“People are skeptical of the promise of a happy new year because they know that even if they are critical of the current government, the next one will not be any better.

The balance created over the years between the Right and Left has shifted: The Left is non-existent. The Labor Party is a joke. It has nothing to say about Iran; it has nothing to say about the Palestinians; it has nothing to say about the settlements or racist trends and anti-democratic violence. It is an insult to its voters. Kadima does address these issues, but after the embarrassment it caused to its voters, no one is listening.

Thirty-five years after the Right won the elections for the first time, it is finally ruling the nation. Alone. Without any competition. It controls the State-owned media outlets and determines the fate of the commercial channels. Its tycoons are stifling free press with their money. It is alone at the top.

It’s easy to be democratic when you are sitting in the opposition, but it is much harder to show tolerance, restraint and self-confidence when you are in the driver’s seat. The Right’s ability to restrain itself will be tested in the coming year. There is no doubt that it will be a good year. The question is, for whom?”

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