The upheaval, Rabin's assassination and 'the Arabs are flocking': Returning to five elections that shaped Israel
Commentator Shimon Shiffer revisits five elections that shaped Israel: the 1977 upheaval, the 1981 elections with Begin's fears, 1996 after Rabin's assassination, and 2015. He explains how these events continue to influence Israeli politics today.
Ynet's political commentator Shimon Shiffer revisits five elections that shaped Israel, just ahead of the current elections. He describes the 1977 upheaval, in which Menachem Begin's Likud won 43 seats and ended 29 years of Mapai rule, using the term 'upheaval' coined by Haim Yavin. Shiffer argues that the main catalyst was the sense of alienation felt by entire populations. He then moves to the 1981 elections, where Begin feared losing to Shimon Peres and made mistakes in his treatment of the public, including accusing kibbutz members. Shiffer notes that Begin ordered the IDF to carry out the operation to destroy the nuclear reactor in Iraq out of fear that Peres would not carry it out. The article is part of Ynet's 'The Headline' podcast.