60-60: Israeli Elections for Dummies

Two months ago, when I heard we would vote in November I got excited. This could sound weird for the average Israeli but for me it was indeed something I have been waiting for (not for so long, you might imagine). 

I made Aliyah in May 2021 because Israel is the country in which my boyfriend lives and we decided we wanted to be here together. I was given a right that only a few migrants receive exactly the day they enter their destination. Being Jewish gave me this privilege I will use for the first time in only a few weeks. So my second feeling after the excitement was the embarrassment and fear that any journalist could experience, even when they won’t admit it: I know nothing about this country’s elections.

Yes, I know who the Prime Minister is, and I noticed that the variables people consider to choose a party in Israel are slightly different than in other countries. I also know the names of some parties and, with my relatively good Hebrew, I can identify a few topics that are discussed in the pre-elections. But I still struggle to understand what is being said in the campaigns, what is at stake in the fifth election in a row, which is the best option for me. And whenever I asked Israelies about their choices, most of them were anything but enthusiastic in convincing me. 

I asked my partner, Noy, to schedule together one evening in which he will sit with me and help me understand the difference between all the parties, what they stand for, and which one is the best choice for me. The option of him just telling me what to vote for was never on the table, unfortunately for him. Noy was eager to help but claimed we wouldn’t understand anything by just scrolling through the parties’ websites. Instead of giving up, we decided to make out of it what I love to do the most, podcasts; and so we found ourselves in this ongoing process. 

In 60-60 we talk with activists from different Israeli parties, to understand their values, motivations and discuss the political mess we’re in, with the explicit goal of taking the best decision we can. Noy accompanies this process while trying to deal with his own frustration. 

We share with any struggling voters and whoever is interested in the Israeli politics, the process in getting to know the different political parties, asking the simplest (and hardest to delve into) questions. We make it simple, easy to follow,  suitable for new voters here who want to understand the tense Israeli dynamics better. We hope it will help you to make the most honest and thoughtful decision regarding your vote. Moreover, if we also get to re-engage those who lost their faith in the democratic system, that is a civic duty win.

Listen to it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer or Spreaker.

About The Hosts

Vanina Pikholc – Journalist, M.A in Political Communications (Tel Aviv University). Works for digital media and social media as a content writer and producer. Founder at Furor Podcast (Argentina) since 2018. Also an intersectional feminist.

Noy Carmel – Israeli screenwriter and documentary creator (Mekif Milano, Who Shot the Youth Club Kids and more).  Also a retired social and political activist, searching for his slow and modest come-back.