Tova Hertzl: A Strategic Vote

Tova Hertzl argues that the assumption that the largest faction will form the government is incorrect, citing the 2009 precedent where Kadima was the largest but Netanyahu formed the government. She calls on voters in the change bloc to vote based on their substantive positions rather than a desire to strengthen the leading candidate, and explains why she herself will vote for the Democrats and not for Eisenkot.

Tova Hertzl, a retired Foreign Ministry employee, argues that the assumption that the largest faction will automatically be tasked with forming the government is incorrect. She illustrates this with hypothetical scenarios where the Joint List or Degel HaTorah becomes the largest faction, and recalls the 2009 precedent where Kadima won one more seat than Likud, but the president tasked Benjamin Netanyahu with forming the government after 65 Knesset members recommended him. Hertzl calls on voters in the change bloc to vote based on their substantive positions rather than a desire to strengthen the leading candidate in the bloc, and explains that she herself will vote for the Democrats and not for Gadi Eisenkot due to concerns about temptations and lack of experience among some candidates.