Long time lurker here, and I felt was necessary to break my silence since the topic being discussed is something that is part of my professional expertise. I am a historian who specializes in the Modern History of the Levant, the area that covers Israel, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine.
I see a lot of people cheering for the success of Labor (running under the "Zionist" camp Label) over Likud and I think some people are overestimating the difference between the two parties, especially in regards to the issues that are near and dear to the heart of the readers of the site. Let's go through these issues one by one.
1. The Attacks on Gaza Strip- In the Summer of 2014, Israel engaged in a vicious attack on the Gaza Strip that mostly killed civilians and was provoked by Israel. I could go into details about that conflict, but suffice it to say that Israel instigated the conflict because it was opposed to a unity government by Fatah and Hamas.. Netanyahu, and the rest of the Israeli security establishment made a cynical calculation that a divided Palestinian government would be easier to manipulate.
Although the Herzog-led Labor Party was not part of the government, he was an avid supporter of Israel's attacks against Gaza in 2014.
Herzog stands by Netanyahu on Gaza
Herzog and almost all the members of his faction gave real-time support for the military operation, distinguishing them from the Meretz Party, which positioned itself overtly to the left of the Labor Party and has called for a cease-fire from the start of the campaign.
On the many occasions that Netanyahu briefed Herzog over the past few weeks, the atmosphere was quite pleasant, making it obvious that the prime minister preferred the company of Herzog over most of his ministers.
...
As we have already seen, Herzog was not alone in his party. He may have set the curve, but it looked natural and easy for almost all the other members of his faction to take a strategic approach that supported the militaryâs ground incursion, while at the same time calling to deeply explore all possible diplomatic paths. Former party leader Shelly Yachimovich appeared frequently in TV studios to back Netanyahu, while calling for commensurate diplomatic moves. So did the partyâs faction head, Knesset member Eitan Cabel.
There was even someone in the Labor Party who thought that the prime minister should have launched the ground assault in Gaza earlier.
Of course, some of you may also know that Labor is running together with Hatnuah, led by Tzipi Livni. A confidante of Ariel Sharon, one of the Israelis heavily implicated in the Sabra and Shatila Massacres, she was deeply involved in the 2008 attack on Gaza, which was actually more brutal than the one administered by Benjamin Netanyahu in 2014. In fact, Livni had to cancel a trip to the United Kingdom as a result of the 2008 assault on Gaza because there was
a warrant for her arrest because Israel had violated the Geneva Convention.
2. Settlements in the West Bank- It's an undisputed truth that the major obstacle to any kind of two-state solution between the Israelis and Palestinians is Israel's illegal settlements. These settlements litter the entirety of the West Bank, and the major settlement blocs encircle Jerusalem, which Palestinians consider to be their historical capital. Most peace plans contemplate dividing the city of Jerusalem.
Now, it may surprise some but the original architects of the policy of settling the West Bank was in fact the Labor Party as envisioned by Levi Eshkol, Allon, and others. This support for the settlements continues to do this day by Labor and Herzog.
http://www.al-monitor.com/...
A senior official in the Palestinian Authority government told Al-Monitor this week that he and his colleagues were closely watching the Israeli election campaign. However, he said, âWe have very little hope for a change in Israel. Even if [Labor Chair Isaac] Herzog and [former Minister Tzipi] Livni win these elections, what kind of government will be formed? Are policy changes possible? We are tired of left-wing Israelis telling us to wait for better times in your government. Since [Prime Minister Yitzhak] Rabinâs assassination we have seen everything and everybody from all political colors, yet we are now further away from statehood than we have ever been before.â
As Herzog himself has noted
Gush Etzion and the large settlement blocs must be under Israeli sovereignty in any final-status agreement with the Palestinians, Zionist Union Party head Isaac Herzog said on Tuesday afternoon
What does this mean?
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/...
There is no consensus definition of what constitutes the 'settlement blocs'. Some identify five (Ariel, Modi'in Ilit, Ma'ale Adumim, Gush Etzion, Givat Ze'ev), while others talk of seven (adding to the previous five the Jordan Valley and a corridor connecting the Hebron settlements).
As even mainstream Israeli NGO Peace Now puts it, "these 'blocs' have no legal definition or standing, either under Israeli or international law", and "the settlements they contain are not recognized by the Palestinians or the international community as having any special status
Thus the final map of the Palestinian 'state' in the vision of the Zionist Union is similar to the kind of Bantustan proposed by another former Labour man, Ehud Barak, with borders now shaped by the Apartheid Wall and further Israeli colonisation of the Jordan Valley. (See 'guide' map illustration)
Now, it's true that there are differences between Labor and Likud, but it's not the aforementioned issues. Like their Democratic and Republican counterparts, there are different views in how to organize the economy, with Labor being on the left and favoring more proactive government policies, with Likud favoring a more right-wing views. Also on the social sphere, voters on the left are hostile to the authority of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel , which has jurisdiction over the lives of Jews in Israel in regards to marriage, divorce, and so forth.
Those seeking a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a result of elections are badly mistaken.