Thursday, January 17, 2013

Likud Beitenu Won Mock Elections Among US Students

If Jews around the world could vote in the Israeli election, whom would they choose? This week, the Jewish Agency and Aish Hasbara Fellowships are polling young Diaspora Jews to find out.

Jewish Agency emissaries from Saskatoon to Johannesburg are setting up voting booths for a mock election for Jewish people aged 14 and older.

“This activity allows Diaspora Jewry to learn about Israeli democracy,” Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky explained. “This exposes them to the pluralism and variety of opinions in Israeli society.”Next Tuesday evening, the Israeli ambassador and other senior Jewish community members in South Africa will present the results of the vote, which are expected to be broadcast on Israeli television.

Hasbara Fellowships, a project of Aish International, interviewed English-speaking students in Israel about the parties that they support, and posted the videos on Facebook.

On Wednesday, students from 52 colleges and universities, mostly in the US, voted, with 31 percent supporting Likud Beitenu, 11% for Meretz, 10% each for Yesh Atid and Labor, 9% for Bayit Yehudi, 6% for The Tzipi Livni Party, 5% for Shas and 2% for Hadash, according to the report on the Jerusalem Post.