How Netanyahu's plan to lower electoral threshold could backfire
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is promoting lowering the Knesset electoral threshold to prevent wasted votes on the Israeli right, but not everybody on the right is on board with the plan.
Shortly before 10 p.m. on March 17, 2015, television broadcasters prepared to release the results of exit polling for the 20th Knesset elections conducted earlier in the day. Ultra-Orthodox Mizrahi supporters of Shas, led by Aryeh Deri, gathered at a rally to anxiously await the results. When Shas’ seven seats appeared on a chart of party votes, the hall filled with applause, though somewhat subdued. When a column showing Yachad, headed by Eli Yishai, falling below the electoral threshold needed to win seats in the Knesset, the roof of the hall almost collapsed from the cheering. Those in attendance were thrilled that Yishai, previously pushed out of Shas, had failed to be elected to the Knesset.
What happened that night regained relevance Oct. 22 with a Channel 2 report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud Party intend to try to lower the electoral threshold required for a party to qualify for seats in the Knesset, from 3.25% to 2%, reversing the higher threshold approved in March 2014 by the previous coalition headed by Netanyahu and the Likud.
According to the report, Netanyahu’s goal is to prevent votes on the right such as those for Yachad in 2015 from being wasted. In the 2015 elections, the almost 125,000 votes for Yachad — representing almost 3% of the vote — were lost by the nationalist camp. If there had not been such a high threshold, Yachad would have won three seats, and would have come close to winning four. Netanyahu fears a situation where HaBayit HaYehudi, the second largest party on the right, splits due to differences of opinion. If Bezalel Smotrich and Uri Ariel, leaders of Ichud Haleumi, which is part of the HaBayit HaYehudi alliance, run on a separate party list, tens of thousands of additional votes on the right could be endangered.
Deri’s response to Netanyahu’s initiative surprised the prime minister’s associates in its vehemence. “Netanyahu is thrusting a knife in our back,” the Shas chairman and current interior minister told his party associates, “Shas will strengthen in the next election and doesn’t need any favors from Netanyahu. Netanyahu has Shas’ support and in response takes initiatives that would harm Shas without consulting us. I’m advising Netanyahu: Lowering the electoral threshold won’t pass, don’t even try it.”
