Israel must resist election economics, vote buying ahead of October 27 - editorial
As Israel enters the final month before the election, officials must resist vote-buying through public spending, while critics should not label every government decision electioneering.
In the United States during the 1920s, the Republican Party's strategy of promising constituents everything from a "chicken in every pot to a car in every garage" served as a reminder of the dangers of election economics as Israel approaches its October 27 election. In a functioning government, legislation is regularly passed, budgets are allocated, and programs launched, regardless of election cycles.
However, during election season, every move is subject to scrutiny. The motives, initiators, and beneficiaries of such actions become questions of concern.
The current Israeli government holds all the cards, making it crucial for the opposition, media, and public to meticulously vet every bill and allocation. This is to ensure that decisions are not merely made to secure voting loyalty, a practice known as election economics. While some decisions, like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's NIS 35 million pilot program compensating uninsured businesses for property damage directly caused by protection-money extortion, appear to benefit everyone, others, such as the roughly NIS 2.4 billion funding package for neighborhoods and access roads in West Bank settlements, seem like a blatant attempt to boost Smotrich's electoral base with the election looming.
The line between legitimate decisions and electioneering can blur, as seen with the Attorney-General's Office postponing the deadline for submitting proposals to build 1,200 housing units in the E1 expansion near Ma aleh Adumim. This decision, ordered a month in advance of the election, was deemed potentially political. Critics argue that delaying the decision is itself a form of reverse electioneering.
The challenge lies in distinguishing between decisions that are a normal part of a responsible government and those that are thinly veiled bribes to secure support and votes. As we enter the final month before the election, all elected officials must display utmost responsibility, refraining from cozying up to constituents with financial incentives disguised as legislation.
Past elections have demonstrated that controlling these instincts is often a difficult task. However, given the high stakes of this election, vigilance is paramount, and violations should be called out with vigor.
While not every government decision can be accused of vote buying, it is crucial for the government to refrain from any election economics and for the opposition to refrain from casting every government decision as merely an attempt to secure an election win. There are more pressing issues facing the country, and the parties should articulate their plans for addressing these issues if they gain Knesset seats or join the government.
This approach is more likely to garner support and loyalty from voters, rather than through election-associated favoritism.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
