Ale Yarok
Encyclopedia
Ale Yarok is a small and liberal political party
in Israel
best known for its ideology of decriminalizing cannabis
, human rights and environmental activism. To date it has had no representation in the Knesset
.
for representation in the Knesset. After these elections and despite the strong results in the 2003 elections, the chairman of Ale Yarok, Boaz Wachtel announced that he was giving up the leadership of the party, but remained in the position due to party members requests.
Before the 2006 elections the party announced that it intended to run for a third time, despite the threshold for representation having been raised to 2%. The party competed for votes with the supporters of the Democratic Choice
(which later stepped down from running in the election) and with Meretz-Yachad
, which had also promised to act for the decriminalization of soft drugs; another competitor was the Green Party
with a strong ecological platform. The party gained 1.3% of the vote, and came second among those parties failing to make the threshold. After the election, Wachtel passed the chairmanship to Ohad Shem-Tov.
Before the 2009 elections, Shem-Tov was expelled from the party by Shlomi Sandak who was the temporary chairman of the Green Leaf Party. Internal disputes lead the party to split with Shem-Tov forming the Ale Yarok Alumni
group. The Alumni party later allied with the Holocaust Survivors party to contest the 2009 Knesset elections
.
In 2010 Shlomi Sandak resigned the party: "Now that cannabis is recognised as a medicine, my political ride is over", he said. Today he is promoting the medical uses of cannabis.
of the Cannabis plant
, marijuana
and hashish
, ecology
, expansion of human rights
and institutionalization of prostitution
, gambling
and same-sex marriage
. In official publications the movement claims that "the partition between Right-wing
and Left-wing
is anachronistic"; it holds "dovish
" political opinions and believes in the solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by establishing an independent and demilitarized Palestinian state (see two-state solution
). However, the party is considered by the Israel
i public as the "light drugs party" since this is the main issue that gets attention in the party's platform.
According to its website, "The GLP [Green Leaf Party] is a libertarian
party and it encourages individuals and societies to upgrade their way of solving disputes to a cooperative-game logic." However its platform calls for government subsidies for alternative energy
, increased government spending on day care, education and medical care, tougher labour laws, the regulation of "casinos and bordellos", the imposition of "strict limits on animal experiments
", and the continued prohibition of drugs "more harmful" than marijuana. It "believes in redistribution of the resources in order to benefit the weaker sectors" and that "providing a high quality education to all citizens is the foremost obligation of the state to its citizens".
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
best known for its ideology of decriminalizing cannabis
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
, human rights and environmental activism. To date it has had no representation in the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
.
History
Established in 1999 by Boaz Wachtel, Shlomi Sandak and Rafik Kimchi, the party gained 1% of the vote in the elections that year, and 1.2% in the 2003 elections, but both times failed to pass the 1.5% thresholdElection threshold
In party-list proportional representation systems, an election threshold is a clause that stipulates that a party must receive a minimum percentage of votes, either nationally or within a particular district, to obtain any seats in the parliament...
for representation in the Knesset. After these elections and despite the strong results in the 2003 elections, the chairman of Ale Yarok, Boaz Wachtel announced that he was giving up the leadership of the party, but remained in the position due to party members requests.
Before the 2006 elections the party announced that it intended to run for a third time, despite the threshold for representation having been raised to 2%. The party competed for votes with the supporters of the Democratic Choice
Democratic Choice
The Democratic Choice was a minor political party in Israel headed by Roman Bronfman.-Background:The party was formed in July 1999 during the 15th Knesset when Roman Bronfman and Alexander Tzinker broke away from Yisrael BaAliyah...
(which later stepped down from running in the election) and with Meretz-Yachad
Meretz-Yachad
New Movement-Meretz , previously known as Meretz, then Yachad, and then Meretz-Yachad is a left-wing, Zionist, social democratic political party in Israel....
, which had also promised to act for the decriminalization of soft drugs; another competitor was the Green Party
The Greens (Israel)
The Greens is a minor political party in Israel currently headed by Pe'er Visner. Although the party is currently not represented in the Knesset, it does hold seats in 22 municipalities across Israel.-History:...
with a strong ecological platform. The party gained 1.3% of the vote, and came second among those parties failing to make the threshold. After the election, Wachtel passed the chairmanship to Ohad Shem-Tov.
Before the 2009 elections, Shem-Tov was expelled from the party by Shlomi Sandak who was the temporary chairman of the Green Leaf Party. Internal disputes lead the party to split with Shem-Tov forming the Ale Yarok Alumni
Holocaust Survivors and Ale Yarok Alumni
The Holocaust Survivors & Grown-Up Green Leaf Party is a political party in Israel. The party was formed as an alliance of some members of Ale Yarok and the Holocaust survivors movement in order to run in the 2009 Knesset elections. It won 2,346 votes , well below the 2% electoral threshold....
group. The Alumni party later allied with the Holocaust Survivors party to contest the 2009 Knesset elections
Israeli legislative election, 2009
Elections for the 18th Knesset were held in Israel on 10 February 2009. These elections became necessary due to the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as leader of the Kadima party, and the failure of his successor, Tzipi Livni, to form a coalition government...
.
In 2010 Shlomi Sandak resigned the party: "Now that cannabis is recognised as a medicine, my political ride is over", he said. Today he is promoting the medical uses of cannabis.
Ideology
The party's platform is based on the legalizationDrug liberalization
Drug liberalization is the process of eliminating or reducing drug prohibition laws. Variations of drug liberalization include drug relegalization, drug legalization, and drug decriminalization -Policies:...
of the Cannabis plant
Cannabis sativa
Cannabis sativa is an annual herbaceous plant in the Cannabaceae family. Humans have cultivated this herb throughout recorded history as a source of industrial fibre, seed oil, food, recreation, spiritual enlightenment and medicine...
, marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
and hashish
Hashish
Hashish is a cannabis preparation composed of compressed stalked resin glands, called trichomes, collected from the unfertilized buds of the cannabis plant. It contains the same active ingredients but in higher concentrations than unsifted buds or leaves...
, ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
, expansion of human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and institutionalization of prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
, gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
and same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
. In official publications the movement claims that "the partition between Right-wing
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
and Left-wing
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
is anachronistic"; it holds "dovish
Political dove
In politics, the term dove refers to person who advocates peace and pacifism, in contrast with a hawk, who promotes war and belligerence.-Israel:...
" political opinions and believes in the solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by establishing an independent and demilitarized Palestinian state (see two-state solution
Two-state solution
The two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the consensus solution that is currently under discussion by the key parties to the conflict, most recently at the Annapolis Conference in November 2007...
). However, the party is considered by the Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i public as the "light drugs party" since this is the main issue that gets attention in the party's platform.
According to its website, "The GLP [Green Leaf Party] is a libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
party and it encourages individuals and societies to upgrade their way of solving disputes to a cooperative-game logic." However its platform calls for government subsidies for alternative energy
Alternative energy
Alternative energy is an umbrella term that refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels....
, increased government spending on day care, education and medical care, tougher labour laws, the regulation of "casinos and bordellos", the imposition of "strict limits on animal experiments
Animal testing
Animal testing, also known as animal experimentation, animal research, and in vivo testing, is the use of non-human animals in experiments. Worldwide it is estimated that the number of vertebrate animals—from zebrafish to non-human primates—ranges from the tens of millions to more than 100 million...
", and the continued prohibition of drugs "more harmful" than marijuana. It "believes in redistribution of the resources in order to benefit the weaker sectors" and that "providing a high quality education to all citizens is the foremost obligation of the state to its citizens".
See also
- Cannabis: Legal issuesLegal issues of cannabisThe legality of cannabis has been the subject of debate and controversy for decades. Cannabis is illegal to consume, use, possess, cultivate, transfer or trade in most countries...
- Green partiesWorldwide green partiesA Green party or ecologist party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of Green politics. These principles usually include social justice, reliance on grassroots democracy, nonviolence, and an emphasis on environmentalism...
- Marijuana parties
- Politics of IsraelPolitics of IsraelThe Israeli system of government is based on parliamentary democracy. The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of government and leader of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in the Knesset. The Judiciary is independent of the executive...