Comments on: Bayit Yehudi and the Quest for National Unity

By: Mordechai Mike Kavitsky

Mordechai Mike Kavitsky — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 18:04:45 +0000

After checking the party lists again, I have found that Bayit Yehudi in fact DOES NOT have the most women candidates within the top 12 slots. I appreciate the feedback I have received and I apologize for this factual error.

By: Mordechai Mike Kavitsky

Mordechai Mike Kavitsky — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 18:04:45 +0000

By: Josh Feigenbaum

Josh Feigenbaum — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 15:54:33 +0000

disagree with what exactly? Almost nobody (yourself included) not voting YA actually bothers discussing Lapid's platform, which is more comprehensive than Habayit Yehudis.

By: Kovi Skier

Kovi Skier — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 15:38:45 +0000

More Israelis – both religious and secular – than are going to vote for YA would seem to disagree with you, Josh.

By: Josh Feigenbaum

Josh Feigenbaum — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 15:21:47 +0000

you do understand, we wouldn't have had to write this is this article didn't make the same arguments we are (only, of course, without facts). YA is prouder of their accomplishments than they are of their background. We're merely responding to the claim of diversity in this article, which is untrue.

By: Eytan Meyersdorf

Eytan Meyersdorf — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 15:14:45 +0000

Sorry, I try not to comment on Lapid stuff because its just too much already, and, Kovi is doing a better job than i can, but seriously… How is the fact that he has 4 amount of women, 2 ethiopians and 2 russian relevent to their abilities to be good MKs?

Great, Lapid's party the affirmitave action party – mazel tov. But for people to keep bragging about his diversity – stop, its irrelevent, and it makes it seem that they are voting for his ability to be a crafty politican and pick diverse people (cough cough, Rabbi Piron), rather than his ideas…

If I here one more time about Yesh Atid's diversity (did you know Dov Lippman is an oleh chadash!), I may have to shoot myself…

By: Yedidya Kennard

Yedidya Kennard — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 09:51:20 +0000

I've read the BY website many times. I've read and seen many interviews with Bennet. They have plans on the lines of 'lower housing costs', 'more zionist education', 'equal service, i mean unequal, i mean equal…' and things like that. No HOW. Except for the famous 'Bennet Plan' which is another matter.

As to the YA list. Look at the CV of each candidate. Every one was picked for their leadership and activism. There are no place fillers there at all. Everyone on that list has earned their place.

By: Kovi Skier

Kovi Skier — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 09:49:48 +0000

How is it that Yesh Atid's composition is literally a cookiee-cutter picture of the national demographic? He DID pick these people for their leadership abilities, not just to make his platform seem more diverse during the election campaign, right? But no arabs? Did his strategists tell him that would push the rest of the diverse population away?

By: Kovi Skier

Kovi Skier — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 09:47:36 +0000

I especially liked Yedidya's comment here about Bayit Hayehudi having no concrete plans. I assume you mean no concrete plans that you bothered to read while you were busy trying hard to ignore Yesh Atid's empty shell of a leader?

By: Yonatan Comet

Yonatan Comet — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 00:33:44 +0000

Food for thought: May Yesh Atid is just a little bit more ethical. Hiding radical candidates and misleading the public is not a way to run a campaign.

By: Yedidya Kennard

Yedidya Kennard — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 00:33:16 +0000

One with no concrete plans, except for one disastrous one? One made entirely of slogans? Yesh Atid is running the campaign that EVERY party should run. One with actual content.

By: Shimi Marcus

Shimi Marcus — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 00:25:46 +0000

Bayit Yehudi is running the campaign that Yesh Atid should have ran…

By: Shimi Marcus

Shimi Marcus — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 00:25:46 +0000

Bayit Yehudi is running the campaign that Yesh Atid should have ran…

By: Josh Feigenbaum

Josh Feigenbaum — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 00:15:46 +0000

There are numerous misrepresentations and falsehoods in this article, particularly with regards to the claim of diversity. A “large number of secular candidates”? There is exactly one- Shaked- that's it. There are 3 women in the top 12, that's true. Yesh Atid has four in the top ten, the top 20 is nearly have women, so the claim that … “a list that includes three women within the top 12 slots, the highest number of ANY party” is an out and out lie. Diversity? Don't make me laugh. Yesh Atid has 2 Russians in the top 20 and 2 Ethiopians. Habayit Hayehudi has none. A little basic fact checking exposes the idea that Habayit Hayehudi is a big tent party. A single secular person. No one of Russian descent. No one of Ethiopian descent. This is supposed to represent unity. Yesh Atid is the only party that actually is a unity party. Ashkenzaim, Sephardim, Russians, Ethiopians, and an American. Religious AND Secular candidates (That's plural, by the way).

By: Yonatan Comet

Yonatan Comet — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 00:13:50 +0000

Dear Mike Kavitsky,
I am quite surprised that you would post a blog with so many incorrect facts to be posted. Three women in the top 12 is more than any other party running for knesset? Take a look at the Yesh Atid list and you'll find that there are four women in the top ten: Yael German, Aliza Lavie, Adi Kol and Karin Elharar. Meretz and Labor also have more women in their top 12 so you should really check your facts. As far as diversity goes, the Yesh Atid party has two Russians and two Ethiopians in the top 20 along with two rabbis committed to making a change in the way religion is viewed in this country. Are you really going to say a party is diverse when number two on the list says homosexuals shoud not be allowed in the army, when number four wanted to close the committee for women's rights in the knesset? When number 13 says that the arabs are guests in this country? That's diversity? Call me old fashioned but to me that just seems like racism. Don't try and mislead the public in to thinking this is a diverse party. Something tells me we're smarter than that.