The Elections in Israel 2009

The elections to the 18th Knesset (legislature of Israel) were held on February 10, 2009, almost three years after the elections to the 17th Knesset and approximately twenty months before the original date set for them to be held. The elections are best understood in the context of the wars that were at each end of Ehud Olmert's government tenure, corruption scandals involving the prime minister, and the failure of Tzipi Livni, the newly elected head of the ruling center party, Kadima, to form a new coalition following Olmert's resignation.

The election campaign of 2009 began with the resignation of Ehud Olmert in the shadow of his corruption scandals and issues of integrity and clean government. This was followed by the world financial crisis, which directed attention towards the economic dimension and performance of the candidates. The campaign was cut short when military action began in Gaza, and the question of who can best ensure security prevailed in the campaign. It became personalized and focused on the candidates: the two candidates who had once headed the government and aspired to return, Benjamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak, and the chairperson of Kadima, Tzipi Livni, who was running for the first time as head of a party.

The Elections in Israel 2009 continues the tradition of comprehensive analysis of The Elections in Israel series, begun in 1969. The volume analyzes the elections from diverse perspectivesùof the voters, social groups, the political parties, the candidates, political communication, public policy and political culture. It will be of particular interest to those concerned with comparative politics and elections in an open society.

The late Asher Arian was Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and a senior research fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute. He is author or editor of numerous books on the topics of governance, elections, public opinion, and political behavior in Israel.

Michal Shamir is the Alvin Z. Rubinstein Professor of Political Science at Tel Aviv University. She is author or editor of numerous books, and her work focuses on democratic politics and culture.