Elections in Israel: good news, bad news The left in Israel is now offended by a new Hebrew word, "Smolant" which is the Persian equivalent of "Chapol". The last elections in Israel were supposed to be a referendum on the prime ministership of Benjamin Netanyahu, a politician who has been at the head of the country's leadership for nearly 20 years, which is a quarter of Israel's life. A referendum usually offers a firm "yes" or "no" answer to a specific question. However, on this account, the recent election cannot be called a kind of referendum. The results of the elections in question are, at best, "yes but" led by Netanyahu. Read another look at Professor Amir Tahri.