What relief, the election is over!
Israel has a very unique electoral system. We do not vote for individuals, we vote for a party. The party chooses its leader and candidates and prioritizes, depending on how many seats they win, who will have a seat with the party in the Knesset (government). There is a first, second and third rung of candidates associated with each party. Party politics decides who will be in which rung. The number of seats a party wins is calculated according to the percentage of the votes they receive. If the party receives a large percentage of the vote the candidates that sit in the Knesset from that party are chosen first, from the first rung and then from each successive rung.
There are a total of 120 seats in the Knesset and almost as many parties vying for them. So only once in the history in the country did a party have sufficient votes to form a government without forming a coalition of parties. The parties are primarily divided between right-wing and left-wing, much like Republicans and Democrats in the US. This makes forming a coalition a little easier since right-wing and left-wing parties tend to stick with each other, even though they may not totally agree with each other. Things get even more complicated when a coalition government has to choose cabinet members and portfolios, but we won't get into that, I think I've confused you enough.
On a simpler note, Ellen and I are booked to travel for our second missionary trip to Kenya. This time, God willing, we'll be staying 1 1/2 months and plan on visiting the west of the country. There we will be spending time ministering at a congregation which also has an orphanage.
Your prayers for our success and safety is appreciated, as we are going into a known malaria infested area. Our goals are to bring the message of salvation to the Kenyan people, to share the love of Messiah Yeshua with them, to teach the truth from the Word of God and to bring them the knowledge of the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. Please share in our efforts through your prayers and financial support. The SMALLEST amounts, when combined with others, makes a BIG difference.
Blessings in Messiah Yeshua
Rabbi Jack
No comments:
Post a Comment