The political earthquake that shook Israel in November 2006 eventually led to the establishment of a new party with a centre image, KADIMA, led by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Only four months later, after a lot of political turmoil (domestic as well as external), including losing its charismatic leader as Sharon fell into a coma, KADIMA entered the Knesset as the largest party, and its new leader, Ehud Olmert, formed the new government. Never before had an Israeli centre party been this successful.
While political parties, party systems and party positioning along the left-right continuum have been subject to research by scholars of political science, the phenomenon of the centre party has been neglected until recently. Maurice Duverger’s verdict that “the centre does not exist in politics,” seems to have had a devastating effect on centre party research: there is no universal definition and hardly any theoretical groundwork on which to base an analysis of past and contemporary centre parties.
This thesis seeks to make a contribution to the quest for such a universal definition by proposing one of its own. It is partly drawn from the findings of others, such as Hans Daalder and Reuven Hazan, combining several features proposed for centre parties in general research as well as research on Israeli parties in particular. It analyzes the phenomenon of KADIMA in conjunction with former Israeli centre parties and the general changes in the Israeli political system. The research question guiding the analysis is: Why was Kadima in the elections 2006 so much more successful than any other Israeli centre party had ever been before?
This is in no way the final word on centre parties in the Israeli party system, but it hopefully proves to be another step towards a more thorough understanding of the dynamics of Israeli parties. The fact that a genuine centre has emerged in Israeli society might be of great consequence for the political system (irrespective of KADIMA and its survival as a political party), but only time will show if the bickering and the scandals within KADIMA won’t lead to the disappointment of its voters and their subsequent return to the parties of the blocs.
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
I.1 Aims and Objectives
While political parties, party systems and party positioning along the left-right continuum have been subject to research by scholars of political science, the phenomenon of the centre party has been neglected until recently. Duverger’s verdict that “the centre does not exist in politics” (Duverger 1969: 215), seems to have had a devastating effect on centre party research: there is no universal definition and hardly any theoretical groundwork on which to base an analysis of past and contemporary centre parties.
With this thesis I would like to make a contribution to the quest for such a universal definition by proposing one of my own. It is partly drawn from the findings of others, such as Daalder (1984) and Hazan (1997a; 1999b), combining several features proposed for centre parties in general research as well as research on Israeli parties in particular.
Why study Israeli centre parties, of all things? Not just because “Israel is the most baffling case” (Sartori 1976: 151) when it comes to political parties and the dynamics between them, but because the Israeli party system throughout its history provides a number of cases due to a very low threshold (gradually raised from zero percent in 1948 to two percent in 2006). The result is “a strongly developed, one might even say overdeveloped, multi-party system” (Akzin 1955: 508): the country has experienced the appearance and the demise of a number of possible centre parties. Thus, it allows for a diachronical intra-national comparison of centre parties (see Lijphart 1971: 689).
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.
- Citar trabajo
- MA Florentine Lempp (Autor), 2008, Forward (Kadima) to the Centre? - The Rise and Fall of Israeli Centre Parties, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/121965
