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🇮🇱 Israel /Elections & Politics

My Word: Political name of the game

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Opinion Sources not specified Context piece
  • Israeli politics faces challenges in keeping track of party names and mergers ahead of the October 27 general election.
  • Many parties use generic names or are referred to by their leaders' nicknames, complicating voter understanding.
  • The article advises political strategists to consider name translations and pronunciation for foreign media.

Keeping up with Israeli politics has become a challenge, not just for voters but for the politicians themselves, as parties frequently change names and merge. This electoral cycle, ahead of the October 27 general election, sees a proliferation of generic party names and shifting alliances, making it difficult to follow.

Party names. Just as I had politicians’ names almost under control, they began switching lists, and the parties themselves changing names with alacrity.

— Liat CollinsThe author describes the difficulty in tracking political parties due to frequent name changes.

Many Israelis opt to refer to parties by their leaders' monikers rather than official titles. This phenomenon is evident with figures like "Bibi," "Eisenkot," "Ben-Gvir," and "Smotrich." For instance, Naftali Bennett has led multiple parties, and his current alliance with Yair Lapid is named "Beyachad" (Together), a stark contrast to Gadi Eisenkot's "Yashar!" (Straight!), which is currently leading in polls.

Hence, the focus is on “Bibi,” “Eisenkot,” “Ben-Gvir,” “Smotrich,” “Liberman,” and so on.

— Liat CollinsThe author explains how Israelis often refer to parties by their leaders' nicknames.

The article highlights the confusion caused by party hopping and name changes, citing Yoaz Hendel's political journey through various party lists and alliances. Hendel's career illustrates the fluidity of the political landscape, moving from Telem to Derech Eretz, then aligning with Gideon Sa'ar's New Hope, and later forming The Reservists party, which has now joined an alliance called Yesodot Yisrael (Foundations of Israel).

Take Naftali Bennett as an example. Bennett led a range of parties from Habayit Hayehudi, the New Right, and Yamina.

— Liat CollinsThe author uses Naftali Bennett's history of leading multiple parties as an example of the confusing political landscape.

As a piece of advice to Israeli political strategists, the author suggests considering how party names translate into other languages and cultures. Names like "Yashar" (Straight!) and avoiding difficult pronunciations, such as the guttural "ch" in "Beyachad," could be crucial for international media coverage.

What’s in a name? My free advice to Israeli political strategists: take into account how a name like “Yashar” (Straight!) translates into other languages and cultures, and avoid letters that trip off the Hebrew-speaker’s tongue but trip up foreign newscasters, like the guttural “ch” in Beyachad.

— Liat CollinsThe author offers advice on choosing party names that are understandable and pronounceable internationally.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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