <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">286,300 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> 8.49 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">11 ||
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-decoration: none; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-underline: none;">[|United Torah Judaism] <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">147,954 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> 4.39 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">5 ||
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-decoration: none; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-underline: none;">[|United Arab List] <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">- <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-decoration: none; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-underline: none;">[|Ta'al] <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">113,954 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> 3.38 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">4 ||
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-decoration: none; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-underline: none;">[|National Union] <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">112,570 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> 3.34 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">4 ||
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-decoration: none; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-underline: none;">[|Hadash] <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">112,130 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> 3.32 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">4 ||
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-decoration: none; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-underline: none;">[|New Movement-Meretz] <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">99,611 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> 2.95 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">3 ||
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The Jewish Home || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">96,765 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> 2.87 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">3 ||
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-decoration: none; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-underline: none;">[|Balad] <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">83,739 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> 2.48 || <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">3 ||  ||