“Those voting for the political center are not stupid,” declared veteran advertising executive Udi Pridan, whose agency coined “Without unity, your vote is lost,” the slogan opening a campaign to encourage a group of seven Israeli public figures to unite under one political umbrella. Unite4Israel, launched Jan. 20, urges them to “set aside their egos” and join forces to win the “war for the state.” A poll commissioned by the campaign showed that 79% of the supporters of the seven — more than 1 million adult Israelis — want them to join forces.
Admittedly, most center-left Israelis are not stupid, but they are undoubtedly confused and embarrassed, having lost their way. The deep yearning to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his associates, among them Culture Minister Miri Regev, appears to have become their be all and end all, blocking the political and moral field of vision of wise and principled people. In other words, the dream of toppling Netanyahu and company in the April 9 elections has distorted the thinking of Israel's best and brightest when it comes to the tremendous diplomatic, political and social challenges facing Israel.