Elections Again? This isn't Some Sort of Joke; Is It?

I don't know why it has taken me so long to blog about the upcoming elections here in Israel. Usually I'm right on the ball, blogging about the politics even before the decision has been made. This time, eh...

Are we all burnt out between elections and COVID corona?

The twenty first century isn't all it was cracked up to be. It's becoming more of a dystopian horror movie, and we're in it whether we like it or not.

The score card is now under "construction" or something like that. MKs and wannabes are scurrying around trying to find the best chance to "live their dream" or extend their minute of fame.

There will be a deadline in another month or so, and by then deals will be made and dozens more polls will be publicized. Political parties may come and go, disappearing without even experiencing a single election on its own, sort of like a miscarriage. 

Veteran parties will join other historic relics in the political cemetery of has-beens. And Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu will attempt to keep on lengthening his record-breaking reign as Israel's longest standing/sitting/ruling Prime Minister.

While most Israelis are trying to stay alive and healthy and financially solvent, it seems that elections are the last thing we need again. But unfortunately, we haven't had a "proper" government for years, ever since Yvette (Avigdor) Lieberman broke up the coalition, if I remember correctly. 

Please BLAME IT ON YVETTE, NOT BIBI. Look, I don't vote Likud, but this whole mess is the fault of Yvette (Avigdor) Lieberman. And the main reason no party leader can put together a viable coalition is that Lieberman's Bayit Yehudi party doesn't join anyone. He's proving himself to be an anarchist, not a believer/follower in the democratic legal system of government.

Gd willing these elections will result in a better mix/choice of MKs who want the best for the State of Israel and not just an ego trip. A coalition must work together for the good of the country, Knesset Members not just the ministers.

Israeli Elections 2019 Redo, I'm Bored & You?

I just can't get excited about the "redo" upcoming Knesset Elections.

For a "political junkie" like myself, this is an awful confession. I haven't a clue as to which party I should vote for. I don't want to "waste" my vote again, but I don't like the choices.

I'm not happy with a lot of what Bibi Netanyahu has done, but the competition is a gazillion times worse.

I can't stand those who control Mafdal, National Religious Party NRP-Jewish Home or whatever they're called now.

The thought of giving my vote to a party that has Moshe Feiglin turns my stomach.

Am I the only Israeli who feels like this? Please, tell me. Try to make me feel better.

It's Friday morning. Shabbat's tonight, and the pool should be open soon. Plus we have a busy family day today Gd willing.

It's summer, and even though I'm on a "full time vacation" now, it's the season to feel like "holiday mode."

Gd willing, it'll all work out...

Shabbat Shalom uMevorach

May You have a Blessed Shabbat

No idea what this is, just like no idea which party I'll vote for in the "redo" elections.

Israeli Politics: Pre-Elections Shake-Ups?

While the Israeli Opposition hasn't let up much in its campaign to unseat Bibi and the Likud, things haven't been very pastoral on the Right of the political spectrum.

Pundits have been hinting and nudging the recently "retired" Gideon Sa'ar to reinvent himself and against Netanyahu, and they now claim he will. OK they've said it before... Let's see. I wonder about a lot of things when it comes to him, and the biggie is whether his wife, Israeli news anchor Geula Even, is willing to have her professional wings clipped if he re-enters politics. And I'm very cynical about his actual ideology, how Right he really is, especially push comes to shove...

And the other really big news is that in the newly Puritan Israel, which once prided itself on the sexual prowess of its politicians, considered it even admirable that sexual conquests were "easy" and condoned and even braggable, now condemn all that.

The latest "victim" of the new morality is none other than Sylvan Shalom who finally resigned when the accusations got too hot to handle even by his wife Judy Shalom Nir-Mozes. He'll be replaced in the Likud Knesset line-up by Amir Ohana, who'll be the Likud's first out of the closet homosexual MK. Let's see what the Israeli media will do with that.

And considering the super narrow coalition of 61 that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu heads, politics will stay rocky for as long as he has those thin delicate reins in his hands.

No Surprise, I'm in The Minority or Today's News is Like the Purim Story

According to the Jerusalem Post, a recent poll shows that most Israelis are in favor of a referendum before giving Arabs our Land. I'm against it. I want a law that would protect us from fickle and foolish politicians and leaders.

A majority of the Jewish public supports the three key pieces of legislation that passed last week in the Knesset, according to a Gal Hadash poll published over the weekend in Israel Hayom.
The public backed the electoral reform package that raised the electoral threshold to 3.25 percent, the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) conscription bill, and the referendum legislation, the survey of 500 respondents representing a statistical sample of the Jewish population found.
The most popular of the three was the referendum bill, which would require asking the public before signing a deal to give up land inside pre-1967 Israel or land to which Israeli law has been applied since then. The bill is supported by 70.7% of the population and only 17% oppose it. The percentage saying they did not know was 12.3%.* (emphasis mine)
Sixty-one percent support the conscription bill, while 22.9% oppose it and 16.1% did not know.
When asked whether they supported raising the electoral threshold from 2% to 3.25%, 55.6% answered affirmatively, 15.5% said no and 28.9% did not know.

All these polls and referendum talks remind me of an early part of the Purim Megilla, aka Megillat (Scroll of) Esther in which King Achashveros asks his advisers what to do when his Queen Vashti refuses to appear at his whim, beck and call.

יב  וַתְּמָאֵן הַמַּלְכָּה וַשְׁתִּי, לָבוֹא בִּדְבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ, אֲשֶׁר, בְּיַד הַסָּרִיסִים; וַיִּקְצֹף הַמֶּלֶךְ מְאֹד, וַחֲמָתוֹ בָּעֲרָה בוֹ.  {ס}	12 But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by the chamberlains; therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him. {S}
יג  וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ, לַחֲכָמִים יֹדְעֵי הָעִתִּים:  כִּי-כֵן, דְּבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ, לִפְנֵי, כָּל-יֹדְעֵי דָּת וָדִין.	13 Then the king said to the wise men, who knew the times--for so was the king's manner toward all that knew law and judgment;
יד  וְהַקָּרֹב אֵלָיו, כַּרְשְׁנָא שֵׁתָר אַדְמָתָא תַרְשִׁישׁ, מֶרֶס מַרְסְנָא, מְמוּכָן--שִׁבְעַת שָׂרֵי פָּרַס וּמָדַי, רֹאֵי פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ, הַיֹּשְׁבִים רִאשֹׁנָה, בַּמַּלְכוּת.	14 and the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat the first in the kingdom:
טו  כְּדָת, מַה-לַּעֲשׂוֹת, בַּמַּלְכָּה, וַשְׁתִּי--עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא-עָשְׂתָה, אֶת-מַאֲמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ, בְּיַד, הַסָּרִיסִים.  {ס}	15 'What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, forasmuch as she hath not done the bidding of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?' {S}
טז  וַיֹּאמֶר מומכן (מְמוּכָן), לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַשָּׂרִים, לֹא עַל-הַמֶּלֶךְ לְבַדּוֹ, עָוְתָה וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה:  כִּי עַל-כָּל-הַשָּׂרִים, וְעַל-כָּל-הָעַמִּים, אֲשֶׁר, בְּכָל-מְדִינוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ.	16 And Memucan answered before the king and the princes: 'Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the peoples, that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.
יז  כִּי-יֵצֵא דְבַר-הַמַּלְכָּה עַל-כָּל-הַנָּשִׁים, לְהַבְזוֹת בַּעְלֵיהֶן בְּעֵינֵיהֶן:  בְּאָמְרָם, הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ אָמַר לְהָבִיא אֶת-וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה לְפָנָיו--וְלֹא-בָאָה.	17 For this deed of the queen will come abroad unto all women, to make their husbands contemptible in their eyes, when it will be said: The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.
יח  וְהַיּוֹם הַזֶּה תֹּאמַרְנָה שָׂרוֹת פָּרַס-וּמָדַי, אֲשֶׁר שָׁמְעוּ אֶת-דְּבַר הַמַּלְכָּה, לְכֹל, שָׂרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ; וּכְדַי, בִּזָּיוֹן וָקָצֶף.	18 And this day will the princesses of Persia and Media who have heard of the deed of the queen say the like unto all the king's princes. So will there arise enough contempt and wrath.
יט  אִם-עַל-הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב, יֵצֵא דְבַר-מַלְכוּת מִלְּפָנָיו, וְיִכָּתֵב בְּדָתֵי פָרַס-וּמָדַי, וְלֹא יַעֲבוֹר:  אֲשֶׁר לֹא-תָבוֹא וַשְׁתִּי, לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ, וּמַלְכוּתָהּ יִתֵּן הַמֶּלֶךְ, לִרְעוּתָהּ הַטּוֹבָה מִמֶּנָּה.	19 If it please the king, let there go forth a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, that Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus, and that the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.
כ  וְנִשְׁמַע פִּתְגָם הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר-יַעֲשֶׂה בְּכָל-מַלְכוּתוֹ, כִּי רַבָּה הִיא; וְכָל-הַנָּשִׁים, יִתְּנוּ יְקָר לְבַעְלֵיהֶן--לְמִגָּדוֹל, וְעַד-קָטָן.	20 And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his kingdom, great though it be, all the wives will give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.'
כא  וַיִּיטַב, הַדָּבָר, בְּעֵינֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ, וְהַשָּׂרִים; וַיַּעַשׂ הַמֶּלֶךְ, כִּדְבַר מְמוּכָן.	21 And the word pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan;

He follows their instructions to the letter and then realizes that he is queenless so has to find a replacement. That's how Esther came into the picture.

That same King Achashverosh also gave his full authority to Haman to facilitate the Holocaust murder of all the Jewish People, from babies to the elderly. When Achashverosh realized that would put his Queen Esther in danger he didn't even have the authority to cancel the edict, so he had to give the Jewish People via Mordechai the authority to fight Haman's soldiers.

A king/ruler/government should have principles and take the lead. Rulers who are constantly polling their subjects are no wiser than King Achashverosh.

PR and Policy Not The Same, If Only Israel Made Policy From Its PR

Apparently Israel's Economy Minister Naftali Bennett was sent off on a Public Relations junket to the states relieving Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of the chore. Not too many Israeli Government officials can hold their own against the very professional and anti-Israel veteran CNN reporter, Christiane Amanpour.



Bennett may not have the charm or perfect "radio voice" Bibi was blessed with, but his mind is quick and his mouth is fearless.  Too many Israeli officials are wowed by their fame and the chance to appear on the international screen/scene, so they act more like adoring groupies than professional representatives of the Israeli Government and People.

Bennett must have taken my advice, which I blog periodically, about how to handle bad questions.  Many times over the three decades plus I've lived in Shiloh and had to handle journalists and all sorts of groups and visitors, I've found it necessary to "correct" or even refuse to answer a badly worded or conceived question. In this case Bennett refused to accept the wording of one of Amanpour's questons which included the term "occupied territories."

Israel’s Economy Minister Naftali Bennett took CNN’s Christiane Amanpour to task in a tense television interview on Monday, objecting to the anchor’s insistence on referring to “occupied territories,” to which the leader of Israel’s Jewish Home party responded flatly, “One cannot occupy his own home.”

If Bennett and the Israeli Government, which he represents, really believes what he said to her, then there is no logical reason for us to be negotiating with the Arabs to invent a new Arab country which will be called "Palestine" to be placed in the very heart, actually taking over most of those very same "territories."

Isn't it beyond insanity, totally illogical to permit, facilitate and certainly promote a state in the heart of or even adjacent to one's land borders that has as a raison d'être your very destruction and replacement?

The Palestinian Authority paints a picture - both verbally and visually - of a world in which Israel does not exist. Children’s educational TV teaches that Palestine currently is a "state" (Arabic "dawla" = state) covering 27,000 sq. km - i.e., an area that includes all of Israel (the entire West Bank and Gaza Strip total only 6220 sq. km). Moreover, all Israel’s cities and infrastructure are referred to as "Palestinian": “Palestinian ports ... [are] Haifa, Jaffa, Ashkelon, Eilat, Ashdod, and Gaza". [PA TV (Fatah), Sept. 1 2008]. PMW

That's why I don't get all relieved and excited when I hear one of those speeches and interviews like Bennett's from Israeli Government officials. It's PR Public Relations which is far removed from actual policy. It's like the distractions magicians use so we don't see how they do their tricks.  At the same time Israel's Supreme Court is more powerful than the government, and the government hasn't done anything to remind the "justices" that they are supposed to make rulings according to law and not their personal opinions and agendas.

And also, in direct contradiction to the NRP-Bayit Yehudi election campaign, they have no real government power in terms of policy.  This is all illusion, including Bennett's interview and determined words.

"Burnt Out" By The Long Coalition Squabbling and Anarchy

Last night, a bit before I turned off the computer, I posted the following on facebook:

Maybe I'm crazy, or it's a bit of political "burnout," but I must admit that I really don't care which parties are in Bibi's government coalition. He's just going to do what he wants, and G-d will stir as He wills it. I did my bit to vote for the party with the candidates I wanted to see in the Knesset, but they didn't get in. My blog posts didn't help, certainly not enough.

As much as I enjoy a good political campaign, pre-election period, this long, leak-filled, innuendo flooded, media sabotaged coalition ultra-marathon has become worse than a bore.  When the "negotiations" are double-guessed by the media, we've passed the point of absurdity.  It's hard to distinguish between fact, fiction, guess-work and wishful thinking.

Arlene Kushner, as usual, has a much more intelligent way of explaining what's going on and why we should be worried.

Nothing concrete to report yet on the coalition, as, again, there are mostly rumors. Based on what I'm reading, however, I confess to a great unease that Lapid sees himself as a reformer upon whom formation of the coalition depends -- and who thus can, with his demands for entry into that coalition, instantaneously restructure much of Israeli society. Whether he's right or wrong on specific issues, I fear a heavy-handed audacity that is only going to tear the society apart.

picture credit

Bibi's "roast beef" has been cooking much too long.  Even if he had been making chulent, it would be overcooked already.

And too much of what should be the coalition negotiations are being ki'ilu, sort of conducted "in public" by the media.  We keep hearing politicians, possible cabinet members being interviewed interrogated, and asked which ministerial posts they demand or which would they refuse.  Instead of politely and firmly brushing off these questions with a "that's between me, my party leader and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu," they actually answer the questions and with much too much detail.  Obviously they've never taken my media when you're being interviewed course.  One of the first rules is not to answer theoretical questions.  I'd put the "which ministry do you want question" in that category.  Too much public talking will only make things worse for everyone.

Yesh Atid's Yair Lapid keeps his facebook followers updated.  No, I'm not one of his friends.

Lapid is reportedly demanding the Foreign Ministry, but Netanyahu has reserved the post for faction Number 2 Avigdor Liberman, who stepped down from the post late last year to fight fraud and breach of trust charges. On Wednesday, the attorney general said it was legal for Netanyahu to hold the ministry for an indicted MK.

On Wednesday Likud sources told Army Radio that Lapid was “obsessing” about becoming foreign minister, “which isn’t going to happen,” that Likud

Lapid, who is also demanding a smaller Cabinet and that the ultra-Orthodox be drafted into national service, said on Facebook that the talk about ministerial posts was beside the point.

Photograph: John Lund/Getty
Images/Blend Images

Most people I speak to have great faith that somehow Bibi will do his usual hat trick and pull a nice fluffy rabbit out of his hat before United States President Barack Hussein Obama arrives to "inspect" him and the State of Israel.

deflated

Besides the fact that the suspense is over, like a balloon which no longer has air, I really don't think it makes all that much of a difference which parties are in a coalition and who holds which ministerial portfolios.  Too many times we've elected Right wing, pro-Land of Israel governments which ended up being davka the ones that gave our Arab enemies portions of the Land of Israel, most notably Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon.

It doesn't really matter who's elected and who is Minister of whatever.  Sorry for the cynicism, but that's what is going through my mind right now.

Bennett and Lapid Lost the "Chicken" Game With Bibi and We Got Livni

 

Bad news for the State of Israel and its citizens. 

We've got Tsippi riding shotgun with Bibi at the wheel.

Tsippi's special job will be to make peace sic with the Arabs. I kid you not.

Israel is extending its hand once more for peace with the Palestinians, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Tuesday at a press conference while announcing that former foreign minister Tzipi Livni had joined his coalition and will lead the Israeli peace negotiating team.
"I am hoping for a peace deal based on two states for two people, as per the parameters I outlined during my speech at Bar Ilan University," Netanyahu said at the conference. "Today Israel extends its hand once more for peace. We want a peace process, and we hope that it will yield results."

• Yes, Bibi has finally found himself a coalition partner, Tsippi the Movement  Livni, the lady who campaigned as an "alternative" to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. 
• Yes, the Tsippi who insisted that Netanyahu is a danger to peace. 
• Yes, the lady has a price, and Bibi met it.

Since Naftali Bennett, who aligned himself with Yair Lapid, after campaigning that he will be a valuable member of Netanyhu's coalition/cabinet only succeeded in alienating himself further.  He thought that Bibi would be so desperate for his MK's to add to the coalition that the PM would come begging, but no surprise the political newbie miscalculated.

Bennett shouldn't have trying to play chicken against a pro.

And no doubt that Yair Lapid sees his future with Netanyahu in the cabinet!  He's not going to stick with Bennett.

It really doesn't matter that this Netanyahu-Livni coalition agreement goes 100% against both their campaign promises, statements etc. This is politics, and politics is a search, striving for power and politicians will do and say anything to get it.

During the election campaign, Netanyahu had reportedly made clear to several of his senior staff that no talks were taking place with Livni or other members of her party, and that the chances of her joining the next government with him as Prime Minister were nil.
“Livni managed the negotiations with the Palestinians poorly,” Netanyahu was quoted in December as having told ministers. “Her entire stance is wrong and unacceptable to me.”

So, it's time to get comfortable and watch Bibi's show.

Good luck to the rest of us, we're in for a bumpy ride...

Chaos in The Meantime From Bibi's Lame Duck Governemnt

No doubt the betters are taking bets on how long Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's next coalition will last; that is if he actually succeeds in forming one. 

The fact that he must make a deal with political newbie Yair Lapid, who isn't experienced and jaded enough to understand that compromise is the name of the game, is making things difficult.  His supporters want him as Foreign Minister, because they think of it as a social photo-op position, just perfect for the media star.

It is this ugly state of affairs that explains the meteoric rise of Yair Lapid to "kingmaker" in this Knesset. His TV-star looks, stage presence, and confidence in the spotlight were far more important to the throngs who cast their votes for him than his political ideas. Hardly anybody bothered to read his past op-eds, many of which directly contradicted the platform on which he eventually ran. But even if they had, it wouldn't have mattered; his campaign was based on his pretty face and promises of "hope" for the "equal distribution of societal responsibilities" — which means having the ultra-Orthodox serve in the military.  (more from Ruthie Blum)

Powerful political positions require more than a good haircut and dentist.  Netanyahu has stayed in power (and returned to it after his loss) because of his intelligence and growing political savvy.  Even if he strikes out this time, I wouldn't consider him finished, out of the game.

Avigdor Lieberman, also, has shown his staying power and shouldn't be ignored.  I do have my problems with him, but I agree with his recent statements:

“Anyone who thinks that in the center of the diplomatic, political and social tsunami that is shaking the Arab world it is possible to get a magical solution of comprehensive peace with the Palestinians does not understand,” he said.
“I am saying clearly that it is impossible to reach a comprehensive agreement with the Palestinians,” said Liberman, who has not hidden his desire to return to the helm at the Foreign Ministry after his upcoming trial. “It is impossible to solve the conflict, it needs to be managed.” (Jerusalem Post article)

I certainly prefer him as Foreign Minister over the other candidates/wannabes, especially Lapid.

Lapid isn't Netanyahu's only problem.  Shas and its Rabbi Ovadia Yosef don't want to play ball with Lapid.

During his weekly Torah lesson, Rabbi Yosef said Lapid “hates yeshivas” and said he is “contemptible”. Lapid has demanded that hareidi yeshiva students be drafted into the army as a condition for his entering the coalition.

The only way that Bibi can fashion another government coalition is if Shas and Lapid will agree to sit together.  From what I've read, NRP-Jewish Home's Naftali Bennett understands that simple fact of life.

Politics makes strange bedfellows.

If you're too fussy, you may lose it all.  Can Israel afford new elections so soon?

Bibi's Coalition Puzzle, Making Advanced Sudoku Look Easy

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is a very intelligent well-educated man.  I wonder if he exercises his mind with Sudoku.

Considering the leaks and guess-work in the media, he's finding it difficult and slow-going to form a new coalition.  His old cabinet is "lame duck."

There really isn't all that much flexibility considering, the Arab parties, how unreliable Tsipi Livni is etc.  Netanyahu most probably needs Naftali Bennett's NRP-Bayit Yehudi party which has a lot of inexperienced parliamentarians.  Another problem is that they haven't been on good terms for a number of years.  IMHO, they are both pragmatic and ambitious enough to find a way to work together.

The present political situation, post-elections, here is great material for satirists.  Take a look at Latma's A Hebrew's Word with Avishai Ivri 31/01/13, English subtitles if you need them.



If you remember, not that long ago, Bibi surprised most everyone by making a deal with Mofaz, which quickly fell apart.  So, I wouldn't be all that surprised if something secret isn't cooking between Netanyahu and Bennett.

The precise circumstances of Bennett’s abrupt departure from Netanyahu’s employ five years ago have never been fully revealed, but the abidingly chilly nature of the relationship between them was underlined by their perfunctory handshake after the Knesset swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday. Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, who has antagonized Netanyahu by openly declaring his prime ministerial ambitions, received a far warmer greeting that day, and on Thursday held the second of two lengthy meetings with Netanyahu about a coalition partnership, with an agreement to meet soon for a third.

Somewhat insultingly for Bennett, Netanyahu also met Thursday with left-wing Meretz leader Zahava Gal-on, and Tuesday met with Labor leader Shelly Yachimovich, neither of whom wish to join the coalition. (Times of Israel)

Bennett campaigned as if his participation in the coalition was a certainty.  Maybe that was a mistake as far as Netanyahu is concerned.  I kept telling people that brewing in the coalition does not give power.  It limits one's voting independence, something that Bennett's new MKs may be upset to discover.

And in the meantime, we pundits here at our keyboards will just have to wait, like the rest of you...

The Day After Israeli Elections, 2013, Now The Fun Really Begins

Contrary to post-Election days in most parts of the world, things only get more interesting now that the votes have been counted.  In the United States, once the votes are counted you know who your President is and he takes a couple of weeks to announce his cabinet, while the looser slinks away.

Now, although we know which parties passed the threshold and which didn't and how many, give or take until the final adjustments after redistributing wasted votes, how many seats exactly each party will get in the Knesset, we must wait a couple of weeks or more to know who the Prime Minister of Israel will be and which parties will be in his coalition with which ministries.  Oops, sorry for that winding, run-on sentence.

For a lover of politics like me, this really is the fun time.

The Likud-Yisrael Beitenu party "won," since it got the most votes and will have the most seats.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu delivers victory speech, January 22, 2013. Photo: Marc Israel Sellem

 

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that he sees many partners to share his goals with him, as he delivered a speech following the release of exit polls on Tuesday night. Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid spoke simultaneously, causing Israeli news channels to broadcast both speeches through a split screen.
 

Since the "new man on the block" generally does better than the veterans here in Israel, so since this year's elections had two, Lapid and NRP's Bennett, no surprise that they both did relatively well.

Israel goes Leftward as Right bloc's majority razor-thin; voter turnout 66.6%; Likud Beytenu plummets; Labor polled to get 17 seats, Bayit Yehudi 12, Shas 11, Livni and Meretz 7 each, UTJ 6. Jerusalem Post

Now we'll see how good, meaning skilled and creative a politician Binyamin Netanyahu really is.  And we'll see which types of poker players Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett really are.  They are the keys to a strong stable coalition.

And another bit of suspense or food for betters, is whether or not NRP-Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett will be able to keep his more ideological MK's in line with whatever coalition agreement he makes.  He has made it clear that he wants his Volvo (not for the money, he can afford a better car) his cabinet portfolio.  That means that he'll have to stay in the Center of the political spectrum.  That's how I understood the statement Arutz 7 translated a bit differently:

“Something new is beginning. Religious Zionism is back on center stage.”
 

There probably hasn't been as high a percentage of first-time Knesset Members since the early days of the State of Israel.

So, no doubt, no matter which party you support, constructing the new coalition government will be an interesting and bumpy ride.  Stay tuned...

The Israeli Political System, Simply Put

Many people, even in Israel, could use a quick review:

• We ordinary citizens do not elect the Prime Minister.
• We vote for lists of wannabe Knesset members according to party lists.
• After the election results are in, The Israeli President, who is elected by the Knesset members, is supposed to ask the various party leaders to tell him/her who they think has the best chance to put together a ruling coalition.
• Then the President appoints the party leader who seems to have the trust of the other parties to attempt to negotiate a coalition  which may take more than one try. And the Prime Minister does not have to be the leader of the largest party.  He/she must be the best deal maker.

That's it in a nutshell.