Reporting On The Jerusalem Conference-- Part 1

Last night I attended the opening of the Jerusalem Conference. I sat next to Arlene Kushner and agree with her report on Lt.-Gen. (ret.) Moshe "Bogie" Ya'alon speech, which you can find on her site. She left soon later and probably would have been as disgusted and disappointed as most of us were at Ketzaleh's clown-like behavior. He treated it like an election rally and never answered the questions he was asked, nor did he pay any attention to what the others were saying. Some people would say that the conference was "his baby," and he thought that he was above all. No, it won't affect my plans to vote for Ichud Le'umi.

And even while I was very impressed by the two young Likud representatives, MK Gilad Erdan and Tzipi Hotobeli (Likud candidate/hopeful,) I don't think that they will have any real influence on the Likud. Bibi Netanyahu is controlling it very tightly. Erdan lost his cool when discussing the fact that most of the Likud MK's supported Disengagement. He couldn't explain it, and I was among those entirely incredulous, not quite comprehending his defense of the Likud. I would love to see Erdan and Hotobeli in Ichud Le'umi. I think they're wasting their energies and talents in the Likud, where they will be stifled.

MK Ophir Pines-Paz (Labor) was his usual obnoxious, illogical and irrational self. He insists we need "two nations for two Peoples," but he wouldn't transfer Arabs from their homes and fled the conference before questions to the panel. He mocked all those, like Moshe "Bogie" Ya'alon and Katzeleh, who "enter politics at sixty," after successful careers in other spheres, claiming they don't know anything about being politicians. I kept thinking of what one newspaper editor told me:

"I prefer to hire those who have degrees in history, science, economics etc, because any intelligent person can learn how to write an article. Those who study journalism don't know anything about what they're supposed to be writing."

Too many politicians just learn how to be elected, and they really don't understand the issues, history and background.

I'll just return to Moshe "Bogie" Ya'alon and MK Gilad Erdan before closing this post. Yes, they did say all the right things, but I still have my doubts. I didn't hear Ya'alon's shouting and leading anti-Disengagement demonstrations after resigning. Nor did MK Gilad Erdan forcefully voice and publicize his opposition. As Likud MK's they don't (won't) have the freedom to do as they please, as they believe.

That's another reason why I'm voting Ichud Le'umi and consider it the wisest choice. I don't want to vote for people who must guard their tongue and compromise.