Israeli politicians are having trouble following the developments and changes among the Russian-speaking public. They have always found it hard, but ever since the “Russian Street” turned from being a highway into a seemingly serpentine obstacle course, there is growing confusion regarding the “place” of “the Russians” on the political map.
It seems that too much effort is being put into an effort to fathom their political opinions and too little attention into mapping their social positioning. These two pivots have always determined this public’s voting patterns in a manner that puzzles Israeli politicians. They not only appear to fail to understand this group, they still fear it, too, as one fears any phenomenon that is not totally understood. The national anthem of the Russian-speaking public in Israel is, of course, “Hatikva”; their community’s anthem is Frank Sinatra’s “I Did It My Way.”
