Politics in Israel - Political Parties - Shinui
Shinui (שינוי) is a
Zionist, secular, liberal party in Israel. Shinui is member of the
Liberal International. In the election of 2003 it gained 15 out of 120
Knesset seats, making it the third-largest party, after Likud and Labour.
The party's leader is Joseph 'Tommy' Lapid. In Hebrew, the word Shinui
literally means "change".
Ideology
Religion and state
Despite nearly 30 years of public support of Liberal-Capitalist economic
and social policies, it best known platform plank is a call for
separation of religion and state within the confines of Zionist
ideology. It demands civil marriage (although it has opposed a bill to
enact it in March 2004), the operation of public transportation,
businesses, theaters, etc. on Saturdays (the Shabbat, Jewish Sabbath),
removal of laws concerning selling and importing non-kosher food,
drafting of Haredi Jews into the IDF, and a halt to payments to Haredi
Yeshiva students.
Because of such demands and the inflammatory tone of its current
leadership, it is sometimes accused of being anti-religious or hating
the religious, and so some, including many secular people who would
otherwise agree with its platform, would not vote for it. The party's
official position is that it does not oppose religion but merely seeks
to mend the injustices that are being done on its behalf.
Economy
Economically, Shinui supports a free market, privatization of public
assets, and a lowering of taxes, especially taxes on the middle class.
The party has also objected to the introduction of a progressive estate
tax.
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
As for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with the Palestinians, Shinui
supports the military tactics undertaken by Ariel Sharon, such as
occupying Palestinian cities if necessary 'in response to terrorist
attacks' and targeting terrorist leaders (such as Ahmed Yassin). Shinui
supports negotiation with moderate Palestinians concerning the final
status and a Palestinian state, which would include removal of Israeli
settlements and withdrawal from most of the West Bank and Gaza. It
asserts that both the Right and Left mislead the public. The Right, by
claiming that only force will solve the problem, and the Left, by
claiming that there is a Palestinian partner for peace.
Shinui strongly supports the Israeli West Bank barrier and Israel's
unilateral disengagement plan of 2004 from the Gaza Strip.
Political ethics and corruption
Shinui proclaimed itself as defender of political purity and lawful
behavior (in Hebrew: טוהר המידות ושלטון החוק ). It promised to set an
example for an uncorrupted party which its members aren't suspected in
criminal affairs and financial irregularities. Shinui sees itself as an
antithesis of the Mizrahi Haredi party Shas which they describe as
"unenlightened," "primitive" and "corrupt".
As such, Lapid asked and received the Ministries of Justice and Internal
Affairs (the last was held formerly by Shas). Shinui also frequently
praise the Supreme Court for Justice (BAGATZ) as protector of the law
and moral values.
History
Shinui was established by Israeli business people and academics in 1974,
following the 1973 Arab-Israeli Yom Kippur War, which shook the Israeli
public. In the 1977 elections it formed the Dash bloc with other Liberal
parties and public figures, secured 15 seats in parliament and formed
the first non-Labour coalition government. Dash suffered many internal
conflicts and quickly dissolved, leaving Shinui, headed by Prof. Amnon
Rubinstein to run on its own in the 1981, 1984 and 1988 elections, in
which it was down to two seats.
In 1992 it joined two other dovish parties, RATZ (רצ, Movement for Civil
Rights and Peace), Mapam (מפ"ם, Israeli Workers Party), to form Meretz,
which together won 12 seats and formed a coalition government with
Labour. In 1996 the three parties decided to merge into a united Meretz
party. The party leader, Prof. Amnon Rubinstein, supported the merger,
but most party members, under the leadership of Avraham Poraz sought to
distance themselves from the social-democratic elements in Meretz, and
splintered in 1997. Poraz led the party towards a more ideologically
liberal stance on both the economy and secularism.
Towards the 1999 elections, he abdicated in favour of flamboyant TV
celebrity Yossef 'Tommy' Lapid, who was known for his fierce rhetoric
against religious coercion. In those elections, Shinui went up to 6
seats, while in 2003 it won 15 seats and became the 3rd largest
political party in Israel, and Ariel Sharon's senior coalition partner.
Politics
Shinui has refused to join any coalition which includes the Haredi
parties (Shas and United Torah Judaism).
Shinui has a deep rivalry with Meretz-Yachad party, although they share
very similar values in many issues. The rivalry is due to a battle over
voters (both parties draw their support from the Ashkenazi-secular
middle class) and what are often seen as "ego fights" between Yossef
Lapid to Yachad's leaders Yossi Sarid and Yossi Beilin.
On July, 2004, a tape recording of Shinui senior member and Minister of
Infrastructures, Yossef Paritzki, was exposed. In the tape, Paritzki
asked a private investigator to frame his Shinui colleague Avraam Poraz
in order to end his political career and thus clear the way for
Paritzki. The private investigator was paid by the workers' union of
Israel's Power Company (IPC), which wanted to prevent a law bill by
Poraz denying the IPC workers many priviliges they currently hold.
In response, Shinui publicly denounced and condemned Paritzki and asked
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to fire Paritzki from the cabinet, and
called on Paritzki to resign from the Knesset and leave Shinui. Paritzki
refused and blamed Shinui and other factors in a plot against him.
On August 2004, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon initiated coalition
negotiations after he lost the government majority required to support
his disengagement plan. Sharon wished to form a Likud-Labor-Shinui
"secular unity" government, but this intention was thwarted by the
objections of Likud's members. Sharon then started negotiations with the
Haredi Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) parties to join the
governmemt. However, Shinui vowed in the 2003 elections that it would
not sit together in a coalition with these parties.
After significant pressure from Sharon, and to avoid being blamed for
thwarting the implementation of the disengagement plan, Lapid retracted
his vow and agreed to sit together in the government with UTJ, if they
could agree on the government principles. Lapid also hoped that the UTJ
would be the side to turn down and scuttle the negotiations. The UTJ,
however, raised its demands (e.g. cancelling procedures for passing
civil marriage laws and the Tal law).
On December 1, 2004, Shinui voted against Sharon's proposed 2005 budget,
which included subsidies to UTJ projects. In response, Sharon fired the
Shinui ministers from the cabinet.
Shinui out of the cabinet
As of 2005, Shinui was not included in the new coalition government of
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon after he formed a new coalition with the
Israel labor party, and the Ashkenazi Haredi parties of United Torah
Judaism and Degel haTorah.
From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinui
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