Why Vote for Ometz

Ticket: ק"ץ

[If you want to hear a brief interview with me about Ometz, here is a call-in interview I did on the KeepOlim Special Election Broadcast about the Ometz (ticket: קץ) party. KeepOlim in Israel Movement is a 45K strong non-profit organization of olim (new immigrants) to Israel.]

Before I describe why I am voting for Ometz (Courage) – the anti-corona policies / human dignity party – I will just mention this is my first article in almost two years. My last article, How I Stopped Fearing Corona, had to be posted on an anti-corona policy (and pro “Common Sense Model”) site because the Times of Israel, where I had blogged since 2015, censored me and most content which dared to question the government’s COVID-19 narrative. And my last political article was Right-wing Religious Zionists for Zehut describing why in April 2019 I voted for another new party, Zehut led by maverick Moshe Feiglin.

Already back then when voting for Zehut I discarded the common notion of “wasting my vote” when voting for a small new party which may not pass the 3.25% (4 mandate) electoral threshold. Already then I realized the awesome feeling of voting my conscience rather than settling for the lesser of all evils. The threshold was raised from 2% to 3.25% in 2014 (and historically was even lower) ostensibly to make governments more stable. Since then Israel has gone from an election every 3-4 years to yearly and sometimes biannual elections! Clearly the high threshold has NOT contributed to stable governments.

Reason 1: The awesome feeling of voting my conscience rather than settling for the lesser of all evils.

It can be argued that such a high threshold is a major obstacle to democracy which ideally is supposed to government by the people for the people. If the big parties made up of career politicians have become corrupt or are not serving my interests, do I want to make it harder or easier for concerned caring citizens to create a party which can represent me politically? I am not calling for an unmanageable 0% threshold but if seasoned politicians with support bases cannot pass the threshold and we have now wasted an unprecedented 18 billion sheqels on 5 elections in three years, clearly the threshold must be lowered – probably back to 2%. And yet, after all that, the career politicians have left the increased threshold law in place. Perhaps they or their powerful supporters are benefiting from it? Follow the money!

Reason 2: Voting for a small new party is a protest vote against the cockamamy disaster that is the current electoral threshold.

As it stands, the media and pollsters completely ignore new small parties unless started by popular career politicians. So nobody really knows if they will pass the threshold or not and there have been surprises in the past. But even if they do not pass the threshold, their votes still have impact. Every valid vote is registered and if a hundred thousand voters do not support a well-known party, the large parties and their representatives will eventually try to gain their favor for the next election cycle. Most of the recent elections have had either (a) parties making (or not making) the threshold by a few thousand votes or (b) the ability to form a government (or not) being based on a single mandate. So every vote and every mandate counts! In addition, the election board provides local statistics on how residents voted so voting for a small new party can start a conversation in the community that can drum up support for the issues the party stands for and for a potential future attempt. Sometimes small parties and their supporters need to play a “long game” rather than focusing on just the current cycle. Some very recent examples of the impact of small parties are Naftali Bennett and his party who lost an election and was nearly knocked out of politics and then came back to be Prime Minister or Itamar Ben Gvir who for years failed to pass the threshold and is now polling at 10+ mandates in a joint national religious party.

Reason 3: Every vote counts – even for parties that do not pass the threshold, especially when playing a “long game”. And it’s not just about the vote - it’s also about the campaign: winning over hearts and minds and promoting policies - not politicians.

Reason 4: Anything can happen. Polls are just polls and as my beloved Zadie (grandfather) would say about the Lotto (lottery), “If you don’t play, you can’t win.”

Besides for those general reasons to not fear supporting a small party, I have many specific reasons to support the Ometz (Courage) – Human Dignity party.

As an active anti-corona policy activist myself, I have met each of their top 5 candidates and have great respect for all of them. That is actually true for 9 out of their 14 candidates. I stood shoulder to shoulder with them for the last 2.5 years at protests in the streets of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ra”anana and co-hosted them at World Wide Demonstration for Freedom rallies there and in Pardes Chana as well. Together we fought lockdowns and masks and vax mandates and other draconian covid policies. We don’t agree on every issue and never discussed things like the Arab-Israeli conflict, welfare, or abortion – but on the topic of basic human rights – to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness -  we completely agree. And those rights were trampled the last 2.5 years and they are the only party running on exactly those issues.

Reason 5: I know the candidates personally and they are a party of caring citizens and NOT career politicians.

Reason 6: Ometz is the only party running to correct the damage to human rights and our democracy caused by both the left and the right during the fake pandemic.

The entire party platform is about over-hauling the corrupt Israel Ministry of Health and they have the following demands to participate in any coalition government:

1.     Promoting the establishment of a Constitution in Israel based on the fundamental law of human dignity and freedom.

2.     Repeal of the Law of Powers and Emergency Regulations.

3.     In depth examination of the subject of the definition of “state of  emergency” and establish strict restrictions regarding the possibility of harming individual rights, including military involvement, police enforcement, the time limit and the approval processes, in the spirit of the fundamental law of human dignity and freedom.

4.     Prohibition of having a green passport or other social ranking mechanisms.

5.     Repeal of the cash restriction law and the reconsideration of intention to use the “digital shekel” as a central monetary instrument.

6.     Examining the initiatives for full legalization of cannabis, emphasizing the need for use of cannabis for medical purposes, without the approval of a special committee; as well as for private use similar to the enforcement rules for alcohol or tobacco.

7.     Individual and national sovereignty:
A. The Ometz Party sees great significance in protecting individual sovereignty over body and personal property; and the State of Israel being an independent and sovereign state in all areas of life.

B. In this context, we will insist on an in-depth examination of the obligations that the state has committed to in international agreements in all fields and vis-à-vis all international organizations and the manner of their implementation.

C. Ometz party will work to present the content and purpose of each agreement, contract and convention before signature, to the entire Israeli public, to promote transparency, trust and honesty in face of foreign interests and considerations, that are not consistent with freedoms of the citizens of Israel.

And that’s just regarding Individual and Civil Rights. Their party platform also has important sections on: Law and Justice, Health and Welfare, Education, Economics, Environment & Natural Resources, & Media and Communication.

Reason 7: I agree with 99% of their platform and they will fight for my rights which were trampled during covid-19, to ensure it can never happen again. See also Reason 1.

Most of Israeli society including a government officials are not aware of the biggest threat facing our country and indeed our planet: dangerous global agendas like Agenda 21 and Agenda 2030 and The Great Reset being pushed by international bodies like the WEF, UN, and WHO and international actors like many world leaders, corporate executives, and other elite billionaires. Most anti-covid policy activists have been made aware of this over the last 2.5 years and at least some of the party members are familiar with these threats.

Reason 8: They are the only party aware of the threats of the New World Order.

Reason 9: As activists they have proven they are not afraid to risk their careers or social status to fight for what is right and just.

I agree with all those who claim the system is corrupt and the chances are slim. But I also believe in hishtadlut (making an effort) and divine providence. In the end, what G-d wants to happen is what will be but in my world view, G-d typically wants us to be His partners and make an effort.

Reason 10: They will B”H (with G-d’s help) have the COURAGE (Ometz) to cry out “The Emperor has no clothes!!” from the Knesset itself.

May Hashem (G-d) bless all the righteous citizens fighting for truth, justice, and life itself. They are small and the odds are against them, but so were the Maccabees. Chanukah is coming!

I wish a refuah shleima (speedy recovery) to all the vaccine injured and my condolences go out to everyone whose friends and family were murdered by evil globalists and government officials and negligent doctors and nurses. May Hashem exact judgement, empower us to fix this broken world, heal the ill, and comfort those mourning. And may we live to see a complete redemption of all of Hashem’s creations.

Addendum: One of my reader’s commented on activist Ilana Rachel Daniel’s, The Common Denominator channel that, “My impression is that this is a Leftist party and if so I am concerned about their view on more religious and national positions. I think this point wasn't adequately addressed in the article.” Fair enough. By the way, leftist’s can make the same argument saying maybe they will be “right-wing” because they have not taken a stand on polarizing left/right issues like security or religion. Party leader Tzvika Granot addressed this in his interview here where he says outright they are not left and not right and the candidates have a variety of views on these topics and will research each issue as it arises. I am fine with that. They are thinking people with open hearts minds and souls - not yet bought by outside interests. In addition, if you are putting your faith in the “right-wing” you may want to review this interview with Moshe Feiglin where he explains that until the right has an actual ideology of their own that they are not afraid to implement - they will continue enabling the left. And for anyone putting their faith in the left-wing parties regarding human rights, we saw how well Meretz, Labor, and the center parties protected our human rights during covid-19: just as bad if not worse than the right. So in my opinion, speaking as a traditionally religious right-wing voter who cares about human rights, the left/right paradigm is irrelevant and harmful - just as much as the identity politics. The mainstream parties of career politicians do NOT deliver on their promises anyways.

Reason 11: The left/right paradigm is largely a farce. Left is not really left and right is not really right. So you might as well revisit Reason #1 (and 2-10 for that matter).