Ladies and gentlemen, go vote. Go f**king vote. Stop making excuses. Stop acting like special snowflakes who can't identify with any political party. And grab an umbrella if the rain is what's stopping you. It's a blessing, for God's sake. What don't you understand?
A few days ago, I asked people on my Facebook page who were planning not to vote to explain why. I'll try to address their reasons here, in the hope that if any of my readers are considering skipping the polls, they might change their minds. That's my mission right now: to get your butts to the polling station.
Central Elections Committee's logistics center
(Photo: Yuval Chen)
The first thing I want to say is that failing to exercise your democratic right to vote is an act of ingratitude. There are many people around the world, and many throughout history, who have dreamed of having that right. People who genuinely longed for the day when they could take part in an election and be part of a democracy. Don't take that right for granted. It isn't something to be taken for granted.
Second, it's been four years. This isn't the period when we were sent to the polls every few months. These aren't the endless election cycles when you already knew the polling station committee members by name. Back then, there was some justification for being fed up with the political system. But after four full years, and such turbulent ones at that, expressing your opinion about what's happened in this country isn't just a right. It's also a duty.
Look through the electoral lists for people you consider decent, honest and genuinely committed to making things better. If you find such people, vote for their party. Put your trust in them.
Now, a word to the many people who wrote to me saying they simply have nobody to vote for. Well, my friends, vote for what's available. Vote for whichever party, among all those you don't identify with, seems the least distant from your views. Stop looking for a party that reflects every single thing you believe and think. Instead, rank the parties, and whichever comes closest to your position is the ballot you should put in the box.
Then there are those who say voting won't change anything, that all politicians are liars. Well, that's simply not true. It's just not true. My suggestion is to look beyond the parties and focus on the candidates themselves. Look through the electoral lists for people you consider decent, honest and genuinely committed to making things better. If you find such people, vote for their party. Put your trust in them.
Forget the election results for a moment. Right now, only God knows where we're headed. Let's break a record together before the results even come in. Let's reach 80% voter turnout. Let's show that we care.
And yes, I believe this is absolutely connected to what we went through on October 7 and during the war that followed. Our beloved country deserves this small moment of our time. So do those who fell.
My advice is to look beyond the parties and focus on the candidates. Search the electoral lists for people you believe are good, honest and genuinely determined to make things better. If you find them, vote for their party. Trust them.