"Minister Yishai added that the two parties would coordinate their positions in regards to continuing the status quo between secular and religious people, and in terms of their joint demands, including receiving budgets and maintaining the State's Jewish identity." What does he mean by "status quo between secular and religious people".So this man is advocating separation in Israel?Is he advocating there is 2 types of Jews ,one secular and other religious ,who can not live in harmony? Does this man think he is an aristocrat?What the hell he means about such statement?! So," in terms of their joint demands, including receiving budgets and maintaining the State's Jewish identity",we, the "other "Jews, are not part of State's Jewish identity? What a nasty man! He should think about mantaining the Jewish identity and budgets to Jewish education TO ALL ISRAEL and not an"elite"! What a Putz!!!

Just trying to throw money at problems, especially when money is not plentiful, is a recipe for disaster. Child allowances were a poor tool for combating poverty. Money should help the working poor through reduced costs for day care and schooling in order to encourage people to go out and work. The YB plan to find a solution for marriage where one or both of the partners are not Jewish needs to be considered seriously. The status quo isn't working.

If the haredi parties want power then they are going to have to go to bed with Liberman. Unless Labour joins a coalition which is starting to look more and more unlikley then to make up numbers both Likud and Kadima will need the numbers from both Shas & YB. Shas, UTJ, YB combined along with either Kadima, Labour and one small party with 2 seats or more can form a working governmant. Take either Shas & UTJ or YB out the picture and both Likud & Kadima would need either the religious bloc and Liberman along with a collection of small parties creating an unstable government. If Shas, UTJ & YB can all find a way to work together then they will both have influence in stable coalition.

and present members of the security forces to serve. A great reason to cut off funds to both the hara-di and arab populations. All hara-di "yeshivas" and kotels should be closed and all those attending them should be sent out to do physical labor for the state for free.

Keren I think you are reading too much into what he is quoted as saying. I think all he meant is keeping the status quo. That means keeping things the same, thats all, no more no little.

"Maintaining Israel's Jewish identity" should be read as "Forcing Orthodox Judaism on all Jews, regardless of their beliefs and way of life and in full contradiction to democratic principles and basic human freedoms". "Guaranteeing budgets for ultra-Orthodox sector " should be read as "Perpetuating the Orthodox Sector LAZYNESS and TAX evasion". NO THANK YOU YISHAI! WE DO NOT NEED YOU TO TELL US WHAT TO READ, DO, EAT ETC. NO THANK YOU! WE ARE FED UP WITH SUPPORTING COHORTS OF LAZY ORTHODOX JEWS WHO NOT ONLY AVOID MILITARY SERVICE AND LIVE OFF OUR TAXES WHILE NOT PRODUCING ANYTHING, THEY DESPISE US AS WELL! Go Lieberman and kick ass! Show this lazy gang that they better start serving in the Army, work and pay taxes if they want us to regard them favorably. Say "NO" to religious laziness and to their interference with our basic liberties! That's EXACTLY why we didn't vote Likud or Kadima - because we KNOW that these unscrupuled politicians would gladly cave in the religious blackmail at OUR EXPENSE! Lieberman, if you want your voters in the next elections, don't allow the religious extremists dictate the way we live while they live for free on taxpayer's money!

Livni and Netanyahu should form a temporary government to change the electoral system. No stable government can be formed as long as the haredi and Yisrael Beitenu have so many seats and hate each other.

Likud 28 + Kadima 29 + Israel Beiteinu 15 = 72. That's more than good enough! Personally I would prefer Kadimah to be in opposition and let Netanyahu sink with the religious fanatics. Bibi still hasn't worked out that Obama is untried and still believes there is some good in the Muslim World! Mr. Bibi Netanyahu will sell out on both fronts: he will do as Obama says and he will give Shas the Education and Interior Ministries and who knows how many billion shekels! At least Tzippy did NOT bow and scrape before the Grand Ayatollah Ovadia Josef!

When I walk the streets of Paris, LA or London hungry and look for something kosher to eat but no avail, I am told go to Eretz Israel. But in Eretz Israel why do I need to go from one eatery to another to ask if they served kosher food? If I worry in Paris, London and LA that one of my handsome boys will end up with a long legged gorgeous shiksa, why do I have to worry in Eretz Israel too? Why do they have to ask a girl if she was Jewish is the Jewish state too? Think about what secularism is inflicting on our children. I am far from being a religeous man. But I do proudly carry on my 3000 years family traditions and keep an intact Jewish nest and identity. Shas and other religeous parties are only there to maintain the balance, that if given all to you, would certainly get out of hand.

Kadima, Likud & YB is for Livni the dream ticket based on reality. It will create a strong coalition that will probably be able to go the full 4 years but it will be controled by the left and the advantage the right have will be wasted. Three strong parties, no right wing religious bloc part of it or any of the small nationaist parties its the kind of coalition Livni dreams of having. Kadima is a leftists party Likud today is a liberal right party that can work with a left wing government. Only Liberman is even part way right wing... it would be 15 against 55 if he wanted to take on a leftist issue that Likud are willing to go along with. A government of those 3 parties would be a leftist government. The right winf religious bloc and the small nationalist parties would have no power or influence. It will not only create a liberal left coalition but it will rather than weaken kadima strenghen them so they can become a powerful force in Israeli politics in the long term not a one time wonder which will eventualy confined to the garbage can of failed parties. If Bibi & Liberman joined a Kadima led government they would have betrayed everything they are supposed to stand for and they will be punished by their parties, Liberman especialy after all his pre election tough talk he joined a liberal left government.

about lazy orthodox jews. Do you really believe sincerely that the Israeli food industry would have been self sustained without the Kosher stamp exported to the world? Did you know that in the US alone, the Kosher market is worth 20 billions dollars? Since you are unfamiliar with the % of GDP generated by the supervision of these kashrut "lazy" orthodox supervisors; how do you know they live on tax payer's money? I guess you find it more stimulating to feast on bacon and eggs than being "lazy" and spend your time reading food packaging labels. Do you really think that we need, in Europe, Australia or here in the US,another brand of falafel balls or spring rolls. We import them from Israel for the Kosher market full stop. No kosher-you can sit on your Israeli inventory and compete with the rest of the world. You want 20billions for the Israeli economy- put up with the religeous kosher tradmark. And this is generated by your so called religeous Lazy not producing anything. Shabbat Shalom all

Israeli processed food exports are a small percent of the GDP. I don't know what your source for $20 billion is but it is wrong. The total amount of processed food that is exported is $848M. I, unlike you give my source as well: www.export.gov.il/Eng/_Uploads/597IsraelFoodBeverageIndustry_2008.pdf The total GDP of Israel is close to $200 Billion. SOURCE: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/is.html#Econ. So, some fuzzy math from you vs a simple calculation from me: the processed food sector, which would need the kosher mark on it, according to you, to sell is less than half of a percent of the total GDP. The sector you wish to assume is productive because of this 'industry' wields 16 MK's. Much more than half a percent. You also assume that everyone buying Carmel Wines or Israeli olive oil or other high end goods, chocolate, etc is looking for the kosher mark. These items win prizes in competitions with non kosher goods every year. Before you lie online I hope you will do some research. To your point of Haridem not being lazy, I will grant you that they are major players in the diamond trade, this is a much higher volume indusrty than the kosher exporting food market, though it is not exlusivly haredi. Its a well known fact that Bnei Brak is the poorist city in the whole Jewish sector in Israel. If Kosher cirtificates was a cash cow like you say they are (such as the high tech industry is to Herzelia) then Bnei Brak would have been on par with at least Holon. You obviously dont know how to do any research and are not wroth any more of my time

Listen up, let me teach you a thing or two!! How do you talk about freedom and democracy when your talkback is based on racism? you don't even know what democracy is!! And since your smart enough to be a Doc, put my words into your mind remember that IF A DEMOCRACY WERE TO DO WHAT ONE PERSON THINKS, IT AIN'T A DEMOCRACY ANYMORE!!