One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, Israel ‘s largest political parties are shifting their campaign strategies as the country approaches its fourth election in just two years.
A poll by 103FM radio station released Tuesday showed the Likud Party to win 28 seats in the next Knesset, the Yesh Atid Party coming in second at 20 seats, and the Party New Hope collects 11 chairs. Yamina Naftali Bennett’s Party rose in the polls and was expected to win 12 seats.
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Polling station in Ashkelon at March 2020 elections, as pandemic begins to appear in Israel
(Photo: Avi Rokah)
Amid a sense of electoral fatigue, the political strategies of the largest parties in Israel reflect the volatile changes brought about by the pandemic.
Many are focusing on meaningful events and complex campaigns on social media ahead of the March 23 vote.
With more than half of the population having received at least a dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, Israel on Sunday opened up much of its economy just in time for the elections.
Those who are fully inclusive can get vaccine licenses – called green passes – which allow them to attend concerts and eat indoors at restaurants, among other activities.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a Likud party quickly to seize him. “The Likud has begun holding the first ‘green passport’ political rallies on the ground,” said Avi Hyman, director of the Anglo Likud Campaign.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara will be wearing masks at an election rally in Afula this week
“These incidents are happening across the country according to Ministry of Health guidelines.”
As well as weaving an Arab region, the Likud also emphasizes their message “Netanyahu no Lapid”.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid is the leader of the Yesh Atid Central Party and is expected to be the largest party in the bloc against Netanyahu after the elections.
“Only Netanyahu will continue to deliver millions of vaccines, more historic peace deals, stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and turn Israel into the fastest post-corona economy on earth,” just as he turned Israel into the fastest country on earth to vaccinate its citizens. ., ”Hyman said.
As for Yesh Atid, his main slogan is: “The time has come for a holy government.”
The concept that the government under Netanyahu has been anything but safe and needs to change.
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Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid posted the campaign route on his party’s Twitter post
(Photo: Twitter)
Positioning Lapid as the pure, anti-corruption alternative to Netanyahu, Yesh Atid, who joined Benny Gantz and his Blue and White Party, is now expected to play a key role in building the coalition. government.
“We believe that Israel needs a sane government that addresses the real problems facing the people of Israel today, starting with rebuilding our economy and our health care system,” he said. for Yesh Atid.
“We have set a clear agenda for Israel and a liberal choice. “As a result of the pandemic, the party’s campaign is visible online across its social media channels,” he said.
“Yesh Atid has always been one of the strongest fieldworkers in the country and that has continued throughout this election, but instead of our city hall meetings, we have moved to a major virtual town hall meetings that has reached tens of thousands of people, ”the spokesperson noted.
New Hope is a newcomer to the new political arena, a center-right party led by Gideon Saar, a former Likud parliament and government minister.
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New Hope party leader Gideon Sa’ar and former Likud MK Yifat Shasha-Biton campaign ahead of March 23 vote
(Photo: Twitter)
The party describes itself as “the only hope for change” and its main slogan is: “Gideon Saar: Prime Minister for all.”
With this in mind, the party hopes to convince the electorate that Saar can stop the political instability that has plagued Israel for the past two years and being an effective fan of Netanyahu’s right wing.
“New Hope is the only party offering a strategy to exit from that volatility cycle,” a party spokesman said.
“Netanyahu has put his own interests above the interests of the country,” the spokesman said. “The center-right country continues; Therefore, it needs a leader on the right of central government to form a government and end this cycle of elections and instability.
Although New Hope got off to a strong start at the start of their election campaign, the party has slipped in recent polls. Nevertheless, he hopes to put a speech in the Likud strategy wheel.
“Netanyahu was going to sail [through] the elections but since the establishment of New Hope that is no longer the case, ”the spokesperson continued.
Like the Likud and Yesh Atid, New Hope aims to attract a broad base of Israeli voters from across the political spectrum.
“Any Israeli citizen who believes that this country needs to change and who believes that this country needs to be a strong Jewish democratic state,” the spokesman said.