Forward (Kadima) to the Centre? - The Rise and Fall of Israeli Centre Parties

Table of Contents

I. INTRODUCTION

I.1 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

I.2 RESEARCH QUESTION AND METHOD

I.3 RESEARCH TO DATE

I.4 STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS

II. ANALYTICAL BACKGROUND

II.1 POLITICAL PARTIES

II.1.1 WHAT ARE POLITICAL PARTIES?

II.1.2 SUCCESS AND FAILURE: WHAT PARTIES WANT

II.1.3 THE EMERGENCE OF NEW PARTIES

II.2 THE CENTRE AND CENTRE PARTIES

II.2.1 CLEAVAGES

II.2.2 THE LEFT-RIGHT CONTINUUM

II.2.3 PARTY POSITIONING

II.2.4 PARTY POSITIONING ALONG MULTIPLE CLEAVAGES

II.2.5 WHAT IS THE CENTRE?

II.2.6 DEFINING THE CENTRE PARTY

II.3 PARTY SYSTEMS

II.3.1 COUNTING THE RELEVANT PARTIES IN PARLIAMENT

II.3.2 ACCOUNTING FOR THE EXISTENCE OF A DOMINANT PARTY

II.3.3 ACCOUNTING FOR THE EXISTENCE OF BLOCS IN THE PARTY SYSTEM

II.3.4 ACCOUNTING FOR THE FRAGMENTATION OF THE PARTY SYSTEM

II.3.5 ACCOUNTING FOR THE POLARIZATION OF THE PARTY SYSTEM

II.3.6 ACCOUNTING FOR RELEVANT ANTI-SYSTEM PARTIES

II.4 PARTY LEADERSHIP

II.5 HYPOTHESES

III. THE CASE OF ISRAEL

III.1 ISRAELI POLITICAL PARTIES

III.1.1 WHAT ISRAELI PARTIES WANT

III.1.2 CENTRE AND CENTRE PARTIES IN ISRAEL

III.2 CLEAVAGES IN ISRAEL

III.2.1 THE SECURITY CLEAVAGE

III.2.2 THE ECONOMIC CLEAVAGE

III.2.3 THE RELIGIOUS CLEAVAGE

III.2.4 CONSENSUS AND SHIFTS OF CONSENSUS

III.3 THE ISRAELI PARTY SYSTEM

III.3.1 A MULTI-PARTY SYSTEM WITH A DOMINANT PARTY (1949-1973)

III.3.2 PHASE OF TRANSITION (1973-1981)

III.3.3 TWO BLOCS IN A MULTI-PARTY SYSTEM (1981-1996)

III.3.4 A FRAGMENTED MULTI-PARTY SYSTEM (1996-2003)

III.3.5 A MULTI-PARTY SYSTEM WITH A CORE PARTY (2003-2005)

II.4 ISRAELI PARTY LEADERSHIP

IV. CENTRE PARTIES IN ISRAEL UNTIL 2005

IV.1 RAFI (1965): IN THE SHADOW OF MAPAI

IV.1.1 THE FRAMEWORK

IV.1.2 THE PARTY

IV.1.3 THE ELECTIONS

IV.1.4 CONCLUSION

IV.2 DASH (1977): CHANGING THE SYSTEM

IV.2.1 THE FRAMEWORK

IV.2.2 THE PARTY

IV.2.3 THE ELECTIONS

IV.2.4 CONCLUSION

IV.3 TELEM (1981): WITH DAYAN IN THE CENTRE

IV.3.1 THE FRAMEWORK

IV.3.2 THE PARTY

IV.3.3 THE ELECTIONS

IV.3.4 CONCLUSION

IV.4 HADERECH HASHLISHIT (1996): THIRD WAY WITH A DEAD END

IV.4.1 THE FRAMEWORK

IV.4.2 THE PARTY

IV.4.3 THE ELECTIONS

IV.4.4 CONCLUSION

IV.5 MIFLEGET HAMERKAZ (1999): CENTRE IS WHERE THE POLLS ARE

IV.5.1 THE FRAMEWORK

IV.5.2 THE PARTY

IV.5.3 THE ELECTIONS

IV.5.4 CONCLUSION

IV.6 CONCLUSION: CENTRE PARTIES IN ISRAEL

V. KADIMA

V.1 THE FRAMEWORK

V.1.1 THE ASCENT OF ARIEL SHARON

V.1.2 THE CONSENSUS

V.1.3 LIKUD AND AVODA AFTER KADIMA’S FOUNDATION

V.2 THE PARTY

V.2.1 THE FORMATION OF KADIMA

V.2.2 KADIMA’S PLATFORM AND CAMPAIGN

V.2.3 KADIMA IN THE POLLS

V.3 THE ELECTIONS

V.3.1 ELECTION TOPICS

V.3.2 KADIMA’S VOTERS

V.3.3 FORMING THE GOVERNMENT COALITION

V.4 CONCLUSION

V.4.1 KADIMA – A CENTRE PARTY?

V.4.2 KADIMA COMPARED TO OTHER ISRAELI CENTRE PARTIES

VI. CONCLUSION

VI.1 SUMMARY

VI.2 HYPOTHESES REVISITED

VI.3 OUTLOOK

VI.4 AND WHAT OF KADIMA?

Research Goals and Core Themes

The research aims to investigate the phenomenon of the Kadima party and determine why it achieved significantly greater electoral success in 2006 compared to previous Israeli centre parties, by examining factors such as party leadership, platform, and the political environment.

• Analysis of the definition and role of centre parties within political systems.
• Examination of the Israeli party system and its historical development.
• Evaluation of internal and external factors influencing the rise and fall of Israeli centre parties.
• Comparative case studies of historical Israeli centre parties (Rafi, Dash, Telem, etc.) with Kadima.
• Testing hypotheses concerning party strategy, leadership influence, and the impact of the wider political system.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

I. INTRODUCTION: Defines the research objectives, methodology, and the gap in existing political science literature regarding centre parties.

II. ANALYTICAL BACKGROUND: Provides a theoretical framework for understanding political parties, party systems, and the conceptual challenges of defining a "centre party."

III. THE CASE OF ISRAEL: Analyzes the unique Israeli party landscape, including primary cleavages, the party system structure, and the significance of party leadership.

IV. CENTRE PARTIES IN ISRAEL UNTIL 2005: Conducts case studies of historical Israeli centre parties (Rafi, Dash, Telem, etc.) to evaluate their performance and characteristics.

V. KADIMA: Examines the formation, platform, electoral success, and governance of the Kadima party, comparing its trajectory to earlier centre parties.

VI. CONCLUSION: Synthesizes findings, revisits the initial hypotheses, and offers an outlook on the future of centre parties in Israel.

Keywords

Israeli Politics, Centre Parties, Kadima, Party Systems, Left-Right Continuum, Ariel Sharon, Political Cleavages, Electoral Success, Coalition Politics, Party Leadership, Pragmatism, Political Reform, Democracy, Israeli Elections, Political Parties.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary focus of this research?

The research focuses on the emergence and subsequent success of the Israeli Kadima party, analyzing it within the context of previous attempts to establish successful centre parties in Israel.

What are the central themes explored in the work?

Key themes include the definition of "centre parties," the dynamics of the Israeli party system, the impact of electoral thresholds, the role of charismatic leadership, and the influence of national consensus on party strategy.

What is the core research question?

The study seeks to answer why the Kadima party in the 2006 elections was significantly more successful than any other Israeli centre party had ever been before.

Which scientific methodology is employed?

The author uses a qualitative analysis of primary and secondary sources, including political party platforms, historical data, election results, and scholarly literature on Israeli politics.

What topics are covered in the main section?

The main sections provide an analytical background on party theory, detailed descriptions of Israeli political cleavages, historical analysis of Israeli party systems, and specific case studies of centre parties from 1965 to 2006.

Which keywords best describe this study?

Key concepts include Israeli politics, party systems, centrist ideology, political leadership, coalition formation, and electoral success.

How does Kadima differ from previous centre parties in Israel?

Unlike previous parties that were often "star parties" or splinter groups without broad electoral impact, Kadima became the largest party in the Knesset and led the government, maintaining its structure despite significant leadership changes and external pressures.

What role does Ariel Sharon play in the analysis?

Ariel Sharon is identified as a crucial, charismatic, and unifying figure whose transition from the Likud to the centre provided Kadima with the necessary momentum to become the dominant force in the 2006 government.