Israel's Coalition: I See Good Things

To be very honest, nothing's perfect, and that includes politicians. Even though the Bennett-Lapid broad coalition doesn't have the exact policies I want, I still consider today's situation superior to the Bibi-chareidi mafia. 

Bibi and his cohorts were sure that they had found a way to stay in power forever. The Likud as the largest political party in the Knesset, along with the chareidim managed to prevent a coalition from wresting the rule from them. They had the country in a stranglehold for a few years. Since Bibi had led the last coalition as Prime Minister, he continued as caretaking or interim PM along with his mafia. Sorry, it may be legal but it's not the sign of a healthy democracy. I also opposed the massive street demonstrations against Bibi prior to the new coalition. That's mob rule, not law.

Then miraculously, Bennett, Lapid, Gantz, Saar and a few disparate parties pulled the rug out from under Bibi and his cronies. They decided to concentrate on what they agreed and formed a coalition. The foulmouthed sore-losers and the political pundits quickly predicted that the new government wouldn't last out the month, but half a year later they seem to be developing strong, stable sea legs...

One of the great standouts as a minister in the coalition is Matan Kahane, Minister of Religion. Way back when in the earlier decades of the State of Israel the NRP National Religious Party held that position. The religious establishment was more mamlachti, Zionist, Bnai Akiva, not chareidi. In more recent years as NRP's younger generation became more ideological and/or open to working with other groups, the party not only lost votes, but it lost its luster, attracting fewer and fewer potential leaders. Every few years the NRP hired a few "front man." Even Naftali Bennett played the role until he got tired of being a "figurehead," 

Today politically ambitious men in crocheted kippot and women in scarves and sleeves can be seen in almost all political parties.  As the NRP got weaker, it lost its leadership in the government's religious bodies, and the chareidim quickly stepped in. The NRP is no longer in the Knesset, and the rabbinate, kashrut and conversion are dominated by the chareidim. 

Matan Kahane in Shiloh, parlor meeting,
March, 2019

Back to Matan Kahane who was new to politics when I heard him at a parlor meeting here in Shiloh, March 2019. I was impressed then, and he hasn't disappointed me yet.

For decades I've been worried about the fact that the "national religious" Jews as a group have been considering themselves "second class," inferior Jews to the chareidim. I don't see chareidi lifestyle and religious "standards" as superior, more genuinely Jewish. And since the chareidim now control the Rabbanit it's only getting worse. 

Conversion to Judaism has become one of the more difficult issues, and I'm glad that Matan Kahane is working on that, plus kashrut.

For those who want to list the "bad" things the present government has done, it's just as easy to find examples of similar and worse done by Bibi. Do you really want Bibi and his mafia back in unlimited power?

Will The Chareidim Be The New NRP?

The NRP, Mafdal, National Religious Party used to have a slogan to make it clear that they'd justify being in all coalitions to support their "special interests."

In those days they'd stay out of "politics" or anything controversial. They were "middle of the road," and even Leftist. They'd claim that their presence in the coalition was to safeguard the mamlachti dati, religious public schools, their kibbutzim and the rabbinate. This "ideology" predated the 1967 Six Days War. Religiosity in Israel was rather weak and apologetic. The Baal Teshuva Phenomenon hadn't yet reached Israel, and the NRP was more Labor with a crocheted kippah than comfortable with Menachem Begin and his followers.

It took a decade after the mind-blowing miraculous 1967 Six Days War for Menachem Begin's Likud to gain power and the settling of Judea and Samaria to begin in earnest. The old NRP leaders had to join with Likud to keep their power, and the youngsters were influenced by Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook to settle the Land. Their youth movement, Bnai Akiva, moved more to the Right both politically and religiously. Also, after all these decades the mamlachti dati, religious public school system is firmly entrenched in government bureaucracy and is not under threat.

Israel's political chaos of today requires shaking things up to form a coalition. That's why there are rumors that Blue & White will try to make a deal with the chareidi parties. Today's chareidi parties are more insecure than the strongly ideological dati leumi, national religious crowd. The chareidim have more financial needs to support their schools, yeshivot, social services and amutot. They need to be in the coalition.

For Blue & White to form a ruling coalition, they need to break Bibi's bloc of parties, or at least MKs. As soon as Gantz's crew get a few deserters, he can declare a government. So my guess is that the chareidi political leaders will use their talmudic skills to rationalize jumping Bibi's ship and joining with Gantz. And Gantz will rationalize/defend his going against his "no chareidi" promise by reminding his supporters that the alternative would be another useless tied election.

What do you think?

Guide to the Politically Perplexed: Israeli Elections 2019, 5779, Redo, More Info Clarification

Bli eyin haraa, not to tempt the "evil eye," tomorrow I plan on voting in the Israeli Elections 2019, 5779, Redo.

Unlike previous elections, so far, even though the voting stations will be open in about 24 hours, I've noticed relatively few signs and potential trash. There could be a simple reason, money or lack of it. The political parties and wannabes just can't find the money they had a half a year ago for the first Israeli Elections 2019, 5779. Generally loans are taken out, or the government provides political parties with a certain amount, which will be covered if the party wins enough seats. If they don't win the required amount, then the money must be returned... somehow.

Yesterday I posted about the Israeli political system, which is rather misunderstood. Likud and Blue & White are, davka, taking advantage of people's ignorance. To simplify and repeat:

In Israel we don't vote directly for a Prime Minister. We vote for lists of potential Knesset Members. The party leader who can negotiate a ruling coalition of at least 61 Members of Knesset becomes Prime Minister of the State of Israel.

People, especially those raised abroad, ask if having districts would make it easier to form stable governments. My answer is a firm "NO."

There are two very simple reasons for this:

1. GERRYMANDERING. Gerrymandering is the "art" of drawing election districts to achieve goals in favor of, or the detriment of specific political parties. 
2. In a country like Israel, especially with gerrymandered districts and the fact that we have many established political parties, there can still be a variety of political parties and not a simple two party system.

It may help to return to the one-time "experiment" of two ballots, one for Prime Minister and the other for the Knesset. This sort of system exists in Israel in municipalities. People vote separately for the mayor and city council members.

Sometimes the mayor and his party's council members do well, so he has an easy time making a working coalition. Other times, like Moshe Lion, Mayor of Jerusalem, the winning mayor doesn't have council members from his party, and he/she must make a coalition with those who had wanted him/her to lose. A skilled politician can pull it off.

Politics is the art of compromise. People/politicians have to work together for the good of the people/country/city/state.

Whether prime minister, president, governor, mayor etc one must be fair also to those with different opinions, not just to supporters.

I'm voting Yemina, and davka one of the reasons is because the various factions now running together for the Knesset have shown that despite their "bad history," they are willing to work together. Even though many times I've said that I wouldn't vote for NRP-Jewish Home, this time I am, since they're working with politicians I support. Nobody's perfect, especially in politics. We have to vote and then pray that the winners will do the right thing for the good of the country.

Israel's Right United, Right?

Israeli Politics is complicated

It seems that Shaked, Bennett, Peretz and Smotrich have done their pragmatic best to unite their political parties for the upcoming elections. And I'm even happier to see that Moshe Feiglin isn't part of the bloq.

I have no doubt that this hasn't been easy. The NRP is now headed by a political newbie who doesn't seem to have a clue, and there's bad blood between the parties. But for the good of the State of Israel they've figured out how to make a coalition of sorts and run as one party.

They haven't yet published the exact Knesset list, but I'm glad to see that Matan Kahana is included. I was very impressed by him when he spoke in Shiloh a few months ago.

I want a strong Right wing party to the Right of the Likud in the Knesset. Like a strong magnet, it should pull the Likud Rightwards.

Matan Kahana, who may be #7 on the "joint Right list"

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.

Every Time I'm About to Bite The Bullet and Support Likud, Bibi....

Every Time I'm About to Bite The Bullet and Support Likud, Bibi says something that turns my stomach:

NETANYAHU: ISRAEL ‘OPEN’ TO US PEACE PLAN

With the next Knesset Elections looming, I don't see any alternative. There isn't a political party I like at all. I feel totally burnt by New Right and can't stand the clowns in the NRP, whatever they now call themselves.

I'm politically orphaned and homeless.

For someone like me who has always taken my politics seriously and personally, I'm in a position that I really don't like. In addition, I have too good a memory about politics, so there isn't a politician I can trust. No doubt I'll be holding my nose and grimacing in the polling booth. Does anyone feel the same?

Politically "Homeless" Post Israeli Elections 2019

I've seen this term on the pages of a few facebook friends who, like me, had supported Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked's "The New Right" party. The New Right missed getting into the Knesset by a ridiculously small number of votes.

In response to those who suggest that we should "just return to the NRP/Jewish Home party," that's totally absurd and further proof that I've been orphaned yet again.

Why do they presume that I had a home in the Jewish Home?

I'm not of Bnai Akiva/NRP/Jewish Home. My Torah Judaism is a result of my years in NCSY, my Zionism is from Betar and it was coming to age during the 1967 Six Days War which drew me to live in Liberated Shiloh.

My Israeli political identification was more Yisrael Eldad than Menachem Begin, especially once Begin gave Egypt the Sinai and destroyed all of the Jewish communities that had been built there. As a result of the Camp David Accords, I aligned with the Techiya Party, but after about a decade, that, too failed to make the cut and enter the Knesset. Since then I find myself searching for a political party which I can trust ideologically.

One very important thing that keeps me from feeling "at home" in The Jewish Home is that I am ideologically opposed to parties based on religious observance. Here in the State of Israel we must look out for all Jews and citizens, what's best for the entire country, not just the "crocheted kippah" crowd.

The second recommended option for political affiliation is the Likud, but that, too isn't a good match for me. The Likud is too Centrist for my ideology, and I firmly believe that it is important that there be a strong Right party to pull the Likud Right.

The New Right was a good match for my requirements, and I like and respect some of the top people. I think there were two reasons they missed votes. One was in their control, and the other wasn't, though there's a connection.

1. Moshe Feiglin's mishmash/supermarket party with a conflicting/contradicting choice of ideologies, plus his past as a Right wing politician/wannabe attracted some voters who had been debating between him and New Right. Some of them refused to read the "fine print" of his platform and Knesset list; they voted for Feiglin.
2. I wasn't impressed by the campaign run by the New Right. I had been hoping that Caroline Glick would have been given free hand to produce and publicize a lot of Latma style campaign videos,which would have been more attractive and less strident. I have no doubt that the additional voters they would have attracted would easily have put the New Right into the Knesset.

Now I'm politically homeless, or more accurately orphaned. While my favorite politicians and political wannabes lick their wounds, recover, heal and plan for the future, I'll wait patiently. Really, there isn't much else for me to do. I won't be quiet. I'll blog and comment when I have something to say. That's what I do.

Gd willing Binyamin Netanyahu and his crew will build a ruling coalition that will pleasantly surprise me. Let's see if he really annexes all the yishuvim, which was his last minute campaign promise.

Gd willing next Knesset Elections results will be more to my liking.

Not enough people voted as I did, for נ The New Right
Knesset Elections 2019 Israeli Elections

The New Right, HaYamin HeChadash, הימין החדש in Shiloh

Last night there was a parlour meeting with The New Right, HaYamin HeChadash, הימין החדש in Shiloh. Yes, of course I attended.

The New Right, HaYamin HeChadash, הימין החדש in Shiloh. MK candidates Matan Kahana and veteran MK Shuli Moalem-Refaeli

It was in Hebrew, which is no problem for me. Davka, most of the attendees were English speakers, but we've all been in Israel for many years.

Matan Kahana and MK Shuli Moalem-Refaeli introduced themselves to us, and their backgrounds are extremely impressive. Kahane, whom I had known nothing about until last night, spent years in the IDF and Israeli Air Force, also managing to get law degrees and other professional training. I'd really like to see him using his obvious intelligence in the Knesset. Moalem-Refaeli, a nurse, is more well known and has taken well to her Knesset work.

Ayelet Shaked and Naftali Bennett have certainly attracted and assembled an extremely talented, diverse and experienced team on their New Right Knesset List.

The parts of the New Right's Campaign Platform Kahana and Moalem-Refaeli stressed in Shiloh were, obviously, those that affects us. They spoke about Ribonut, the importance of declaring Israeli Sovereignty here and Jewish building and rights in "Area C."

No beating around the bush here, I fully support The New Right, HaYamin HeChadash, הימין החדש and plan on voting for that party. I certainly hope that many other Israelis agree with me. As I see the Israeli political system, it's the Right versus Left blocs one must think of when choosing a party. For instance, if you want a strong Right coalition, then there must be a large political party on the Right to pull the Centrist Likud Rightwards. I'll never forget hearing Binyamin Netanyahu state, at the First International Bloggers Convention state that although is political beliefs are firmly on the Right, he thinks that a Prime Minister should be in the Center of the political spectrum. That was a true eye-opener for me. And that's why I don't vote Likud.

The NRP aka Jewish Home has its source as the Israeli Center. No matter what it's calling itself today, the mafia that pulls the strings historically prides itself on being able to join any coalition. That's why Shaked and Bennett had to leave after they rehabilitated the veteran party, which was pretty much dead when they were recruited to take over.

I will only vote for a party whose leaders are unabashedly on the Right of the Israeli political spectrum. The New Right, HaYamin HeChadash, הימין החדש

Leadership Bankruptcy in NRP aka Jewish Home Party

One of the most veteran of Israeli political parties, those that predate the Establishment of the State of Israel, is NRP (Mafdal) aka Jewish Home Party. It's traditionally Center Left, religious, but not too extreme, Zionist and always in the ruling coalition.

In the early days of the State of Israel, their aim was to establish and strengthen the Mamlachti Dati, State Religious School system and add Jewish Tradition wherever possible to Israeli life and law. In many ways they seemed closer to mainstream Labor Party, because both had kibbutzim and moshavim to protect and coddle.

As time went on, and especially after Israel's totally miraculous victory in the 1967 Six Days War, the NRP began to change. Its first generation raised in the State of Israel became the most enthusiastic in Israeli society for settling the Land liberated in the war and Israel's increased security and prosperity enabled more and deeper Torah learning.

Children and grandchildren of old NRP leadership and graduates of the Mamlachti Dati, State Religious Schools began looking to emulate the heavy Torah learning of the chareidim, even establishing full-time Kollel programs and chareidi-like elementary and high schools for boys, where the graduates wouldn't be qualified to pass Bagrut tests for a high school diploma, which is necessary for university and certification in most vocational studies.

At the same time, in the political sphere, they've established numerous other political parties, more religious and Right ideology then the venerable NRP aka Jewish Home Party.

That's why  unlike Likud, descended from prestate Revisionist Herut, the veteran Labor Party and the chareidi parties, there's no internal competition or primaries for the leadership role in the NRP aka Jewish Home Party. There's a leadership bankruptcy; its graduates have moved on and away.

Every few years a new "leader" is recruited from various other occupations or parties. The NRP backroom mafia controls the party and all the property that has been in the "family" for probably close to a hundred years.

The words behind NRP are "national religious party." Honestly I, like Naftali Bennett and many others, some who vote Likud, are ideologically against a party that labels itself as dati, religious.

I believe that we all, no matter how many and how carefully we keep Gd's commandments, must work together to govern and steer the State of Israel. I look for a political party with vision and commitment to the Torah, Land of Israel and the entire Jewish People.

Gd willing, I'll be voting for the New Right, although I honestly don't like the name Bennett and Shaked chose. And it's reassuring to me that Caroline Glick has chosen to run for Knesset in the New Right. Gd willing, we'll see her in the Knesset soon.

Looks Like The End of The NRP National Religious Party מפדל

Way back when, even before the Establishment of the State of Israel, people chose their political party according to the Zionist Youth Movement they were active in. Betar voted Herut, Bnei Akiva voted NRP National Religious Party מפדל etc. A relatively high percentage of Israeli youth were in a youth movement, whether it promoted Leftist kibbutzim, religious moderation or שתי גדות לירדן Shtay Gadot Layarden, Two (Both) Banks of the Jordan.

In the days before internet, television and even a phone in every home, Israeli kids kept busy with their youth movement friends. One's youth movement ideology was one's politics, sick fund, school, address, bank and pretty much everything. Things have changed in Israel, and the political polls show it.

The last surviving and relatively strong ideological youth movement is Bnei Akiva, which has always been connected to the NRP aka Jewish Home Party. In recent decades, the strong ideologues graduating from Bnei Akiva haven't supported the NRP, finding it too weak and compromising on ideology and idealism. Those controlling the coffers and properties of the NRP found themselves in the embarrassing and risky position of having to recruit ambitious politicians from the outside. That's how Naftali Bennett and the more secular Ayelet Shaked ended up running it.

Bennett and Shaked did their staj, internship as party heads and then must have done a secret poll that showed that the NRP voters would vote for them without the label NRP, so they left it and have established the New Right, a name which I consider absolutely awful.

Ever since Bennett and Shaked announced their new political party, polls are showing that the NRP won't pass the minimum votes to get into the Knesset. Read the latest from Jeremy's Knesset Insider.

Israeli society has changed enormously in the half century we're in the country. It's very rare for a country and society to change so quickly.

Israel Elections 2019, 5779 Latest Polls

Two interesting polls are out on Jeremy's Knesset Insider, both hot off the press, meaning that they include both the New Right of Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked and Labor running on its own, sans Tzipi Livni.

The shocker for many is that Bennett and Shaked are correct in their guess that they had brought most votes to the veteran NRP (National Religious Party,) now called Jewish Home. The polls show that without them, Jewish Home may not even get into the Knesset. The NRP is doing worse than Livni, which even has me shocked.  And I'm pretty sure that the polls were done before Caroline Glick publicly joined the New Right. She should bring votes from Likud and NRP.

I'm just going to copy/paste from Jeremy's Knesset Insider and let you take a good look. What do you think? Of, course, we still have a while to go before the actual elections, but so far it looks interesting. Honestly, I love this stuff.

PS Please remember that these are just polls; they aren't election results.

Kan Channel Poll: Likud 28, Israel Resilience 14, Yesh Atid 13, Joint List 12, HaYamin HeHadash 9

TNS conducted a poll of 543 people for the Kan Channel that was broadcast on Jan 2 2018.

Current Knesset seats in [brackets]

28 [30] Likud
14 [-–] Israel Resilience (Gantz)
13 [11] Yesh Atid
12 [13] The Joint (Arab) List
09 [03] Hayamin Hehadash (Bennett & Shaked)
07 [18] Labor
07 [10] Kulanu
07 [06] Yahadut Hatorah/UTJ
06 [07] Shas
06 [05] Meretz
06 [01] Gesher (Orly Levy)
05 [05] Yisrael Beitenu
00 [06] Livni Party (close to the threshold)
00 [05] Bayit Yehudi (far from the threshold)
00 [–-] Telem (Yaalon), Zehut (Feiglin), Yachad (Eli Yishai), Eretz Chadasha (Eldad Yaniv), Green Leaf, Ofek Chadash (as other) under 3.25% threshold

62 [66] Current Right-Religious Coalition+Y.B.
58 [54] Current Center-Left-Arab Opposition+Gantz-Y.B.

Additional Questions:

Who is more suited for Prime Minister?

40% Netanyahu, 30% Gantz, 30% Don’t know

Who is more suited for Prime Minister?

40% Netanyahu, 36% Don’t know, 24% Lapid

******

Channel 13 Poll: Likud 31, Israel Resilience 12, Joint List 12, Yesh Atid 10, Labor 8

Midgam conducted a poll for Channel 13 that was broadcast on Jan 2 2018.

Current Knesset seats in [brackets]

31 [30] Likud
12 [13] The Joint (Arab) List
12 [-–] Israel Resilience (Gantz)
10 [11] Yesh Atid
08 [18] Labor
07 [06] Yahadut Hatorah/UTJ
06 [03] Hayamin Hehadash (Bennett & Shaked)
05 [10] Kulanu
05 [07] Shas
05 [06] Livni Party
05 [05] Meretz
05 [05] Yisrael Beitenu
05 [01] Gesher (Orly Levy)
04 [05] Bayit Yehudi
00 [–] (1.8% of vote) Yachad (Eli Yishai)
00 [–-] (1.3% of vote) Telem (Yaalon)
00 [–] (1% of vote) Eretz Chadasha (Eldad Yaniv)
00 [–] (0.4% of vote) Zehut (Feiglin)
00 [–] Green Leaf and Ofek Chadash (as other) under 3.25% threshold

63 [66] Current Right-Religious Coalition+Y.B.
57 [54] Current Center-Left-Arab Opposition+Gantz-Y.B.

Scenario Poll: Gantz + Livni

Current Knesset seats in [brackets]

31 [30] Likud
15 [06] Israel Resilience (Gantz) + Livni
12 [13] The Joint (Arab) List
11 [11] Yesh Atid
08 [18] Labor
07 [06] Yahadut Hatorah/UTJ
06 [03] Hayamin Hehadash (Bennett & Shaked)
05 [10] Kulanu
05 [07] Shas
05 [05] Meretz
05 [05] Yisrael Beitenu
05 [01] Gesher (Orly Levy)
04 [05] Bayit Yehudi
00 [–] (1.8% of vote) Yachad (Eli Yishai)
00 [–-] (1.3% of vote) Telem (Yaalon)
00 [–] (1% of vote) Eretz Chadasha (Eldad Yaniv)
00 [–] (0.4% of vote) Zehut (Feiglin)
00 [–] Green Leaf and Ofek Chadash (as other) under 3.25% threshold

63 [66] Current Right-Religious Coalition+Y.B.
56 [54] Current Center-Left-Arab Opposition+Gantz-Y.B.

*Note: Scenario poll total is 119 seats, not 120.

Additional Questions:

Who is more suited for Prime Minister?

37% Don’t know, 35% Netanyahu, 28% Gantz

Who is more suited for Prime Minister?

55% Don’t know, 38% Netanyahu, 17% Lapid

The Knesset can be seen in the background. Remember that Israeli Elections are for Knesset seats, not for Prime Minister.

2019, 5779 Israeli Elections, Party Time, Bennett-Shaked Shake Things Up

Tonight, Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked announced that they were breaking away from the NRP (National Religious Party) aka Jewish Home Party and establishing a new political party that would be to the Right of the political spectrum and open to all shades of religiosity. Bennett and Shaked are calling their party the "New Right."

In all honesty, I'm not surprised. I'm more surprised that they managed to stay in the rather staid NRP for five years. When Bennett told the old leadership, the ones who handle the money and property of the venerable old party, that the secular and female Ayelet Shaked was an indispensable part of his leadership package, I have no doubt that they were more shaken up than the British Royal Family when Harry made his relationship with Meghan Markle public.

Just under forty years ago, the Techiya Party was established by legendary Geula Cohen and Yuval Neeman. It was a straight-talking Right party, which I supported and mourn its demise. In the 1992 elections, it didn't receive enough votes to pass the minimum threshold and ceased to exist.

My guess is that the New Right is a 21st century version of Techiya, and from what Bennett and Shaked said at the press conference tonight, they would be happy adopting something I heard Geula Cohen say at a Parlour Meeting in Bayit Vegan, Jerusalem.

Geula was asked:

"Is Techiya a religious party?"

Geula replied:

"Techiya isn't a religious party; it's a Jewish party."

I have never liked religion as a criteria for politics and government. We have to work together.

What do you think?

Will New Likud Government Fulfill the Right Promise or Be Another Leftist-Center Disaster?

So deja vu...

Only the Likud can so consistently disappoint its voters and not disappear from the Israeli political scene. From the time in 1977 when Menachem Begin shocked the polls and media by jumping out of the opposition into the Prime Minister's seat and then instead of offering the strong Right patriotic pro-Land of Israel for Jews policies he had been elected to do, there has never been a Likud Government that didn't disappoint its voters.

Only the Likud has destroyed Jewish communities and towns and schools and given our precious Land to our Arab enemies. Davka, it was the Leftist Labor Party that has done any better for us in many ways.

Likud leaders talk the talk, but the truth is that when it comes to policy, they are the most destructive in the History of the State of Israel.

• Who gave the Sinai to Egypt and destroyed Yamit, Ofira and the agricultural communities there?
• Who declared Disengagement making Gush Katif and part of Northern Samaria judenrein and ruled by Hamas?

Labor supported these terrible policies, but they were the initiatives of Likud!!

Evacuation and destruction of Sinai, Sadot,  1982

Neve Dekalim Synagogue after Disengagement

Now with the hardliner secular Ayelet Shaked, of Jewish Home (formerly National Religious Party,) as incoming Justice Minister people all over are expecting her to legalize controversial housing, neighborhoods and communities and approve all sorts of building permits that have been frozen for years. That's what we're hoping for and praying for. We'd like Jewish Israeli SOVEREIGNTY on all of the Land of Israel! That's the only way we'll have security.

Honestly, I'm jaded and cynical. I've been disappointed too many times. I really don't doubt that Shaken will attempt to correct all the wrong she can, but I have this nagging feeling that Netanyahu will do his usual hand-tying of his coalition partners. Bibi runs a tight ship, especially when it comes to disciplining those on the Right.

Prime Minister Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu has not yet presented us with his complete cabinet. He is trying to get a new law passed to allow him even more ministers than ever before to try to satisfy the demands of his sixty-one 61 MKs. Rumors still abound that he is hoping to expand his minimal coalition with the addition of some more Leftist MKs or parties.

Considering how little I trust Moshe Kahlon and Aryeh Deri to show coalition loyalty, things should be very rocky for Bibi this time around.

Knesset Elections 2015 Update, Choice of Benny Begin, Bad News for Likud

Benny Begin

In a sense I'm not surprised that Bibi took former MK and Minister Benny (son of Menachem) Begin out of the "boidim*," storage space, and gave him the very safe #11 that had been rumored for Caroline Glick. I had no doubts that Netanyahu was planning on using the spot for a strong vote-getting Right wing candidate.

Tzachi Hanegbi

Benny Begin's strong ideological credentials make up for his lack of charisma. He avoids the spotlight, rather anti-political, but his task is to reel in traditional Likud Revisionist supporters. He can do that, at least with pensioner crowd, but in all honesty, I don't think he'll attract anyone under the age of fifty or maybe even sixty. As I had written a number of times before, all the talk of giving that spot to Caroline Glick was so that she'd bring in the ideological Right. Caroline would have done a better job, being female and young; I guess Bibi didn't have too many people to choose from. He needs to counteract Tzachi Hanegbi who was actively involved with Disengagement and was a stalwart founder of Kadima.

The choice of Benny Begin shows that the Likud, is hurting and Bennett's Jewish Home is getting more attractive to young Right wing activists and potential MKs. Now that Naftali Bennett has really opened up and changed the NRP to the Bayit Yehudi, Jewish Home, even recruiting/welcoming non-Jewish Israelis, more and more of your everyday "man in the street,"  "amcha" Israeli will feel more at home in the Jewish Home.

Remember that demographics are very important in predicting political trends, and not only are the Jewish Home supporters young, but they do have relatively large families. That's why the future is in the Jewish Home rather than in Yair Lapid's "Yesh Atid," "There's a Future" Party.

Now that the political parties have had to finalize their lists, I'll have more to say.

Shabbat Shalom uMevorach,

May this be a Peaceful and Blessed Shabbat.

*boidim-storage space made by lowering the ceiling. It was/is built into Israeli apartments.

I May End Up Voting for Jewish Home, Because It's Nothing Like The Old NRP

For many years decades I've said that I wouldn't vote for the NRP for two basic reasons:

1. I don't think a political party should revolve around the issue of religion.
2. Traditionally there was something very "apolitical" about the NRP. It found ways to join almost all the coalitions whether Left or Right to protect its institutions. 

There was also something so terribly homogeneous about it. 

Today I watched and listened to one of the top Bayit Yehudi, Jewish Home leaders, Ayelet Shaked, and she said something rather revolutionary for that party. She said that it wouldn't be the end of the world if they were to find themselves in the opposition. I was overjoyed. If you check my posts from two years ago before the previous elections, you'd see that one of my complaints about Naftali Bennett was that he had announced, before even beginning negotiations with Netanyahu that they'd be in the government. 

I use my vote to support an ideology, not for anything else. I want the MKs I've voted for to be able to tell the truth and speak out on every issue. As you probably know, I don't see MKs as having too much power, and coalition MKs have even less. 

One thing I really like about Bennett's Jewish Home is that it is getting further and further from the old NRP. And I think that Bibi's Likud is getting further and further from Menachem Begin's Herut, Gahal and Likud. One of the latest surprises is that Betar Jerusalem's former soccer star Eli Ohana may be joining up with Bennett and Shaked.

See, I've been saying for quite some time, usually as facebook comments, that the Jewish Home is becoming what the Likud should or could have been!!

Likud, Bayit Yehudi/NRP/Jewish Home Primaries Miscounts?

One year we had to start outside since
we didn't have a key to  the building
where the voting was to take place.

Vote counting isn't easy. I've been running our local Shiloh Mazkirut "Town Council" elections almost every year for the past thirty years or so. We certainly have fewer votes to count than in the various Knesset polling stations (which I've also been part of here in Shiloh) or the party primaries. But I can certainly sympathize with those entrusted with the actual counting. First of all, it all happens late at night, when few of us are sufficiently alert to do a good job. And few people actually know what to do. I have my systems, which generally work in our small town.

inside the Likud Primaries polling booth

In Shiloh the elections are for voluntary posts which demand a lot of time, efforts and nothing much but public complaints in exchange. The party primaries are to give people the chance to be Knesset Members, a position with an above average salary, granted for some people it's a reduction, but for others it's more money than they had previously earned, and another aspect of the job is the chance to give other people jobs on the MK staff. And that's besides the actual status and chance to try to legislate change from the inside, rather than ranting from outside the government.

I may be wrong, but I think that the numbers of possible voters in the Likud and NRP aka Bayit Yehudi, Jewish Home are probably the most of any Israeli political party. That means that it is complicated and mistakes my be unintentional. Each polling station does its own count, and then the totals (and ballots) are brought to a main center where it's all calculated for grand totals. When recounts are needed. all the papers are there for a staff to do the job.

A lot has been in the news about both the Likud and Bayit Yehudi having impossible to be accurate results:

Bayit Yehudi to re-count primary votesand
Likud judge decides in favor of Hotovely

I wouldn't dare to guess whether something crooked really happened in either party's primaries. Since it's all done by "hand," the human factor means that it's easy to cheat and also easy to make an honest mistake.

If there was cheating, let it be proven and have the guilty, tried and punished.

And I also wish that political and elected government leaders be punished for saddling us with policies they campaigned not to rule by!

The Israeli Political System, So Difficult to Understand

I just visited Caroline Glick's facebook page and joined the well-wishers hoping that she'll be one of those chosen for the "discretionary" places/numbers, that Likud party leader Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu can add to the list without the expense and gamble of going through primaries.

Likud voters gave Netanyahu the right to choose the candidates who will be in the 11th and 23rd spots on the Likud candidates list.
He decided to ask the public for recommendations on his official Facebook page.
Among the names suggested were Glick, former Bank of Israel governor Stanley Fisher, Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky, economist Shlomo Ma’oz, journalists Roni Daniel and Ben-Dror Yemini, television personality Avri Gilad, former Maccabi Tel Aviv star Tal Brody, former Shas MK Haim Amsalem and Shurat Hadin – Israel Law Center Executive Director Nitzana Darshan-Leitner.
“I’m very humbled that members of the public have put my name forward as their desired representative in the Knesset,” Glick said. “I don’t know if now is the right time for me and my family for a move into politics, but I do know that the people of Israel are the strongest, bravest people in the world and deserve equally valiant leaders.”

Duh? You may say. What sort of systematic democracy is that? I'm going to come clean and admit that I did vote against giving Bibi the right to add names.

I commented to Caroline, that although I would really like to see her in the Knesset, I still won't vote for Likud. I want Bibi to have to bring in a large more Right wing nationalist pro-Jews in all of the Land of Israel party into his coalition. I don't want him to feel that he has the "Right label" and Right vote, while pushing the Left's policies which he has been doing for years.

Of course there's then the obvious question, which I also asked yesterday:

Is there a reliably Right party in the Israeli political spectrum?

Sadly, I can't find it. Otzma Yehudit is not promoting itself professionally nor competently. It's more like an "underground group."

As I wrote yesterday, I may vote for the newly revamped NRP-Bayit Yehudi which seems to be evolving into what Likud should have been or should/could be if it hadn't gone so far Left.

I'm not afraid of Bibi's Likud getting fewer seats than Labor, because forming a government coalition is not a simple game of Arithmetic. It's advanced Mathematics and requires political skills that Bibi has way above Herzog and the political nymphomaniac Tsipi Livni, who has switched political beds too many times for anyone to take seriously.

And if the Mutt and Jeff team really pull it off, I'd love to see Bibi in opposition to teach him a valuable lesson. I can't imagine Labor's government lasting very long.

Just two more months until elections. Let's see what happens.

Terrible Israeli Election Dilemma!

For the very, very first time in over forty-four, yes 44 years in Israel, I haven't a clue which party to vote for.

We joined Herut, the Menachem Begin/Revisionist original core of Likud just weeks after making aliyah September, 1970. Then we followed to Gahal and Likud. Then we supported Techiya, and since then, though I've kept up official Likud membership for primaries voting, I've voted for various Right parties on the Israeli political spectrum.

I'd live a strong Right party in the opposition, but I don't see one. Unfortunately, former MK's Dr. Aryeh Eldad, MD, and Michael Ben-Ari are not promoting themselves in an attractive and serious way. And it's not all the fault of the pollsters which ignore them.

Politics is a profession and demands multiple skills and techniques. These otherwise brilliant men, whose ideologies I feel comfortable with, just don't know how to mount a serious campaign for the Knesset. I really don't know what they are doing.

For year, actually for decades, I have said that I refuse to support the NRP-National Religious Party aka Bayit Yehudi, Jewish Home, because I don't think that religion should be the main issue in politics. Considering that Naftali Bennett is making very serious changes in the party, bringing in not only the non-observant, but even the non-Jew, I may do the unthinkable and vote for them.

I definitely won't vote Likud. I prefer that Bibi will be in a position to beg Naftali Bennett to join his coalition. I hope that this time Bennett will hold his cards closer to his chest and not take along with him Leftist drek like the stupid Lapid trick he pulled two years ago.

And just in case you want to know which candidate, I'd vote for in NRP primaries if I had been a member, it would be Chani Luz, who for whatever reason wasn't featured in the Jerusalem Post article.

Tale of Two Arab Women, Anett Haskia versus Hanin Zoabi

I don't understand why it's taking the Israeli Judicial system so long to decide that Hanin Zoabi is a traitor. Unfortunately, the charges they are thinking about aren't strong enough.

The Northern District Attorney's Office on Tuesday told lawyers representing Arab MK Hanin Zoabi, that Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein is considering placing her on trial, pending a hearing, on charges of incitement to violence and insulting a public official.
Weinstein’s decision comes following the recommendation of State Attorney Shai Nitzan, and after Weinstein held consultations on the issue.

I consider Zoabi and her ilk to be traitors and they shouldn't be allowed to serve in the Knesset. It's totally hypocritical of the Israeli Judicial to have banned Rabbi Meir Kahane's Kach and allow the Arabs to spout anti-Israel propaganda while getting salaries of Knesset Members. I was never a fan of Kahane or a member of his Kach or JDL, but he and his followers are loyal patriotic Jews and Israelis. Zoabi calls for a foreign Arab terror state in the Land of Israel! She supports terror against Jews!

For those who think that Zoabi is the typical Arab, it's heartwarming to listen to Anett Haskia tell her story:


Haskia is the Arab Muslim woman who educated her children as proud Israelis. They serve in the IDF, and she is running in the NRP aka Bayit Yehudi primaries. I'd like to see her debate Zoabi, if Zoabi isn't jailed first!

It's Bibi's Likud, Not Feiglin's

OK, about the results of the Likud Primaries. I was right about one thing. Feiglin hadn't a chance. His supporters kept trying to convince me that he was increasing his power in the Likud, but the truth is as shown in election results, that he's just a postscript in Israeli politics.

Naftali Bennett's success in changing the NRP and remaking it proves that Feiglin was barking up the wrong tree, trying to remake the wrong party. If you know anything about sewing or fabrics, it would be like trying to make a formal tuxedo out of chiffon. Chiffon just doesn't hold its shape, and the Likud isn't going to be the ideological party that Feiglin claimed it could be. And to be honest I think that Bennett may be  opening up his NRP aka Bayit Yehudi, Jewish Home too much. I'm not quite sure what it stands for. It reminds me, lehavdil--to differentiate-- how Tzachi Hanegbi campaigned for Kadima, calling it a "Supermarket," where you can find all sorts of opinions.

It's late at night, and I just came home from work and must work again tomorrow, so...

Jewish Press

I think that Bibi Netanyahu must be pretty pleased with the results of the primaries. He's the undisputed leader and many of his more reliable followers got high placements. That's the good news for him. The bad news for him is that the pro-Feiglin voters will look for another party, either NRP or further Right or Chareidi. He and his team must find replacement voters. It's going to get harder and harder to present themselves as Right, because after so many years of Center-Left policies, even many die-hard Likudniks (and the Feiglin supporters) realize they've been had!