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Israeli Center-Left Leader Seeks Path Forward Israeli Center-Left Leader Seeks Path Forward
(about 5 hours later)
TEL AVIV — Isaac Herzog is not acting like a sore loser. He is not seeking scapegoats to blame for his center-left Zionist Union’s failure to capture enough votes in Israel’s election last week to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He is not shouting “I told you so” as the Obama administration and Europe threaten to isolate Israel as never before. TEL AVIV — Isaac Herzog is not acting like a sore loser. He is not seeking scapegoats to blame for his center-left Zionist Union’s failure to capture enough votes in Israel’s election last week to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He is not shouting “I told you so” as the Obama administration and Europe threaten to isolate Israel as never before.
Instead, Mr. Herzog is both promising to lead a “fighting opposition” if Mr. Netanyahu, as expected, forms a narrow coalition of right-leaning and religious parties, and leaving at least a crack in the door for the long-shot possibility of joining a unity government. He does not see the campaign in simple win-loss terms: the Zionist Union, after all, will have 24 of 120 seats in Israel’s next Parliament, more than the 21 its two parties had in the last one. Instead, Mr. Herzog is both promising to lead a “fighting opposition” if Mr. Netanyahu, as expected, forms a narrow coalition of right-leaning and religious parties, and leaving at least a crack in the door for the long-shot possibility of joining a unity government. He does not see the campaign in simple win-loss terms: The Zionist Union, after all, will have 24 of 120 seats in Israel’s next Parliament, more than the 21 its two parties had in the last one.
“I’m pleased with the result and I’m not pleased with the outcome,” Mr. Herzog said in an interview. “We’re already moving on,” he added. “People stop us in the street all the time, stop me and say thank you for giving us hope and make sure Netanyahu doesn’t screw us up.” “I’m pleased with the result, and I’m not pleased with the outcome,” Mr. Herzog said in an interview. “We’re already moving on,” he added. “People stop us in the street all the time, stop me and say thank you for giving us hope and make sure Netanyahu doesn’t screw us up.”
The postgame analysis in Israel is, roughly, that after a surprisingly close battle, Mr. Netanyahu used the power of incumbency and scare tactics to turn the tables in a 72-hour blitz in which he tacked hard to the right. Mr. Herzog, a consensus-builder short on charisma, was slow and soft in his response to the onslaught, and never quite crossed the threshold as a strong-leader alternative.The postgame analysis in Israel is, roughly, that after a surprisingly close battle, Mr. Netanyahu used the power of incumbency and scare tactics to turn the tables in a 72-hour blitz in which he tacked hard to the right. Mr. Herzog, a consensus-builder short on charisma, was slow and soft in his response to the onslaught, and never quite crossed the threshold as a strong-leader alternative.
Yet beyond any shortcomings of candidate and campaign tactics, the election has raised profound questions about the prospects for Israel’s moribund political left and amorphous center. Though the Zionist Union and other parties spent most of their time talking about kitchen-table concerns, in the end it was existential questions like peace with the Palestinians and the Iranian nuclear threat, along with internal, tribal rifts, that seem to have been the deciders.Yet beyond any shortcomings of candidate and campaign tactics, the election has raised profound questions about the prospects for Israel’s moribund political left and amorphous center. Though the Zionist Union and other parties spent most of their time talking about kitchen-table concerns, in the end it was existential questions like peace with the Palestinians and the Iranian nuclear threat, along with internal, tribal rifts, that seem to have been the deciders.
If Mr. Herzog was selling hope against Mr. Netanyahu’s fear, fear won in part because Israelis are not hopeful about the situation they see surrounding them.If Mr. Herzog was selling hope against Mr. Netanyahu’s fear, fear won in part because Israelis are not hopeful about the situation they see surrounding them.
“Of course they made mistakes, but not terrible mistakes, not tragic mistakes. It’s much deeper than that,” said Yossi Sarid, who served as a leftist Parliament member and minister from 1974 to 2006.“Of course they made mistakes, but not terrible mistakes, not tragic mistakes. It’s much deeper than that,” said Yossi Sarid, who served as a leftist Parliament member and minister from 1974 to 2006.
“Philosophical arguments, theoretical arguments, are not for influence — the only factor which influences sometimes is reality by itself,” he added. “People think what they see, and as long as our reality is like the reality of the Titanic before the collision, or in Pompeii in the last days before the eruption, so nobody will influence them or convince them.”“Philosophical arguments, theoretical arguments, are not for influence — the only factor which influences sometimes is reality by itself,” he added. “People think what they see, and as long as our reality is like the reality of the Titanic before the collision, or in Pompeii in the last days before the eruption, so nobody will influence them or convince them.”
Ari Shavit, a prominent columnist and author, said the Zionist Union also failed to articulate what, exactly, Israelis could be hopeful for, promising only to improve relations with Washington and try to return to negotiations with a Palestinian leadership that most Israeli Jews do not see as a partner for peace.Ari Shavit, a prominent columnist and author, said the Zionist Union also failed to articulate what, exactly, Israelis could be hopeful for, promising only to improve relations with Washington and try to return to negotiations with a Palestinian leadership that most Israeli Jews do not see as a partner for peace.
“Hope was very hollow and fear is much deeper,” Mr. Shavit said. “The peaceniks have never internalized the fact that the right got something right, and the only way to fight the right is by giving an answer. “Hope was very hollow, and fear is much deeper,” Mr. Shavit said. “The peaceniks have never internalized the fact that the right got something right, and the only way to fight the right is by giving an answer.
“They didn’t market the utopian peace because no one in this country will buy it,” he continued. “Instead, they sold ignoring the occupation, and ignoring the traumas. They didn’t bring a new, benign peace context that is solid and realistic.”“They didn’t market the utopian peace because no one in this country will buy it,” he continued. “Instead, they sold ignoring the occupation, and ignoring the traumas. They didn’t bring a new, benign peace context that is solid and realistic.”
Some say a better strategy would have been to fight fear with fear. “Instead of shouting ‘Things are terrible’ the left wing should have told the public the truth,” Sever Plocker argued in the newspaper Yediot Aharonot. “‘Yes, right now your situation is good, but Netanyahu’s policy vis-à-vis the Palestinians is necessarily leading to the establishment of a binational state in which things will be bad, very bad, for you and us. Truly scary.’” Some say a better strategy would have been to fight fear with fear. “Instead of shouting ‘things are terrible,’ the left wing should have told the public the truth,” Sever Plocker argued in the newspaper Yediot Aharonot. “ ‘Yes, right now your situation is good, but Netanyahu’s policy vis-à-vis the Palestinians is necessarily leading to the establishment of a binational state in which things will be bad, very bad, for you and us. Truly scary.’ ”
But Mr. Herzog said in the interview that Israelis had been warned of isolation and a binational state “for 50 years, that’s long term.” And in any case, he said, “if you hit too hard on that people view it as a kind of lefty position, you’re with our enemies.” But Mr. Herzog said in the interview that Israelis had been warned of isolation and a binational state “for 50 years, that’s long term.” And in any case, he said, “If you hit too hard on that people view it as a kind of lefty position, you’re with our enemies.”
He complained that Mr. Netanyahu’s campaign consisted of “a lot of lying, a lot of false blame and false rhetoric,” and acknowledged, “We found ourselves kind of defending ourselves uselessly about it.”He complained that Mr. Netanyahu’s campaign consisted of “a lot of lying, a lot of false blame and false rhetoric,” and acknowledged, “We found ourselves kind of defending ourselves uselessly about it.”
“What could be our hate rhetoric?” he asked rhetorically at one point. “I’m trying to think.”“What could be our hate rhetoric?” he asked rhetorically at one point. “I’m trying to think.”
The son of Israel’s sixth president and grandson of its first chief rabbi, Mr. Herzog has since 2003 served in Parliament as a member of the left-leaning Labor Party. Yet for the bulk of a 40-minute conversation, he spoke of the center, not the left, and then ultimately defined his camp as “the center-center-left.”The son of Israel’s sixth president and grandson of its first chief rabbi, Mr. Herzog has since 2003 served in Parliament as a member of the left-leaning Labor Party. Yet for the bulk of a 40-minute conversation, he spoke of the center, not the left, and then ultimately defined his camp as “the center-center-left.”
“I have huge respect for the left — the left is bold, the left is very focused and is very ideological — but most of the rank and file of the Israeli public wants something more pragmatic,” he said. “I moved my party to the center and I will continue forcefully to stage my party to the center. The only way to win in Israel is by being in the center.”“I have huge respect for the left — the left is bold, the left is very focused and is very ideological — but most of the rank and file of the Israeli public wants something more pragmatic,” he said. “I moved my party to the center and I will continue forcefully to stage my party to the center. The only way to win in Israel is by being in the center.”
The center, though, is already occupied — by Yair Lapid, who refused to meld his Yesh Atid party into the Zionist Union and won 11 Parliament seats last week, and now by Moshe Kahlon, who broke from Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud Party to form his own, called Kulanu, which won 10 seats and is expected to join the coalition. Both campaigned on the economy, not the security issues that have long defined Israel’s political map.The center, though, is already occupied — by Yair Lapid, who refused to meld his Yesh Atid party into the Zionist Union and won 11 Parliament seats last week, and now by Moshe Kahlon, who broke from Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud Party to form his own, called Kulanu, which won 10 seats and is expected to join the coalition. Both campaigned on the economy, not the security issues that have long defined Israel’s political map.
Mr. Herzog acknowledged that his campaign failed to expand the center-left base. Next time, he said, he would reach out more to the working-class and children of immigrants. He would emphasize Jewish tradition, understanding the damage caused when the Israeli artist Yair Garbuz derided Israelis who hold old customs dear at the left’s big pre-election rally. .He said he would also try to forge a deeper alliance with Arab lawmakers who have until now operated outside the political and Parliamentary mainstream. Mr. Herzog acknowledged that his campaign failed to expand the center-left base. Next time, he said, he would reach out more to the working-class and children of immigrants. He would emphasize Jewish tradition, understanding the damage caused when the Israeli artist Yair Garbuz derided Israelis who hold old customs dear at the left’s big pre-election rally.
Last weekend, Mr. Herzog made a brief getaway with his wife to an upscale spa resort in Israel’s north. By Tuesday, he had resumed meeting with activists, in the Tel Aviv suburbs of Petah Tikva and Yehud. On Wednesday, he was taking meetings in the back room of Shine & Sharp, a Tel Aviv steakhouse, fueled by a bottle of Coke Zero. He said he would also try to forge a deeper alliance with Arab lawmakers who have until now operated outside the political and parliamentary mainstream.
Last weekend, Mr. Herzog made a brief getaway with his wife to an upscale spa resort in Israel’s north.
By Tuesday, he had resumed meeting with activists in the Tel Aviv suburbs of Petah Tikva and Yehud. On Wednesday, he was taking meetings in the back room of Shine & Sharp, a Tel Aviv steakhouse, fueled by a bottle of Coke Zero.
He said he had not spoken with Mr. Netanyahu since calling him to concede on the morning after the election, despite persistent rumors that they might yet join forces — rumors he did not definitely deny.He said he had not spoken with Mr. Netanyahu since calling him to concede on the morning after the election, despite persistent rumors that they might yet join forces — rumors he did not definitely deny.
“Netanyahu said there’s a huge chasm between us, he said during the elections that we are anti-Zionists and he said during the election that I will basically sell the country to the Arabs,” Mr. Herzog said. “I haven’t heard anything to the contrary. I’m not intending to be the troubleshooter or the fixer or the bleaching element in his government. “Netanyahu said there’s a huge chasm between us. He said during the elections that we are anti-Zionists, and he said during the election that I will basically sell the country to the Arabs,” Mr. Herzog said. “I haven’t heard anything to the contrary. I’m not intending to be the troubleshooter or the fixer or the bleaching element in his government.
“We will try to expose the weakness of this coalition,” he said. “My goal will always be to bring hope, to show that there is a sincere, reasonable and sensible voice in the arena.”“We will try to expose the weakness of this coalition,” he said. “My goal will always be to bring hope, to show that there is a sincere, reasonable and sensible voice in the arena.”