海角大神

Sparks flew in Hangar 11 at Tel Aviv鈥檚 Old Port last night.

But this was no routine aircraft maintenance. Instead, the swank converted building was filled with young professionals for an election debate between two Israeli women who represent very different views of their country and its future.

On the left was social activist Merav Michaeli of the Labor party, casually dressed and sprawled out in her sofa-like chair. She advocates a social democratic state and peace with the Palestinians and espouses ardent feminist principles, including the abolition of marriage 鈥撀燼n institution she says is limiting to women.

On the right, perched in front of a large banner of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was attorney Tzipi Hotovely 鈥� an Orthodox Jew in a modest dress with black lace fringe. She has become a rising star in Mr. Netanyahu鈥檚 Likud party since being elected as the youngest-ever member of parliament four years ago.

Ms. Hotovely opposes a Palestinian state and warns that the social democratic policies Ms. Michaeli promotes would turn Israel into a Marxist-Leninist state like the Soviet Union 鈥� the native land of Hotovely's parents.

Michaeli and Hotovely鈥檚 competing visions for Israel illustrate some of the most fundamental tensions in Israel today: peace vs. security; secular vs. religious ideals; survival vs. international approval. But their arguments, together with the audience鈥檚 response, also illustrate the often surprising mix of principles in Israeli politics 鈥撀爉aking it impossible to pigeonhole candidates or voters, roughly a quarter of whom are still undecided.

That might help explain the fact that Hotovely at times received strong applause, despite speaking to mostly Anglophone immigrants in Israel鈥檚 most liberal city. But the resonance of her ideas also reflects Israel鈥檚 steady shift to the right in recent years.

鈥榊ou鈥檙e afraid your army will be more religious!鈥�

One of the most contentious issues of the evening was Israel鈥檚 rapidly growing ultra-Orthodox community, which largely eschews army service and gainful employment in favor of religious study. Unlike Orthodox Jews, whose Hesder program of combined religious studies and army service has produced some of the most zealous soldiers, ultra-Orthodox have resisted increasing pressure to pull their weight in defending Israel.

With 50 percent of first graders now coming from either ultra-Orthodox or Arab families, in roughly a decade half of high school graduates will be exempted from serving in Israel鈥檚 army, Hotovely said 鈥� a trajectory that can't be allowed to continue.

鈥淭his is something that a country that still needs to fight for its existence can鈥檛 accept,鈥� argued Hotovely, who repeatedly emphasized that Israel lives in a dangerous neighborhood.

Michaeli retorted: 鈥淪he wants ultra-Orthodox soldiers in the army, which means women are going to be pushed aside even more than they are now in the army,鈥� alluding to ultra-Orthodox taboos on men associating with women.

鈥淭his is the real reason why you don鈥檛 want them to be part of the army 鈥� because you鈥檙e afraid that your army will be more religious!鈥� Hotovely shot back. 鈥淚n my army, there is enough space for ultra-Orthodox people and for women to be F-16 pilots.鈥�

Boosted by disillusionment

Perhaps no issue illustrates Israel鈥檚 shift to the right more than the declining support 鈥� and hope 鈥� for a Palestinian state. Today, , down from . Meanwhile, the percent of Israelis who support annexing the West Bank instead of allowing the Palestinians to create a state there .

That may help explain why Hotovely鈥檚 ideas are gaining traction.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not against peace, we鈥檙e against illusions,鈥� she said last night. 鈥淎fter realizing that the two-state solution is impossible, then you have to think of other options.鈥�

She proposes annexing the West Bank, calculating that the 2 million Palestinians who live there 鈥� a low estimate compared to Palestinian statistics 鈥� combined with Israel鈥檚 20 percent minority of Israeli Arabs would leave the expanded Israeli state with an Arab minority of 30 percent.

鈥淚 think this is something that we can handle,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e definitely can handle it more than a terror state next to us, as we saw what happened in Gaza,鈥� she added, referring to Israel鈥檚 unilateral withdrawal from the coastal territory in 2005, where Hamas has since come to power.

Michaeli, whose party was long the champion of Israeli-Palestinian peace, predictably took issue with Hotovely鈥檚 plan. But it was not annexation that Michaeli mentioned. Instead, it was the prospect of an influx of Arabs into Israel, which was founded by Zionists who saw it as a unique and crucial refuge for a nation that had been persecuted for millenniums.

鈥淭his is not a Jewish state,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 mean, yes, we can do it, it鈥檚 a 鈥� binational state. Yes, it can be beautiful, I suppose鈥�. But this is the end of Zionism as we know it.鈥�

鈥淎re you against the Arab population in Israel?鈥� Hotovely shot back. Usually that鈥檚 a criticism pinned on the right.

鈥淣ot only am I against the Arab population in Israel, I am for equality for Arabs 鈥� something they are not getting under your government, that鈥檚 for sure,鈥� retorted Michaeli.

No easy definition

Alex Grossman, a publicist for a hi-tech company who moved here from New York three years ago, isn鈥檛 planning to vote for Hotovely 鈥� he prefers Naftali Bennett of the Jewish Home party 鈥� but echoed some of her key points.

鈥淧eople don't realize we're in a very volatile area,鈥� he said, as attendees mingled before the debate started. 鈥淟ook at what happened in Gaza. We gave it over to people we thought would be democratic. How can we have peace with these people? How can we give away any of the so-called West Bank area? We have to be very careful about who we give land to."

Netta Carmel, who works in marketing for the Israeli airline EL AL, said after the debate that she was impressed with both candidates, and thought both made valid points.

鈥淓verybody wants a good future 鈥� I hate saying that there鈥檚 a right wing and a left wing and that鈥檚 it,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 am more right-wing on the Palestinian issue, and more left-wing on economic issues,鈥� she added, echoing Hotovely on the Gaza withdrawal. 鈥淚鈥檓 struggling to define myself, that鈥檚 why I have no idea who I鈥檓 going to vote for.鈥�

Chelsea B. Sheasley contributed reporting from Tel Aviv.