A Public Campaign

for the Election of a Woman President for Israel

Ahoti - for Women in Israel, Coalition of women for peace, Women's Parliament,  kol Ha- Isha -The Jerusalem Women's center, Na'amat, Ken, The Israel Women's Network, Tel-Aviv Rape Crisis center, The Mizrahi Democratic Rainbow,  The Israeli movement for Equal Representation for Women, Comme il Faut

The fundamental law of "The country's president" states that "the chairmanship of the country will be positioned by a president ". Since the establishment of the state of Israel eight presidents were elected, and up to this day, a public debate has never been brought up regarding the reason for electing male presidents only for this position. The current situation in which only men are elected for this important institution seems so definite and free of doubts, up to the point that in the presidency's website there is a regarding "presidents and their wives", or in other words, the woman is always positioned as the wife, which stands by her husband and never in his place.

The national position of the presidential institution and the fact that the state's president is also functioning as the public's representative, emphasizes the necessity of creating a public discourse around the election of a woman president for this institution. The public's awareness of this issue in brought up by a public - communicational campaign which will enable the objection of the current discourse and create awareness for this matter, following by the paving of a new possibility of choice, in which a woman in Israel will successfully be elected for this high position in the state of Israel.

Now, more than ever, there is a growing need for the election of a woman president. The fact that the current president is being accused of sexual assaults, has raised up the public's daily routine, the necessity for electing a trustworthy figure, a person which the civilians will be able to trust her honesty and her ability to represent the country's residents.

The woman's organizations and social organizations has joined together in order to promote the election of a woman president, believes that a woman in this position could create a substantially different discourse and practices than the ones before her. Further more, this does not regard the election of a woman president alone, but also the election of a person which will advance a social-humanitarian perception for justice, non hierarchical, non patriarchal and none exploiting. Only this kind of president could reclaim the public's trust in this institution.

As long as criticism is being heard regarding the absence of women in high national positions in Israel, there is a claim that there are not any women which offer themselves as candidates for these positions. Therefore, there is an additional goal for this campaign – to bring up the public's awareness for many women  who are worthy to fill this important position and are more than suitable to represent Israel state, as much as men and even more than men candidates.

Today, more than ever, most of the public in Israel can unite around the agreement that this is the time to choose a women president for Israel