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Feminists Empower Opposition In New Israeli Knesset

Mazal Mualem foresees the new Knesset opposition parties to be both diverse and formidable.  
Labour party leader Shelly Yachimovich addresses supporters at her party's headquarters in Beit Berl, north of Tel Aviv January 23, 2013. Hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emerged the bruised winner of Israel's election on Tuesday, claiming victory despite unexpected losses to resurgent centre-left challengers. REUTERS/Amir Cohen (ISRAEL - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTR3CTBL
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The emerging opposition has excellent opening odds to be recorded as one of the strongest in the history of the Knesset. The combination of combative women and ultra-Orthodox and Arab men, all of whom head parties with a social-welfare orientation and represent weaker elements of the population, promises that it will be interesting.

When one thinks about it, this is also likely to be good news for rehabilitating the image of the opposition institution. The outgoing Knesset transformed the opposition to a lifeless entity, empty of content and symbol of retreat vis-à-vis a predatory government, to the extent of threatening the democratic balance of power.

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