Yesterday, we went to the Knesset.  In addition to seeing the fabulous tapestries and mosaics by Marc Chagall, we had a private meeting with one member of the Knesset (MK).

Yoel Hasson is a young hot shot in Kadima who got his start as an admirer of Ariel (Arik) Sharon.  Sharon is the tough guy who invaded Lebanon in 1982 and who goaded the Palestinians in a provocative visit to the Temple Mount and who unilaterally withdrew Israeli settlements from the Gaza Strip.  When Sharon started a new political party called Kadima, Yoel joined to help organize and motivate young people (he is 35).

In the election on February 10, Kadima received the highest number of seats:  28 out of 120.  But, the slightly more conservative Likud party got 27.  A new party called Yisroal Beiteinu (Israel our homeland) received 15 votes as its leader, Avigdor Lieberman, campaigned with a demand that all Arabs in Israel take a loyalty oath. Before the elections Lieberman compelled the government to disqualify the Arab parties from participating in the election.  The Supreme Court reversed this and ordered the government to allow the Arab parties to participate.  The 3 Arab parties won 11 seats including one seat held by a Jewish member!  The point here is that despite the close outcome between Kadima and Likud, the outcome was a conservative landslide.  A second point is that Israel's democracy works, even if it is messy and can produce uncomfortable results (so can ours–remember George W. Bush?).

Binyamin (“Bibi”) Netanyahu was asked to organize a coalition government that holds at least 61 seats together in the Knesset.   Bibi has tried to recruit Kadima, Labor, and the religious parties to his coalition.  But, Tzipi Livni, the head of Kadima has refused to join the coalition.  This means that Bibi will have to include Yisroal Beiteinu to get the necessary 61 votes.

So, this was the backdrop when we met with MK Yoel Hasson.  Yoel gave us a very blunt, almost brutal, but candid presentation of Kadima’s position.

Here is what Kadima wants:

1. Push for a 2 state solution as the basis for peace with the Palestinians.

2. Reform the electoral system to increase government stability and reduce the influence of small parties. There are 30 parties and 11 earned seats in the recent election.

3.  Preserve a minimal social safety net while reducing government involvement in the economy.

4. Allow civil marriage, not just religious marriage.

Yoel was very blunt about the situation with the Palestinians:

“The Palestinians have no moral right to their own state and they are not competent, capable or ready to manage their own state.  However, Israel must be a Jewish state that is a democracy and this can only be accomplished when Palestinians have their own state.  There are areas of the West Bank (and Gaza—which Israel has already returned) which have large concentrated Arab populations which Israel can never control.  This is the reality and Israel should just accept it and negotiate a separate state with the West Bank Palestinians.”

“Tzipi refuses to enter the coalition because Netanyahu would not meet her conditions.  She gained the full backing of the Kadima members.  The conditions were committing to electoral reform and beginning negotiations on a 2 state solution.  Bibi would not make any commitments.  The government will last two years or less.  It will be ineffective because of the deep disagreements among the coalition members.  Kadima will be a responsible opposition:  we will vote for things that are good for Israel and not just try to bring down the government.  But, we will try to stop things that are harmful to Israel.”

“Specific suggestions for electoral reform including raising the minimum vote threshhold from 2% to 5% and limiting no confidence votes to every three months.  Today, the government spends all of its time trying to hold off no confidence votes. The government meets on Sunday. On Monday, the Knesset can vote no confidence.  Tuesday on you just get ready for next week.  The government needs more time to get more done.  I don’t think we can make more radical changes but these would help.”

Yoel described his own rise in politics. He spoke with reverence about Ariel Sharon.  Yoel is a tough guy who doesn’t mince words, but he seems direct and honest.  He clearly wants to be a mover and shaker in Israeli politics.  We’ll see….

To help you calibrate these views, by Israeli standards Yoel is a centrist.