Israeli Elections Again, Really?

Rather confusing political times here in Israel. Round three of Israeli Elections is getting even less press time and interest than the "redo" a few months ago.

On the whole, life is going on as usual, although we've been in lame duck or caretaker mode for about a year. Periodically there's some hysterical item in the news about how someone is suffering because without an "official" government certain budgets can't be updated, or something like that. I certainly don't doubt that the situation is affecting people, but we have MKs and Ministers etc.

Binyamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is still the Prime Minister and still makes government policy decisions. Wannabe PM Benny Gantz seems even less impressive as time goes on. And his backup squad can only be described as pathetic.

Netanyahu is just a few months younger than I am. Honestly, I don't know from where he gets his energy. I'm happily lazily retired. So far he seems able to go on forever, but when the time comes for him to retire, there are quite a few potential replacements from the political Right. The Right, as we'll refer to it-- meaning Likud -- see themselves as responsible for governing all Israelis, regardless of nationality, politics and religious observance. The Blue & White Party plus those further to the Left campaign hatred, and that is bad for the State of Israel.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a great fan of Bibi, Likud and Yemina, but as I've written previously, sometimes you have to hold your nose. The Israeli political system requires compromise and working as a team. It's the real world.

In a few weeks we'll be having elections yet again here in Israel. I vote Häagen-Dazs. I just hope to find a way to get some here in Shiloh. Gd willing, third time will be the charm. I can't think of the right joke to pin onto a fourth election.

NO POLITICS: We're Celebrating Succot, The Happy Holiday

Tonight as I was getting into a ride home after shopping in our local supermarket my friends and all agreed that we're onto talking about politics. Succot is the time of "joy." We're commanded to be happy and celebrate Succot.

Talking about politics will only cause לשון הרע Lashon Haraa, Evil Speech. That's a major sin, and who wants to sin barely a week after Yom Kippur...

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is the longest serving "lame duck" in the History of the State of Israel.

Let's just be thankful for what we have, the gifts Gd has given us. Obviously, if we're reading and writing and thinking, we're alive, and that is a very great gift. Let's not nitpick over details. One thing I've learned over the years is that "things can always be worse," so no matter what your situation, there's plenty of good reasons to thank Gd and celebrate. One important thing I've learned is that we have a lot of control over our happiness. Decide to be happy. You'll find it easier and more enjoyable than the alternative.

Have a truly wonderful Shabbat, Succot and Simchat Torah. 

ושמחת בחגך

Visamachta Bichagecha

Is Bibi the Perpetual "Lame Duck?"

Things still don't look very good for the announcement of a new ruling coalition here in Israel. It seems that both of the two largest parties, the newbie "Blue & White" and the veteran Likud have too many non-negotiable conditions to work together. And unless one of the smaller parties "breaks rank" and makes a deal with the "other side," we'll be back at the blue box in a few months. Considering that there can't be any major change in the population I don't see how results will differ from the two stalemates of 2019 or 5779, depending on the type of calendar you follow.

Apparently Blue and White cancelled their meeting with Likud. So, either they have a surprise up their sleeve, or this is some poker trick.

What do you think?

I think that most Israelis are pretty disgusted.

Why Should Kerry have Expected Bibi to Kowtow to Him?

Honestly, John Kerry should just get over it. His Democratic Party lost the 2016 Presidential Elections, and the winner, Donald Trump has a very different outlook and policy vis a vis Israel. Add to that the very simple fact that the Israeli public has voted Likud into office for most of the past forty years and totally reject American State Department policies.

JOHN KERRY VENTS FRUSTRATION OVER WORKING WITH NETANYAHU IN NEW BOOK

Another thing re: John Kerry is that he's not even popular in the United States. What recent elections has he won? Obama chose him as Secretary of State when Hillary Clinton decided to devote her energies into her failed presidential campaign. Kerry's a nobody, Hillary's a loser and Obama is history.

If you check recent Israeli polls you'll see that the Right-Religious bloc consistently beat out the Secular Left, and number two to Binyamin Netanyahu as prefered Prime Minister is "Don't Know" or "none of the above."

None of the Israeli political parties or Leftist politicians supported by Kerry and his backers have the true potential to garner the necessary trust to put together a successful ruling coalition. The Americans have interfered in Israeli politics/elections in the past and most probably the present, too, all unsuccessfully, except for the notoriously very short-lived Ehud Barak government.

Don't forget the outrageous and unprecedented campaign lame-duck Obama and Kerry waged in the United Nations against Israel. Why should any Israeli or diaspora Jew trust the policies and opinions of John Kerry?

USA- The Power of a "Lame Duck President"

Obama pushing through his agenda.

There's a lot of anger in the United States about Barack Hussein Obama's use of power, or abuse of power as president.

GOP mulls options to stop Obama from acting alone on immigration, with spending bills now in play

When I was in school, yes half a century ago, I was very impressed when learning about the beauty of the principle of "balance of power," meaning that the three branches of government, executive, legislative and judicial each have "equal vote" on laws. You need the agreement of two out of three to make a law. We never, ever learned of "executive power," that the president can override the majority, the legislature and the the courts.

Obama says he will take action on immigration by year's end

After following many stories of how people have tried to legally immigrate to the United States like Hadassa with her sons and Chaviva's husband, I don't see the morality in Obama's making it easy for those who illegally invaded the USA. All I can say is that it's typical, consistent with Obama and the Democratic versus democratic values of the Left, the Liberals who aren't liberal.

OK, full-time Americans, is this constitutional?

In Theory, According to Israeli Law, We May Be Without A Coalition a Long Time

Thanks to IMRA for posting the details of the Government Coalition Law in English.

At present, a period which has lasted months already, the State of Israel has had a version of a "lame duck government."  It's not the same sort of "lame duck" that exists in the United States.  In the Israeli version:

• the ministers are of the previous government coalition
• the new MKs have been sworn in and are working as MKs
• the MK who has been given the responsibility/opportunity to form a new coalition hasn't yet done it

Political pundits are floating all sorts of scenarios about possible coalition deals and even possible new elections.  As I had posted last night, Binyamin Netanyahu has requested and was granted a 14 day extension to form a new coalition government by President Shimon Peres.

If Netanyahu fails to create/negotiate a new coalition, that doesn't mean that we're going directly into elections.  There are a few more stages, and if a majority of this Knessest, the 120 MKs never manage to agree/compromise enough to work together as a coalition, we won't have elections for a few months.

Here's the time table according to IMRA:

Elections
Publications of results
Max 7 days President assigns task of forming government after consultations
28 days first attempt to form government
14 days extension
3 days maximum before assign task to a second MK
28 days to form government by second MK
21 days for a majority of MKs to nominate third MK to form a government
2 days for President to announce appointment of the third MK
14 days for third MK to form government
President announces government cannot be formed.
Last Tuesday before the end of 90 days elections held
Basic Law: The Government (2001)...Assignment of task of forming Government.
7. (a) When a new Government has to be constituted, the President of the
State shall, after consultation with representatives of party groups in the
Knesset, assign the task of forming a Government to a Knesset Member who has
notified him that he is prepared to accept the task; the President shall do
so within seven days of the publication of the election results, or should
the need arise to form a new government; and in the case of the death of the
Prime Minister, within 14 days of his death.
(b) Should these consultation take place before the new Knesset is convened,
the President will consult the representatives of the lists of candidates to
be represented in the new Knesset.
(c) This section shall not apply to the formation of a Government following
a no confidence vote according to section 28; in the event of an application
to the President under section 29(b), the provisions specified in those
sections shall apply.
Periods for formation of Government.
8. The Knesset Member to whom the President has assigned the task of forming
a Government under section 7 shall have a period of 28 days for the
fulfillment of such task. The President of the State may extend the period
by additional periods not exceeding in the aggregate 14 days.
Re-assignment of task.
9. (a) Where the periods referred to in section 8 have passed and the
Knesset Member has not notified the President of the State that he has
formed a Government, or where he has notified him before then that he is
unable to form a Government, or where he presented a Government and the
Knesset rejected his request for confidence under section 13(d), the
President may assign the task of forming a Government to another Knesset
Member who has notified him that he is prepared to accept the task, or may
inform the Speaker of the Knesset that he sees no possibility of forming a
Government - all within three days from the end of the period, or from the
day of the Knesset member's statement that he cannot form a government, or
from the rejection of confidence in the Government, as applicable.
(b) Before assigning the task of forming a Government under this section, or
before he informs the Speaker of the Knesset that he sees no possibility of
forming a Government, the President may again consult with representatives
of factions in the Knesset.
(c) A Knesset Member to whom the task of forming a Government has been
assigned under this section shall have 28 days in which to do so.
Assignment of task at the request of party groups.
10. (a) Where the President of the State has informed the Speaker of the
Knesset, under section 9(a) that he sees no possibility of forming a
Government, or where he has assigned the task of forming a Government to a
Knesset Member under the same section and the Knesset Member has not
notified him within 28 days that he has formed a Government, or has notified
him before then that he is unable to form a Government, or presented a
Government and the Knesset rejected his request for confidence under section
13(d), a majority of the members of the Knesset may request, in writing,
that the President of the State assign the task to a particular member of
the Knesset, who so agreed in writing, all within 21 days of the President's
announcement, or from the end of the period designated in section 9(c), or
from the statement by the Knesset Member that he cannot form a Government,
or from the rejection of confidence in the Government, as relevant.
(b) Where a request as aforesaid has been submitted to the President, the
President shall assign the task of forming a Government to that Knesset
Member within two days.
(c) A Knesset Member to whom the task of forming a Government has been
assigned under this section shall have a period of fourteen days for its
fulfillment.
Early elections in the event of failure to form a government.
11. (a) Should no request be submitted under section 10(a), or should a
Knesset Member fail to form a Government within the period defined in
section 10(c), or if he should prior to that time inform the President that
he cannot form a Government, the President shall so inform the Knesset
Speaker.
(b) Should the President so inform the Knesset Speaker, or should a Knesset
Member charged with forming a Government under section 10(a) present a
Government and fail to win the confidence of the Knesset under section
13(d), then the Knesset shall be deemed to have decided to disperse prior to
the completion of its period of service, and elections for the Knesset will
be held on the last Tuesday before the end of 90 days of the President's
announcement, or of the rejection of the request for confidence in the
Government, as relevant.

Like it or not, coalition or not, Netanyahu may continue as Prime Minister for quite a while.  Who wants to add up the days to see how many months he may last without needing a coalition?

Oi Olmert

Lame Duck Olmert still doesn't get it. He still plans on transferring tens of thousands of Jews, destroying Jewish homes, communities, towns, businesses, schools etc. He wants to banish us to the Negev desert which has been targeted by Arab terrorists, who have been launching rockets and missiles at it.

The only person who should be packing is Olmert, himself. Israeli elections will be in just over two months, and Olmert is definitely on his way out. The big question is where will he be going, since there are all sorts of corruption charges against him.

In the end, Olmert will be remembered as the most scandal-ridden Prime Minister in Israel's History. He should stop his speech-making and slink off with a little dignity. But I don't think he's capable of understanding that. Olmert is seriously endangering Israel by his last minute policies and statements. At this point, he probably doesn't even care.

Why hasn't Mazuz indicted him already? There must be something very peculiar in Mazuz's background.