Israeli Elections Musings #3 These Are The Choices & We're Still Undecided

 

For this discussion, Jonathan Feldstein asked each of us to give the ideology* of the various political parties in Israel of those which are mostly in the Knesset at present, plus a couple of realistic hopefuls. A reason for this is that many listeners to our panel don't live in Israel and have minimal knowledge, at best, about the multitude of political parties here. To be honest, many Israelis are only familiar with their favorites and at best their most hated. 

In Israel one can't be 100% sure of which parties will be competing until close to the deadline for applying. 

Here's our discussion, and yes, I call it a discussion, not a debate.  

As in the first of our discussion (here's the link,) lots of interesting points are brought up. We aren't a "bunch of friends." I doubt that one person in the group actually knows everyone else personally, and that includes Jonathan Feldstein. That makes our conversations even more interesting.

There's a transcription on the screen, so you can follow by reading, not just listening.

I'd love to hear your opinion and feelings and questions about our discussion. Thanks for taking the time.

*I must admit that I didn't quite follow his instructions, because I see the political parties as products of their leaders and history. In addition many do not have actual policies that match their names and/or stated political ideologies. I've been following Israeli politics since making aliyah in 1970. For instance despite the fact that the Likud markets themselves as Israeli Right, their actual policies aren't, and I'll never forget Bibi Netanyahu's speech at the 2008 International Jewish Blogger's Convention. I blogged about it calling the post "Impressive." He pledged to rule as a Centrist, and that's a good description of what he has been doing since returning to office of Prime Minister. For me facts on the ground, the bottom line are more important than how one markets oneself.   

Hamas/Gaza War Musings #28 Useful Idiots

Here in Israel useful idiots have taken to the streets demanding that the elected government kowtow to terrorists' demands. 

Here in Israel useful idiots are blaming the government for the acts of the terrorists instead of strengthening the government to fight our enemies. 

FOLLOW THE MONEY #followthemoney 

Who's controlling the useful idiots? 

International Leftists, Progressives the pro Gaza pro Hamas crowd. 

Unfortunately Bibi is too weak and isn't properly defending us. Defending us means Judicial Reform and court-martialing/firing head military honchos who failed totally October 7. It also means that the IDF and its generals shouldn't consider themselves independent of the elected government. Bibi, as the longest serving Prime Minister has always taken the easy way out and let them continue making policy. That's how we got into this mess.

Even worse is that the Likud voters, supporters and most of the MKs are too afraid to force Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu to retire from the Knesset, retire from his position as Prime Minister. We need true leadership, not the fake stuff, the fancy oratory we have now.

The useful idiots are blaming Bibi for holding the hostages, which makes no sense. He's not holding them.

The useful idiots are demanding that Bibi free the hostages. How can he free them when he's not holding them? And when the IDF gets close to rescuing them, Hamas now executes them. And what do the useful idiots then say? That their execution was Bibi's fault. Duh?

Now to tell you the truth, I've been against Bibi Netanyahu for years, well over a decade to be exact. I caught onto his game in 2008. He talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk. His recent talk in Congress followed the same pattern as at the International Jewish Bloggers Convention in 2008. First Bibi hypnotizes his followers with very nationalist Right wing rhetoric, and then when he has almost his entire audience/followers hypnotized he tells the truth. But they somehow don't hear it. Somehow I hear it. In 2008 he said that when he returns to the position as Prime Minister, he'd be a centrist. Think of all the Jewish homes and communities have been destroyed during Netanyahu's time as Prime Minister. In Congress he made three dangerous promises.

1. Israelis won't return to live in Gaza.
2. He "envisions" peaceful Gazans policing themselves.
3. He proudly bragged that Israel is the most moral army protecting innocent sic Gazan civilians-- even though it endangers Israeli soldiers

I find it really strange that I'm the only one who heard that. Listen or read the transcript of the speech, and you'll see that I'm correct. Unfortunately, even loyal Likud activists, politicians and voters are also useful idiots.

Bibi's Actions Contradict His Excellent Words

Bibi at Bloggers Convention

For years I've said that the best speech/lecture/statement about Jewish History and Jewish connection to the Land of Israel was by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu a number of years ago at the first (of only two) International Jewish Bloggers Convention.  I've also said many times that the Likud is a more Right wing and pro-Jewish Rights in the Land of Israel party when it's in the opposition.  Push a man like Bibi to the wall, and he'll come out with brilliant statements, but make him Prime Minister and you get a younger Shimon Peres.

The media (at least my email inbox) is now full of links to Netanyahu's latest quip at the Knesset.  Hat tip: Israel Hayom and Algemeiner.

As described in Algemeiner:

...Arab Israeli MK Jamal Zahalka (Balad) declared that Israeli Jews are an “enemy of peace.”
Zahalka made the comments during a debate on a referendum bill aimed to ensure Israelis will have a right to vote on any final status agreement with the Palestinian Authority. Zahalka said that the bill was irrelevant because it referred to “occupied territory, and as such, what applies is international law; the referendum should apply to the nations of the world.”
The comment was jeered at by MKs in the Knesset, to which Zahalka responded: “You’re an enemy of peace. We were here before you, and we’ll be here after you.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was present at the debate, but had not planned to speak, shot back, “The first part is wrong – and the second part will not happen.”

Israel Hayom's version:

Arab MK rejects Jews' claim on the land in late-night Knesset debate: "We were here before you; we will be here after you" • This prompts the prime minister to deliver a rebuttal: "The first part is not true and the second will never take place."

But the sad, ironic truth is that Netanyahu's policies, especially the referendum bill and participation in the Obama pushed "peace" sic talks just add a strong dose of truth to  Zahalka's statement.

There's a long list of extinct groups and peoples who/that were once enemies of the Jewish People.  Only we have survived all of these millennia, centuries and decades.  Less than a hundred years ago it looked like the Nazis would destroy the Jewish People.  Hitler began with Germany and caused the death of six million Jews before being defeated by the Allied Forces.

Netanyahu's "two state policy" support is strengthening our recent Arab aka Palestinian sic enemies and delaying their destruction.  Left to their own devices, our modern enemies would have been destroyed, history, before the twenty-first century.  Their defeat, our miraculous victories in 1967 and 1973 should have done the trick, but instead of our behaving at victors, we looked to our enemies for "peace."

We actually had peace in June, 1967, once the Arab enemies, the Syrians, Jordanians and Egyptians surrendered.  Unfortunately the Israeli Government of the time didn't recognize it.  The same mistake happened after the 1973 Yom Kippur War.  We have been suffering war, terrorism and all sorts of attacks because we, the State of Israel and Jewish People all over have been following the laws of man instead of the Laws of G-d.

In the long run, who knows when... Maybe in another few centuries G-d will give us another chance if we goof up this one.  Eventually we will outlive, out-survive our present enemies, but Israeli policies, yes those of Binyamin Netanyahu, are strengthening our enemies who have sworn to destroy us, G-d forbid.

And Now For The Second....

Last summer when Steve of Webads and Nefesh B'Nefesh put together the International Jewish Bloggers Convention, they very optimistically called it the "First." Of course, until there's a second, we never really know if something's a one-time deal or really the first in a series.

OK, let's cut the suspense...

Registration is now open for the The Second International Jewish Bloggers Convention!


You can either attend it f2f in Jerusalem or online. Obviously, online doesn't include dinner nor the light snack. You'll have to prepare and serve yourself.