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| Chazan: Palestinian elections will influence Israeli polls
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Naomi Chazan, Former deputy Knesset speaker
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Former deputy Knesset (Israeli parliament) speaker, Professor Naomi Chazan, has told a London audience that she believes the Hamas victory in the Palestinian election will be more influential on the Israeli election than people expect.
Addressing an audience of over 180 people at the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House in London on Thursday night, she said, “they are so intertwined but no one wants to acknowledge this.”
The event was hosted by the New Israel Fund, a charity that promotes equality, social justice and democracy in Israel.
However, Hazan said that “Hamas’s victory will be used by the parties but it won’t effect the outcome.”
Pointing to Ehud Olmert’s lead in the polls, she added: “On March 29 we will wake up to a Kadima victory,” she added.
Chazan gave reasons for the overwhelming victory of Hamas. “People underestimated the extent of dissatisfaction with poverty and the leadership, people perceived Hamas would bring order. The electoral system also worked in Hamas’s favour.”
Importance of continuing
The former Knesset deputy speaker stressed the need for a continuing transfer of power.
“It needs to be coordinated or the results will be horrific as we saw in Gaza last August. Disengagement is conflict management not resolution,” she said.
“Resolution can only be through negotiations but how to bring this about has become infinitely more complicated. Need to think how to bring moderation on both sides to a situation where moderation prevails,” she added.
Alan Bolchover, chief executive of the New Israel Fund UK, said, “NIF is always delighted to host people like Naomi, she’s a great advocate of our values and beliefs, this was a celebration of raising ?1m for the first time in the UK.”
Prof Chazan gave an overview of the current state of events in Israel with the view that the region is going through intense change and expanding parameters.
She pointed to the similarities in the Israeli and Palestinian elections and changes in the Israeli arena.
There is no dichotomy for voters, previous campaigns, at least since 1967, have been about left verses right, hawks verses doves, Likud verses Labour.
The old guard are not key players and the transition has brought three new leaders, Amir Peretz, Benjamin Netanyahu and Ehud Olmert, who are young and don’t herald from the military establishment.
Prof Chazan also cited the emergence of a new centralist public opinion that wants territorial compromise, a Palestinian state and social injustice.
“There is so much fatigue in the air, people just want normal lives,” she said.
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