Hamas/Gaza War Musings #35- Bibi's Foolishly Playing to the Democrats

We've all heard the saying that trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results is a definition of insanity and the most accurate way of describing Prime Minister Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu's security policies --how he ends wars--

That's why we're in the mess we've been in the past year plus. The mess is the war. We've been attacked every year or two since early into Bibi's reign as Israel's Prime Minister. I don't understand why so many, otherwise brilliant, people vote for him, trust him and politically worship him. Netanyahu has been giving us a 21st century appeasement policy.

We haven't won any of these wars; we just end them, first cousin to surrender. Bibi claims that "we showed the Arabs that we're stronger, can't push us around." Duh?!? It has never worked. If it's the right policy there wouldn't be fighting a dangerous war for Israel's survival since October 7, 2023. It's clear. I'm a CPA's daughter and 1+1=2. This isn't even Second Grade Arithmetic. Why are so many people dumb when it comes to politics?

And now I keep hearing that we're letting the Americans, those deceitful allies, sic, negotiate a deal/ceasefire with Hizbolla. Beyond insanity, these are the Democrats, the party of Obama, AOC, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris and Biden, who's no better than any of the others. 

The tough war savvy crew Donald Trump has been nominating is certainly horrified. Horrified because we're not showing any war smarts, none of the heroism Trump is old enough to remember well from 1967.

If I sound depressed, it's because I am depressed. IMHO Bibi is only making things worse. When Trump tells Israel to finish the war, he means WIN IT! 

I know what you want to ask me. "Who should replace Bibi?" Right? Honestly, I want to postpone elections as long as legally possible, because Israel can't afford raising the level of competition/disagreement/debate among citizens. If Netanyahu would only resign from all public offices, then the next in line in Likud would become Prime Minister. No elections needed.

Our soldiers are fighting hard, not only against Arab terrorists but also against some bad policies of the higher ups, those above the glass ceiling. Elections would cause too many internal fights.

I know that some people are certainly upset that I've written this. But I can't stay quiet, sorry. If you agree with me, please share this post, thanks. I'm looking forward to your comments, too.

Hamas/Gaza War Musings #17: Bibi, Who's Minding the Store?

 

Before I get started with this post, I really recommend that you watch listen to Caroline Glick. Here she's exposing important facts/truth about American Politics and some very fishy stuff about American interference in what's happening here in Israel, especially its connections with the Gazan Hamas terrorists and more. Get comfortable and listen, please. 

This morning's bad news, just hours after two innocent Jews were murdered by Arab terrorists a couple of miles from my house, is the shock that convicted Arab terrorists were released from jail. The Jerusalem Post article didn't give a number, but Arutz 7 said "dozens." Of course I have no idea.

What made the biggest impression on me was what was said on the radio that nobody is taking responsibility for the decision, especially Prime Minister Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu. Before the war, scandalous news was that prison directors had been assigning young females to the terrorist wing, and the women were raped. Something definitely stinks in that branch of the prisons, and I'm not talking about the loo.

The decision to release these terrorists is bad enough, but for me the lack of leadership and responsibility from the Prime Minister reminds me of all the stories about how our security forces pooh poohed reports of imminent Gaza Hamas attack, neither raising security, nor consulting with the PM. What's going on? Who's the boss? Something stinks for sure.

Heads should have rolled, as the expression goes. Lots of top "head" people in the defense establishment of Israel should have been fired and replaced with those out of the establishment. Netanyahu has not been acting as a strong leader. That's for sure, and it's very worrying.

Prime Minister Netanyahu's weakness is also apparent with his kowtowing to America's Biden, Blinken and other foreign leaders. 

Israel is all alone. The "advice," or to be more accurate DEMANDS of international leaders and bodies that we treat this war for Israel survival as a sports game. Why haven't we condemned the demands that we protect so-called "innocent" civilians? No doubt that If The WW2 Allies Had Fought Morally, Nazis and Japanese Would have Won... A simple NO! NEVER! would have stopped all the pressure. The "nicer" we are the more the pressure. 

We definitely should have demanded that the International Red Cross take a list of all of our missing and investigate who's alive, dead, injured, ill and missing. Israel should be the one making demands!!! Our Magen David Adom should have demanded to be part of the delegation with full protection. If these things hadn't been done, then we could have been totally justified in condemning the International Red Cross. 

I don't know what's really going on with Bibi, but ever since I heard him, in person, at the International Bloggers Conference in the summer of 2008, I lost my confidence in him. Then he told us that when he returns to the position as Prime Minister, he'd do it as a "centrist," and that's what he has been. Even now in the midst of this dangerous war for Israel's survival, he has sent our IDF soldiers to destroy new Jewish communities, and the army has practiced how to deal with various acts of Jewish terror, as if that's a reasonable possibility. But they weren't prepared for a multi-targeted invasion of southern Israel, which DID HAPPEN!

I don't accept any denials that "Bibi didn't know." Again I ask: Who's the boss?

US President Harry Truman is known to have said: The buck stops here! That's the type of leadership we need ASAP!

What do you think?

Israel Attacked by Hamas 2023/5784, War Musings #10, Paraphrasing Truman: The Buck Stops... Where?

I've been relatively polite about Bibi. 

Remember what Harry Truman said: 

"The buck stops here." 

It's clear that Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu, the man who broke all records as longest serving Israeli Prime Minister is very responsible for every failure. And he brought into his war cabinet others responsible, who made the decisions, policies the State of Israel is suffering from. 

Naïve people voted for him, Likud, thinking Bibi's on the patriotic Right, but he's not.

Photo of Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu I took many years ago at the 1st International Bloggers Conference

I'll say one more thing. Even though I don't vote Likud, for reasons I won't get into now though you can search my blog if you're curious, I'm a member of the party and vote in its primaries. Gd willing there will be elections for a new #1, replacement for Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu after we win this war. There are quite a number a talented potential Prime Ministers waiting in the wings. I hope that only one runs against Netanyahu, or even better that he officially retire.

In the meantime I pray that Gd will give our prime minister the wisdom and moral strength to lead us to victory. That is the most important thing right now!

Letter in The Jerusalem Post

Great Show

I enjoyed reading Lahav Harkov's interview with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. I've been his supporter all along and first met him when he was head of Moetzet YESHA. 

There were little things I noticed in the interview, like using the correct craft/verb when describing his kippah as crocheted. But his politics is more important. It's amazing that he managed to put together this unlikely coalition especially when his "dowry" is miniscule. He's a full generation younger than Bibi, which shouldn't be forgotten. Bennett doesn't need to work, having made his fortune very, very young in hitech. 

Bennett doesn't claim to have a Right wing government, but policies aren't very different from decades of Likud. Please don't forget that there's hardly a Likud Prime Minister, if any, who didn't destroy Jewish communities, and that started with Menachem Begin. Bibi was no different. I remember hearing him say that although he talks "Right" he believes that as Prime Minister he needs to be in the Center. So I don't miss him and his mafia.

Bennett seems to have good control over the various issues Israel faces. I'm more nervous about when Lapid takes over. We'll see what happens. On the whole, I'm happy that the Bibi mafia is out. They found a way to stay in power "safely" by being perpetual "interim" governments sans coalition. Bennett and his coalition partners out-maneuvered them by doing the "impossible." Remember that the pundits claimed it wouldn't last a month....

I've been following Israeli politics closely for over half a century, and it's a great show!

Batya Medad, Shiloh

My Letter About Bennett's "First 100 Days" in Jerusalem Post

I wrote about David M. Weinberg's Rating Bennett's premiership after 100 days in power - opinion

It was such a relief to read David M. Weinberg's "scorecard" on Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's first 100 one hundred days in power. Too many people are searching for faults. 

Remember that a hundred days ago all we kept hearing was that the Bennett-Lapid government wouldn't survive a month, and that was the polite reaction. The screaming and cursing we heard from the MKs and former ministers who had been counting on remaining in that "twilight zone" of power forever proved to many of us that they had been in power many years too many. 

Weinberg's points are all excellent. 

About Bennett's UNGA speech, it was fine and gave the world a chance to meet him. Of course Naftali Bennett can't compete with Binyamin Netanyahu's skills as an orator. Honestly, I don't know if anyone in the world can. Bibi is an extraordinarily gifted orator-- among the very best in the world. That's no reason for him to stay Prime Minister. 

But there's one thing that Naftali Bennett can do that Bibi can't. Bennett can get along with people. I wish our Prime Minister success and just hope it doesn't go to his head... 

Batya Medad בתי'ה 

Shiloh

Good Corona COVID-19 News is Conditional

Prime Minister Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu made a major announcement last night that Corona  COVID-19 restrictions will be eased-not erased here, but...

Yes, but if three things happen, we'll be back to the lock-down.

1. 100 new cases of Corona  COVID-19 in a day, not counting those returning from abroad or living in one of the high risk communities. 
2. Doubling of new cases of Corona  COVID-19 within ten 10 days.
3. The daily number/count of those seriously ill with Corona  COVID-19 is two hundred and fifty 250.

This makes sense to me. Gd willing, 1- wear a mask, 2- keep one's distance and 3- basic good hygiene will keep us all healthy.

We must still be masked, or the virus will spread, and we'll be back to lock-down restrictions. 

Gantz Desperately Continues Bibi Bashing

Hat-tip for link to article Tel-Chai Nation

To make it clear, I'm not voting Likud, but...

Benny Gantz is certainly proving that he's not leadership material. He sounds like an immature desperate teenage bully. He has nothing to offer the State of Israel other than empty inaccurate slogans, lies, jealousy and hatred.

Benny Gantz slams Netanyahu: Meir Kahane would be proud
By GIL HOFFMAN
03/12/2019
Gantz said he and the other leaders of Blue and White were the true successors of Menachem Begin, as well as former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin.

Menachem Begin, the epitome of honor and old-fashioned niceties, would be horrified at Gantz's claims.

Gantz is continuing to prove the bankruptcy of his Blue and White "party platform." Israeli voters may be looking for new leadership, but they're quickly discovering that Benny Gantz doesn't fit the bill. Blue and White is top heavy with IDF generals, but politics isn't the same as the IDF, and too many voters are angry with those generals for a variety of reasons.

Remember that the Israeli political/election system requires that a party leader succeed in negotiating a working coalition to become Prime Minister. I'll repeat here that "politics isn't the same as the IDF." Whatever may have worked for Gantz and his fellow Blue and White retired generals in the past will probably backfire in coalition negotiations.

Even if Bibi Netanyahu has to bow out because of the indictment, there are highly qualified and experienced Likud politicians who can take the helm. Just like American Football has been compared to chess, so is coalition politics, and that means that successful coalition politics is like American Football. In football, the quarterback gets tactical instructions from the head coach, and if the QB can't play, there must be players to replace him, and then the other positions must reshuffle to win.

In this year's Super Bowl and the Israel Bowl*, the teams with the stronger defense won. 

Odds are that Likud will form the next government, whether Bibi Netanyahu is Prime Minister or Yuli Edelstein, who is #2 on the list.

That's why I'm voting New Right in the upcoming Israeli elections 2019. The Israeli Government needs a strong intelligent defense in it. An offensive offense is bad news for the team.

*Jerusalem "Big Blue" Lions won its third consecutive championship by surprising their opponents with some crucial position changes.

Bibi, Is He Guilty?

After at least a decade of searching, investigating and more, the legal authorities here in Israel think they have found something crooked in the way Prime Minister Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu conducts the government. Attorney general Mandelblatt has announced that the Prime Minister will be indicted.

Do I think he's guilty? I'm not really sure. I'm not a legal expert, nor a judge. To be honest, I don't think I'm qualified to give an opinion, and I don't think that the media is qualified. We're not judging after hearing both sides. And we aren't judges.

Netanyahu isn't getting due process at all.

The media and too many others consider themselves judge, jury and executioner.

Honestly, I'm suspicious of the entire collection of "charges," because never before had there been such efforts to search for a crime, just to get the Prime Minister out of office. They couldn't beat him in elections, even when the Likud got fewer votes than Kadima. Only Netanyahu was capable of forming a ruling coalition, and since then, he's still the Prime Minister.

Quite a number of years ago, when Ariel Sharon was Prime Minister, I went to a hearing/trial in the Supreme Court, in which he was accused of corruption. And this was a real charge, proven, but the judges let him off, claiming that although it looked and smelled dirty, he was allowed to do it. None of the charges against Bibi are as serious as that one against Arik.

A lot of people think this whole indictment business is to take votes from Likud and convince people to vote for Gantz's party, the one with multiple heads. I hope the Likud voters aren't so stupid, but they're Likud voters...

Finally, Farewell to Tsipi Livni, Failed Politician

It's hard to know where to start when discussing Tsipi Livni, who formally announced her exit from active politics today.

I was lucky to catch the live broadcast and to hear and watch it. And to make it even better was the interview from a few months ago, which they showed right afterwards.

Simply put, it was a rather pathetic end to the career of a woman, who had worked her way up the political ladder and got within millimeters of the premiership of the State of Israel. Livni succeeded Ehud Olmert as head of the then ruling Kadima Party, which they had established after breaking away from the Likud. Both Livni and Olmert had come from Betar-Revisionist homes but moved Leftward politically. When Olmert was forced to resign due to corruption indictments, Livni took over the party.

Under Livni's leadership Kadima received more Knesset seats than Likud in the 2009 elections, but she failed in the task of forming a ruling coalition. Likud's Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu succeeded in forming a coalition and has been Prime Minister ever since. This bit of history is very important in understanding the Israeli political system. It's not enough to have good ideas and policies to be Prime Minister of the State of Israel. You must be an extraordinary politician and be able to negotiate and work with people. And this also explains why the polls keep talking about Left and Right blocs. No Israeli Political Party will get over 50% of the votes, over sixty 60 of the one hundred and twenty 120 Knesset seats. An Israeli Prime Minister must be skilled at juggling while walking a circus tightrope.

Tsipi Livni not only failed in her attempt to form a coalition, the breakup of her later political "marriage" to the Labor party showcased her lack of true political skills. Today Livni's claim that her policies are the right ones, but it's her lack of political power that is stopping her, just shows how little she understands. She has insufficient political power, because not enough people like her, and they don't agree with her policies. It certainly hasn't helped that she's with a different party each election.

It's rather ironic that the extreme Left Meretz party is the only one to have shown up to show support to Livni today. But the truth is that Tsipi Livni has burnt too many bridges in her political career to be missed by ordinary Israelis.

Tsipi Livni's still young. Will she join other failed politicians like Ehud Barak on the international lecture circuit? Will she write her memoirs? No doubt we'll be hearing from her. International Leftist "think tanks" love our rejected and failed "leaders." She won't starve; that's for sure.

Polls Show Strong Support for Likud

In the Israeli Election System, one votes for political parties, not for individual candidates.
The leader of the party getting the most votes, after the one-hundred-twenty seats of the Knesset are calculated, generally becomes Prime Minister. 

In at least one case, which I remember, the second largest party became the ruling party. That's because Israeli Governments are coalitions, and the leader of the largest party was incapable of forming one. You have to be a very skilled negotiator/politician to be Prime Minister of the State of Israel.

That's why I never take seriously those who state "-- would make a great Prime Minister," because of some clever or even super intelligent idea/policy/article etc. Being Prime Minister of the State of Israel is not for political amateurs. It's a super complex job, which not only includes the complex political situation in Israel but the super-complicated status Israel has internationally.

Even with all the complaints, and there are many, I have against Prime Minister Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu, it's impossible to imagine who can fill his well-crafted shoes.

The tiny State of Israel is a or the world leader, and many Israelis recognize this.

LIKUD POLLS AT RECORD HIGH AFTER TRUMP DECISION
The poll found that if an election were held now, Netanyahu’s Likud party would rise from its current 30 Knesset seats to 35, up from the 28 predicted by the same pollster just two weeks ago on April 23 and the best the Likud has fared in Midgam polls in a decade.

Israeli Political/PM Election System Made "Simple"

Last night I caught a few seconds of the TV news from which I heard Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu saying that unless his coalition partners insist otherwise, he plans on having them serve out their full term. That would give them another year and a half in government.

The Israeli Electoral System makes polling very risky. That's because you vote for a political party, and its list of potential Knesset Members. The head of the party which, post-elections, can form a coalition becomes Prime Minister. That's one of the reasons why in recent elections many more people end up voting Likud than voting for the party they had indicated for the poll, if asked.

You may like the ideology/platform of a certain party, but its leader seems totally incompetent as potential Prime Minister. So, a certain percentage of voters find themselves taking the Likud ballot, even though it's not their prefered party.

Here I am voting in the 2015 Knesset Elections

This trend can be seen very easily if you read the polls. Taken from Jeremy's site.

Panels conducted a poll that was broadcast by Walla News on March 8 2018.

Current Knesset seats in [brackets]

30 [30] Likud

Who is most suited to be Prime Minister?

39% Netanyahu, 34% Don’t know/Other, 16% Lapid, 11% Gabbai

Can Netanyahu fulfill his job as Prime Minister?

52% Yes, 42% No, 6% Don’t know

A poll, like this, showing thirty 30 seats, out of the one hundred and twenty 120, for Likud means that only one quarter, 25% of the voters are thinking of voting Likud. But in that very same poll, you see that 39% of those polls see Netanyahu as "most suited to be Prime Minister," and his runner-up is "34% Don’t know/Other."

And please don't claim that "voting districts" will make the system easier. That would be a totally hellish nightmare. Have you ever heard of GERRYMANDERING?

The Two Most Serious Causes for Israel's Present Problems, Re: Amona Plus

During the Amona destruction/expulsion, Israeli television had to keep broadcasting news and had lots of government ministers and Knesset Members on. I caught two very disturbing statements which actually summarize the entire awful background/causes for our present depressing situation here.

Tzipi Hotovely By Arielinson -
Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

First I heard Tzipi Hotovely, who when she first entered politics had been touted as the great "blue and white" hope, especially by people who knew her personally. But, like everyone else, she quickly became establishment Center. So, when I heard her on television saying that we couldn't build homes for Jews in Judea and Samaria when Obama was American President, because he didn't allow us to, as disgusted as I was with her words, I wasn't surprised.

I do have strong childhood memories of Alaska and Hawaii being added as the 49th and 50th states of the United States of America, but I'm pretty sure that the State of Israel isn't among the 50, nor the 51st state. So I just can't comprehend how she could say such an outrageous thing which in essence cancels/denies the independence of the State of Israel. Am I crazy or not? I left the United States to live in Israel in 1970, and although I am still an American Citizen, which means I have an American Passport to facilitate easy travel to see family there, I do not vote in American Elections nor take orders from American Presidents, whether Obama, Clinton, Carter or Trump. And I really can't understand how any self-respecting Israeli official can take orders from America!

MK Nachman Shai

The other upsetting thing I heard which also explains the second basic problem we have here in Israel was by the extreme Leftist, MK Nachman Shai. He claims that our law is according to the decisions of the Supreme Court. Now, I consider that since ordinary Israelis do not vote for the Justices, then according to democratic rule/principle they cannot be the rule/lawmakers. We vote for Members of Knesset via party lists. Not even the MKs get to choose who will sit on the Israeli Supreme Court, or any court if I'm not mistaken. Judges/Justices are chosen by a committee of other justices in a very undemocratic, far removed from the choice of the people, way.

Over the decades many Right wing politicians have claimed they would change the law, since the Leftist agenda is self-perpetuating in the so-called Justice branch of the Israeli Governmental system. There's a big basic problem, since the Supreme Court will simply veto any law it doesn't like.

So, until these two things are corrected, things will not get better here in Israel.

• Israel must act as a truly independent country and not take orders from any other!
• Israel must enact a system of "checks and balances" to guarantee that the Courts can't unilaterally overrule decisions of the Knesset and  Prime Minister. Two out of  three branches should be the decider, not the justices!