"Russian Voice" Left Out: Why Only 3 Repatriates Made It into the Knesset

After the elections for the 26th Knesset, only three Russian-speaking deputies were elected — a record low in 30 years. Professor Zeev Hanin told Vesti studio that the reason is the leading parties' neglect of the Russian-speaking electorate. Most lists gave repatriates non-viable slots; even in Yisrael Beiteinu only two candidates passed instead of the expected four.

After the elections for the 26th Knesset, only three Russian-speaking deputies were elected — a record low in the last 30 years. Political scientist and head of the Institute for Euro-Asian Jewish Studies, Professor Zeev Hanin, told Vesti studio that the main reason is the demonstrative neglect of the Russian-speaking electorate by leading Israeli parties. Most party lists gave repatriates non-viable slots: Zeev Elkin in Likud ended up beyond a realistic chance, Vladimir Beliak in the Yesh Atid and Naftali Bennett bloc lost his mandate due to high turnout, and in Gadi Eisenkot's party only Alex Rif passed. Even in Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu, instead of the expected four Russian-speaking candidates in realistic slots, only two were secured — Evgeny Sova's mandate went to partners under the surplus-vote agreement. According to Hanin, the potential of the "Russian vote" is 12-13 mandates, but it was diluted. About 40% of active repatriate votes were accumulated by Yisrael Beiteinu, the rest were scattered among lists that did not pass the threshold or went to national blocs without personal representation. The expert noted that attempts to create narrow-sectoral "Russian parties" have finally exhausted themselves.