this article is titled: this is what jewish democracy looks like, and i'll tell you that it ain't what you think democracy aught to be;

The news from the four elections inside two years in Israel is that there is little ideological debate in the country: rightwing Jews hold a very strong majority. While Israeli voters are deeply divided over Netanyahu, nearly 80 of the 120 members in the new parliament are rightwingers, and the non-rightwingers are overwhelmingly centrist. The Jewish left is tiny, Meretz’s 5 seats. Meretz is the only faction in Israeli Jewish political life that actually takes a strong position on the occupation.

A lot of Israel’s friends in the U.S. describe the country as both Jewish and democratic. That description is fair inasmuch as the Israeli elections revolve around one question, Which Jews will run the country?

It is true that the 20 percent or so of the Israeli population that is not Jewish can vote, but Palestinians are never allowed anywhere near the executive branch. And all the leading Jewish parties campaign by saying they will have nothing to do with the Palestinians parties. And all the coalition-action in the next few weeks will involve Jewish leaders (with an occasional sideshow that amounts to nothing)...........read more.......