Russian-Speaking Representation in Knesset May Plummet to Three
Translated & summarized from Mignews by baba
Exit polls for the upcoming Israeli election suggest a significant drop in Russian-speaking representation in the Knesset, potentially down to just three members from the current seven. Parties like Yisrael Beiteinu and Hitnahelut may secure seats for some Russian-speaking candidates, while Likud and Yahad face challenges. This trend marks a decline from previous Knessets, which had higher numbers of lawmakers from the Russian-speaking community.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Exit polls indicate only three Russian-speaking lawmakers may be elected to the 26th Knesset.
- The current Knesset has seven Russian-speaking members, down from eight in the previous term.
- Yisrael Beiteinu's Avigdor Lieberman and Yulia Malinovskaya are likely to secure seats.
- Alex Rif of Hitnahelut is expected to enter the Knesset, representing Russian-speaking interests.
- Likud has no Russian-speaking immigrant in a high enough position to guarantee a seat.
- The number of Russian-speaking Knesset members has varied historically, peaking at 16 in the 17th Knesset.
The upcoming 26th Knesset may see a significant drop in Russian-speaking lawmakers, with projections suggesting only three representatives from the community could be elected. This is a sharp decline from the current Knesset, which has seven Russian-speaking members, and the previous one, which had eight. Exit polls released on October 27-28 indicate this potential reduction.
The Yisrael Beiteinu party, led by Avigdor Lieberman, is expected to win between 4 and 8 seats. Lieberman himself, as the first candidate on the list, and Yulia Malinovskaya, at fifth place, are likely to secure Knesset seats. Evgeny Sova, eighth on the list, faces uncertainty, while Elvira Kalikhman, ninth, is only projected to win a seat according to one exit poll.
Hitnahelut, led by Gadi Eisenkot, is predicted to gain 19-22 seats, ensuring a place for Alex Rif, who is 15th on the list. Rif, who founded the "Million Lobby" organization advocating for Russian-speaking Israelis, was born in Chernivtsi.
The Likud party, despite potentially winning 24 to 39 seats, has no Russian-speaking immigrant in a realistically attainable position on its list for the first time in years. Ze'ev Elkin is 32nd, and Yuli Edelstein has left the party. Boris Aplichuk, who sought a reserved spot for immigrants, did not receive one.
Yahad, a bloc led by Naftali Bennett, has placed Vladimir Beliak, a former Yesh Atid member, in 16th place. Tatiana Mazarskaya, another former Yesh Atid member, did not run. Olesya Kantor is 26th on the Yahad list, a position considered unlikely to yield a seat given the party's projected 11-15 mandates.
Many parties with a chance of entering the Knesset did not include Russian-speaking candidates in viable positions. The Russian-language election campaign was also notably subdued this year. Historically, the 23rd and 20th Knessets had 10 Russian-speaking members each, while the 17th and 18th Knessets had 16 and 14, respectively. The first Knesset had the highest proportion of immigrant lawmakers, with 58% born in the Russian Empire or fluent in Russian.
Mentioned
