Gil (political party)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Israel |
 This article is part of the series: |
|
|
|
Other countries · Politics Portal |
Gil (Hebrew: גיל) is a political party in Israel and part of the governing coalition in the seventeenth Knesset.
Contents |
[edit] Name
As is the case with many political parties in Israel, Gil is an acronym, standing for the Hebrew for Pensioners of Israel to the Knesset (Hebrew: גימלאי ישראל לכנסת, Gimla'ey Yisrael LaKnesset). Literally, Gil is the Hebrew word for age, reflecting the party's target demographic.
[edit] 2006 elections
In the run up to the 2006 elections, opinion polls suggested that Gil might break the 2% threshold needed to win seats in the Knesset, although it was not considered a serious contender for a significant number of seats. However, the party was the surprise package of the elections, and managed to win almost 186,000 votes and 7 seats.
It is likely that much of the party's support came in the way of a protest vote amongst the young, particularly in Tel Aviv where nearly one in ten voters voted for the party. The party had actually encouraged voters to vote for their party rather than submit a blank ballot.[1]. Elderly Ashkenazi voters switching from the Labour party after Amir Peretz's victory in the leadership contest may also have been a factor.
As a result of the coalition talks with Kadima, Gil agreed to become a division of the Kadima party in return for the Health ministry and the newly created Ministry of Pensioners Affairs. Party leader Rafi Eitan became Minister of Pensioners Affairs, whilst Yaakov Ben-Yezri became Health Minister. Ben-Yezri, a confessed smoker, later caused controversy when he lit up whilst being interviewed on television [2]
[edit] Political principles
- Commitment to protecting pension rights.
- Concern for the right to housing for Israeli pensioners.
- Enlargement of national health insurance and services for pensioners.
- Protection of traditional Jewish values
- Advancement of democratic values.
