Israeli politics tends to pamper centrist parties. Much like their ultra-Orthodox counterparts, centrist parties have always been considered niche parties focusing on issues of religion and state, with no clear view on diplomatic policy or on defense and security.
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This made them potential coalition partners for any government, be it led by the Right or the Left, or partners in a national unity government.
Centrist parties' mantra has always been one to tout a "different" political culture that portrayed them is comprised of people who have proven leadership experience – men of action who shun murky political practices and are therefore worthy of standing at the helm.
The appeal here is the lineup – centrist parties usually recruit high-profile public figures, but the excitement soon fades and, without clear ideology, all they are left with is ego, which soon leads to their demise.
Kadima and Blue and White were a different breed of centrist parties. They sought to fulfill a national mission – the 2005 disengagement from the Gaza Strip for Kadima and rehabilitating the consensus over Israel's Jewish and democratic character for Blue and White – and both marked electoral achievements that made them overnight ruling parties. In both cases, the faster they rose, the harder they fell.
Tal Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, who this week plunged into national politics, has not heeded history. He is counting on the public's strategic vote to the newest centrist star. His mission is to end Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rule and he undoubtedly plans to partner with the New Hope, Yamina, Yisrael Beytenu and Yesh Atid to form his coalition.
The problem is – this is not how you defend democracy. Fad parties do democracy more harm than good. Long-term thinking must present an ideological alternative to the Right rather than hollow centrist slogans.
This is good for both the Right and for democracy: ideological rivalry stabilizes the political system and allows for a change of government.
From an ideological perspective, nothing is likely to change. The ultra-Orthodox certainly won't change their ideology. They advocate Israel as a national-religious state, annexation, and oppose the constitutional revolution. Gideon Sa'ar founded a neo-conservative right-wing party, and Huldai, in his decision to form another center-left party, could actually bring about the demise of the Left as we know it.
The term "Israelis" indeed embodies the controversy in contemporary politics: the Right is "Jewish" but the Center-Left is "Israeli."
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For a stable Israeli democracy, the Left must produce an alternative of a ruling party. Such a moderate-Left party should champion human rights and equality as the constitutional value of the nation-state of the Jewish people, it should advocate checks and balances between the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government – not their separation; an inclusive and pluralistic national-secular perception, and support for the cultural rights of minorities, as well as solidarity, and the welfare state.
A social democracy is the answer to the impressive ideological manifestation of the Israeli Right. Huldai should build a new Labor party instead of producing another center-right party that has nothing real to offer.
Gayil Talshir is a senior lecturer in political science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
