Israeli politicians are having trouble following the developments and changes among the Russian-speaking public. They have always found it hard, but ever since the “Russian Street” turned from being a highway into a seemingly serpentine obstacle course, there is growing confusion regarding the “place” of “the Russians” on the political map.

It seems that too much effort is being put into an effort to fathom their political opinions and too little attention into mapping their social positioning. These two pivots have always determined this public’s voting patterns in a manner that puzzles Israeli politicians. They not only appear to fail to understand this group, they still fear it, too, as one fears any phenomenon that is not totally understood. The national anthem of the Russian-speaking public in Israel is, of course, “Hatikva”; their community’s anthem is Frank Sinatra’s “I Did It My Way.”

Two recent developments in the business world reflect the goings on in the “Russian Street” in the election campaign. One of the biggest advertising agencies, McCann Erickson, is closing down its Russian department, which was especially active in the Russian sector; almost simultaneously, the largest Russian-language daily in Israel, Vesti, has enlarged its weekend edition and its women’s magazine, Sharm.

Each of these developments on their own, and the connection between them, mark the boundary line on which some million immigrants from the former Soviet Union are now poised. Twenty years since the start of the massive influx of immigrants, this large and influential public is on the demarcation line between “sectarianism” and “integration” into Israel’s complex society. In fact, the advertising agency will keep operating its departments in the Arab and ultra-Orthodox Jewish sectors, which proves that unlike the presence of these two sectors in Israeli society, the “Russian” sector, which is the immigrant sector, is a temporary and passing stage. On the other hand, the regeneration of Vesti is proof that there is still a well-defined sector worthy of economic investment. In addition, the sectorial media, by its very nature, has to strengthen sectarianism in order to extend its lifespan, otherwise it has no future.