Conservative Party (Acre)

Conservative Party
Leader	Ben Adelman
Founded	29 January 2020
Ideology	• Big tent  • Social conservatism  • Economic liberalism  • Israeli interests  • Two-state solution Internal Factions  • Social conservatism  • Social liberalism  • Nationalism
Colours	Blue
Akkan Parliament	8 / 37
Country	Acre

The Conservative Party is a big tent political party in the Islamic Emirate of Acre. It seeks to represent Israeli Akkans, who constitute a majority of the Akkan population. The party is broadly socially conservative and economically liberal, though it entertains a significant amount of internal debate and disagreement. Since the October 2020 general election, the Conservatives have led a coalition of Israeli parties in government, with its leader Ben Adelman acting as Prime Minister.

History

Opposition (February 2020 - October 2020)

The Conservative Party was founded by Ben Adelman on the 29th of January 2020, not long after the creation of Acre. Founded in response to the creation of the Labor Zionist Party, Adelman wanted to give Israeli Akkans a right-wing alternative to represent them.

In the run-up to the February 2020 general election, the Conservatives were initially ahead of their main rival, the Liberal Union, though gradually this flipped, and the Liberal Union won with a fourteen-point lead. Joseph Cohen was able to form a government with the Labor Zionists (and the PDU's confidence and supply); the Conservatives became Acre's main opposition party.

In opposition, Adelman was mixed on much of the Liberal Union's agenda. The Conservatives supported the two-flag, two-religion approach, and the creation of the Rabbinical courts. Unlike the government, they pushed for a referendum on the continuation of the Akkan Emirate, and vehemently opposed the existence of the Shura Council and the inclusion of the Adhan as Acre's national anthem.

The government's response to the Coronavirus pandemic came to dominate their tenure. Prime Minister Cohen vocally opposed any national lockdown, which Adelman (alongside most of the Akkan Parliament) supported. He even collaborated with the Arab People's Democratic Union to secure a vote on a national lockdown, who threatened to revoke their confidence and supply. Cohen's unpopular handling of the issue is generally given as the key reason for the Conservative's winning the October 2020 general election, which saw their vote share increase by nine percent, giving them a three point lead over the Liberal Union. Though the Labor Zionist Party and the Movement for the Homeland entered into coalition government with the Conservatives, they lacked a majority by one; with the other parties unwilling to create a government collectively however, the Emir of Acre accepted Ben Adelman as Prime Minister.

Government (October 2020 - present)

In November, Adelman moved to censure Joseph Cohen and his administration for their handling of the Coronavirus pandemic. The Akkan Parliament voted by a margin of 23-11 in favour of censure, which dramatically increased Cohen's unpopularity. Some accused the act of being a piece of political theatre, as the Labor Zionist Party faced very little scrutiny despite their presence in the Cohen administration.

Shortly afterwards, a member of the Peace & Equality Party accused Cohen of courting their support for a vote of no confidence. Adelman pre-empted this, calling a vote of confidence himself, which the government lost by a margin of 19-18. This resulted in the December 2020 general election, which the government won in a landslide. Adelman's Conservative Party gained a seat, while the Labor Zionist Party gained two. The Liberal Union's vote share fell by 10%, and Cohen resigned as leader a day later.

Policies

Big Tent

The Conservative Party is one of Acre's two large 'big tent' parties (alongside the left-leaning Liberal Union). The party entertains a rather active amount of internal debate on both social and economic matters, with views ranging from the centre to the right.

Social Conservatism

The Conservative Party places emphasis on the value of traditions and incremental social change. The party tends to voice discontent at proposals such as gay marriage, and has been vociferously opposed to any form of cannabis decriminalisation. This said, the party is generally more flexible on social matters than the other right-wing party in Acre, the Movement for the Homeland. While in opposition, Ben Adelman relented on keeping the Sharia courts - so long as they were matched by Rabbinical courts; and, to the distress of many in his party, refused to demand a vote in Parliament calling for the abolition of the controversial Shura Council.

Economic Liberalism

Economic thought ranges from moderate interpretations of economic liberalism to Thatcherite/Reaganite neoliberalism. Officially, the party supports the retention of the welfare state, though generally seeks to reduce taxes, regulations and spending. Some within the party advocate for the presence of the free market in the welfare state through joint initiatives, while others support the complete removal of the state in certain areas. The party has however distanced itself from explicitly libertarian and anarcho-capitalist beliefs, stressing the importance of the state and its legitimate role in the distribution of certain goods and the regulation of the market.

Israeli Interests

The Conservatives are one of Acre's confessional parties, representing the Israeli Akkan population. As a result, Israelis effectively constitute the entirety of the Conservative voter base. Most of these in turn are located in Haifa's eastern suburbs, in cities like Kiryat Ata, Kiryat Motzkin, Kfar Bialik and Kiryat Yam. Parts of the Israeli-dominated Haifan suburbs on Mount Carmel also vote for the Conservatives, as does part of Nahariya and its surrounding area.

Two-state Solution

The Conservative Party supports a two-state solution involving the annexation of land between the Green Line and the Israeli West Bank barrier, East Jerusalem and most major Israeli settlements. The party suggests Israel return the Golan Heights to Syria in order to court Arab support for a peace deal, and has also suggested a willingness to disestablish most Israeli settlements located far from the Israel-West Bank border. They also suggest Israel could lift the Siege of Gaza so long as Hamas recognises Israel and disarms. In this proposal, Acre would be reintegrated into Israel as a devolved region. Disagreement within the party is generally between various forms of the two-state solution.

Electoral Performance

The Conservatives rely heavily on support from Haifa's eastern suburbs, most of which are almost universally Jewish. Locations such as Kiryat Ata, Kiryat Motzkin, Kfar Bialik and Kiryat Yam comprise the largest contingent of conservative support. The city of Nahariya is contested by all three major Israeli parties, while the kibbutzes surrounding it vote overwhelmingly for the Conservatives. Pockets of support - sufficient to win constituencies - also exist in the affluent Haifan districts located on the slopes of Mount Carmel.

Election year	Leader	%	+/-	seats won	+/-	Government
February 2020	Ben Adelman	21%	N/A	8 / 37	N/A	No in opposition
October 2020	Ben Adelman	30%	▲ 9%	11 / 37	▲ 3	in minority government
December 2020	Ben Adelman	32%	▲ 2%	12 / 37	▲ 1	Yes in coalition government
April 2021	Ben Adelman	22%	▼ 10%	8 / 37	▼ 4	No in opposition

Timeline of Party Leaders

Name	Term start	Term end	Notes
Ben Adelman	29 January 2020	Incumbent

Factions

Social Conservative Caucus

The social conservative caucus is the largest of the three factions, and combines social conservatism with moderate economic liberalism. The caucus is strongly supportive of the Rabbinical courts, and generally seeks to extract additional rights for Israeli Jews from the Emir. The caucus is also generally opposed to sudden and dramatic social changes, such as the legalisation of gay marriage.

Members include:
 • Ben Adelman

Social Liberal Caucus

A number of socially liberal members exist within the Conservative Party. Generally unwilling to join the Liberal Union due to their right-wing economic beliefs, these liberals choose to remain within the party despite its official support for social conservatism. The caucus is generally marked by a strong degree of support for neoliberal economic policies, including dramatic reductions in the tax rate, abolition of the national minimum wage, and privatisation of part of the welfare state.

Nationalist Caucus

The nationalist caucus is notable for a pre-eminent concern for the rights of Israeli Jews. Not unlike the nationalist caucus within the left-leaning Labor Zionist Party, the faction is generally more willing to join a coalition of Israeli interest parties such as the ZLP even if it means a moderation of their economic agenda. Many within this caucus are also strongly supportive of a one-state solution, and are some of the most vocal opponents of Acre's Islamic imagery and symbolism.