Primaries: a celebration for democracy, but also for criminals

The primary elections, once an opportunity for the party's supporters to determine the composition of its list for the Knesset and thereby deepen their involvement in the democratic process, have become a celebration of criminality: from small combinations to moves that serve the crime families.

There is a simple solution that will save the system, but it is doubtful whether the politicians will rush to adopt it

Nir Kipnis

10/08/2022

Wednesday, August 10, 2022, 3:50 p.m. Updated: 4:28 p.m.

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On video: The Likud primaries - the functionaries choose from 110 candidates (photo: Roni Knafo, Shlomi Gabbai, Yotam Ronen and Uri Sela, editing: Gilad Man Mannheim)

Primaries, the preliminary elections that invaded our lives somewhere three decades ago or more, are a celebration of democracy, without cynicism: there is nothing more beautiful than seeing Knesset candidates going from assembly to assembly and trying to convince tens of thousands of functionaries to support them.

On paper, this is a welcome act that connects ordinary citizens, supporters of a party or an idea, to their elected officials - and gives them a profound influence on Israeli democracy.

The nineties were the beautiful time of the primary elections in the two major parties of Israeli politics, Likud and Labor.

Both parties did remain with the same system (although Labor lost its senior position in the meantime), but if at the beginning the "corruption" manifested itself in hot dog or falafel stands, which offered free food and drink to the voters - the system very quickly became a springboard for promoting interests between them and concern for the future of the State of Israel Nothing and nothing.

Before we continue - and since it is clear that the words, at this time, refer to the primaries in Likud, which remains the only ruling party that holds a procedure of internal elections, we must point out: there is no desire here to criticize Likud or Likud functionaries.

As someone who covered some of the events of the famous "Likhodiade", I can testify firsthand that I met a population that is politically engaged in the best sense of the term, caring and loving Israel, such that those who reach it without the arrogant filters of the mainstream media, discover people who even if you don't agree with their views, you At least say respect them and them.

On paper, this is a welcome act that connects citizens to their elected officials.

Likud primaries in Tel Aviv, today (photo: Reuven Castro)

Another issue that is important to remember: even if the system has broken down over the years, it was not in the Likud that the concept of the "box commander" was invented, but rather in the Labor Party (which inherited the system from the workers' committees - another positive thing in its origin, which has become a symbol of degeneration).

It's just that the primaries in the Labor Party no longer determine almost anything regarding the leadership of the country - with all due respect, they can perhaps determine the identity of the next Minister of Transportation - and even that is not certain.

Now for the Likud primaries: it is doubtful if anyone who is even slightly aware of the political system was shocked by Yolan Cohen's excellent investigative report (News 12) which allegedly exposed vote contractors in action.

On the contrary: those who are exposed to the story and think that it all boils down to a few consultants who decided to translate their influence into cash, are wrong - there are much greater forces working behind the scenes.

In more specific words: there are criminal organizations that the primary system allowed them to gain control over members of the Knesset, so that they would enact special laws, prevent enforcement or at least delay it, and further promote private-business and sometimes even criminal interests, between which there is nothing and nothing in common with concern for the future of the State of Israel.

If there is a political reporter who read the last paragraph and asked himself "what the hell is he talking about?"

- Rehabilitation.

A quick look at the audience shows that no one stood up, so let's proceed, with your permission, to the solution - and it is so easy and simple that it is hard to believe that anyone would adopt it.

More in Walla!

The Likud primaries are in full swing, 16% of those with the right to vote have already voted

To the full article

The solution: open primaries

The simple solution is called open primaries: every citizen of the State of Israel who has reached the age of 18 can vote in the primary elections in any party of his choice.

The only condition: he is only allowed to do it once.

A double vote, let's say in both Labor and Likud (I wanted to continue, but also in seemingly liberal political movements, such as Yesh Atid, the Zionist Spirit and Israel Beytinu, have adopted the system of the ultra-orthodox parties in which "wise councils" are the ones that determine the composition of the list), will be considered an offense Criminal with a severe minimum punishment, befitting someone who tries to sabotage the democratic process that is so important.

To be even more precise: we can be supporters of Meretz or of religious Zionism, of Labor, of Likud or of Yesh Atid - just as we have the right to one vote for the Knesset, so each of us will have the right to vote, only one, in each party we choose .

It is clear to everyone that the combine that can be done when the determining number is a few thousand functionaries, is impossible to do when the target audience - at least on paper - numbers millions of potential voters, whose identity is not known until the moment they are registered in the system, minutes before they vote, just like in the Knesset elections.

Every citizen will be able to vote in the primaries for any party he chooses, but only once (Photo: Flash 90, Yonatan Zindel)

This solution is not without flaws.

Theoretically, it allows the settlers to take over Meretz or the opponents of Netanyahu to conquer the Likud, but beyond a few childhood illnesses that may be discovered the first few times, in the end, every Israeli citizen who wants to take part in the democratic process leading up to the Knesset elections - and knows that he only has one vote to "waste" , will naturally want to determine his representatives - and not sabotage the chances of his opponents (and even if so, what are the chances of a hostile "combina" attacking a few thousands, in the primaries that are open to hundreds of thousands - if not more?).

I'm no longer talking about seemingly marginal gains, but very significant ones, such as setting the internal party agenda, understanding what the public is really interested in - and other things that should be elementary in a reformed political system, while in our very broken system they have lost their nerve.

Since I'm not really sure that I'm smarter than the elected officials, I give most of them the credit that they are also aware of the advantages of open primaries.

So why isn't it happening?

Perhaps because those who decide are those who have benefited and still benefit from the existing broken system - in fact, it is the one that made them members of the Knesset, even ministers!

I'm not claiming, God forbid, that they are partners in combines that (allegedly) smell criminal, but at the very least they get along well with them - and I have yet to see a sane politician who would so easily give up any method that (also) works great for him.

Political courage will be required here, both in trying to pass such a decision in law - and even more so, in cooperation between the two parts of the Knesset to promote such an initiative, two things that are very difficult to find in recent Knessets.

But hey, the election months are the months when you can still dream of a better political reality, right?

• 2022 election

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• primaries

• Likud