Once every couple of months, Israel Radio’s Thursday morning political talk show Hakol Diburim (It’s All Talk) publishes a poll by Shvakim Panorama that tests the political waters in Israel. This week’s poll, coming as it does on the backdrop of intense media coverage of ultra-Orthodox exclusion and abuse of women, is particularly interesting, as it predicts a dramatic wellspring of support for a secular party, should one arise. The poll predicts that should TV journalist Yair Lapid [son of the late Yosef Lapid – leader of the secularist Shinui party] decide to join the political fray and establish a secular party, he would win 15 Knesset seats and overtake both Kadima and Israel Beitenu. Lapid hasn’t stated what his intentions are yet, but this poll will surely give him pause to consider entering politics. However, he could also be thinking that, since elections are only scheduled to take place in October 2013, the country’s current preoccupation with religious extremism will be long gone by then, replaced with another burning issue. As Shimon Peres famously said: Polls are like perfume, sweet to the smell, but deadly to drink. Continue reading →