My musings, reflections on life here in Shiloh, Israel. Original, personal, spiritual and political. Peace, security and Israeli sovereignty. While not a "group blog," Shiloh Musings includes the voices of other Jews in The Land of Israel.
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Last last week, I wrote an article about the recent US Elections, Who Really Won the 2018 American Elections. And on Friday, so did Caroline Glick, WHAT AMERICA CHOSE ON TUESDAY. I must admit that Glick's article had many more facts and interesting information than mine did. And I do recommend that you read her article; it's much more informative than mine. Of course, she's a professional, and I just dabble in these things.
Glick and I did come to the same conclusion, that it's good for the Republicans. But unless I missed it she didn't mention what I considered a very important point. American senators serve for six years, while congressmen only serve two years. The Senate bothers the American Left, because each state has the same number of senators, regardless of size and population.
One of Glick's excellent points in her article is the rise of the radical Left in the Democratic Party. This is worrying for Israel, since the radical Left is extremely anti-Israel and pro-Palestine. They consider us invaders.
American society is undergoing a lot of upheaval and hatred. It's getting more dangerous and less tolerant. Honestly, I'm very glad to be living in Israel.
Just a short time ago I watched the press conference with US President Donald Trump. Of course the hot topic was the 2018 American Elections, specifically the results in the Senate and Congress.
Simply put, both parties won, since the Democrats now control the House (Congress,) while the Republicans control the Senate. Superficially, that makes it look pretty even. But IMHO, this was much better for the Republicans. There's a simple reason for that.
Congressmen/women serve two years, while Senators serve six years. Those senators elected are in for three times as long and can get a lot more done. Congressmen/women spend most of their time campaigning. The newly elected ones barely get to know their way around when they have to campaign again, since the 2020 elections are coming up. And the 2020 elections are also US Presidential elections. And the year before that, there are primaries.
Congress will be very busy with things other than their official jobs.
Time to pull up on a comfortable seat and watch the fun.
And besides those numbers, don't forget that POTUS wannabe Bernie Sanders has not shown support for the bill.
I have no doubt that the timing of the bill is connected to the campaign, but the important thing to remember is that the two Democratic frontrunners are extremely problematic when it comes to Israel. It is beyond ambivalence or neutrality. Hillary Clinton has a long history of anti-Israel policies and statements. She also has some gevaltik pro-Israel (or good faker) speechwriters, so listening to Hillary talk, you'd think she's the epitome of pro-Israel, but it's an act. As the late President Ronald Reagan was known to say, "I don't know how someone not an actor can be President." (Sorry for the paraphrasing, but I haven't found the exact quotation online.)
And radical Leftist Bernie Sanders has shown and stated much more sympathy and understanding for the Arabs, even the Gazan terrorists, than for Israel and Israelis.
Just because they mantra over and over that they love Israel and are pro-Israel means nothing. It's just words! Think of abusers who claim "love" as they beat and punish their victims!
One thing, no doubt, is that the Republican frontrunners will be better for Israel than the Democrats, especially since the Bush Machine does not control them. I am very relieved that the grassroot Republican voters defeated the Bush Machine in the early primaries.
A few months ago, against Obama's wishes, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was invited to address the joint-congress. Obama and his cronies threw fits and threats, because as far as he is concerned, Bibi is his enemy. Netanyahu did speak, and contrary to threats of boycotts, most everyone attended. The cheering for what he said in his speech was overwhelming.
The subject of Netanyahu's speech was the threat of a nuclear Iran, and obviously Americans have taken his warnings very seriously. It's clear that they do not trust they do not trust the judgement of their President Barack Hussein Obama.
Americans must remember that Obama can get his way and bypass congress by "Executive Orders," which he has taken advantage of. Obama and Congress are playing a "tit for tat." I wonder how long the Congress Iran Oversight bill will sit on his desk before he signs it, if he signs it.
The tensions between Obama and Bibi aren't a secret. They come from very different backgrounds and world views. What's amazing is how much support Bibi has in the upper echelons of the American legislature.
I think that the American public supports and trusts Obama more than the legislature does. Most Americans do not have a clue nor they care about nuclear dangers, enemy countries, how outsourcing and importing are weakening the economy etc. They choose their President on issues like "same-sex marriage" and "it's time there was a woman/black/etc as President." Those opinions have nothing to do with security or economy.
At this point, the American Senate and Congress are on a much higher level than the people and the President, but no doubt that soon more and more simplistic, photogenic candidates will will by promoting the same sort of meaningless slogans like the "hope" that got Obama into the White House.
MK Menachem Eliezer Mozes (UTJ) submitted a bill that would require potential mayoral candidates to live in the city in which he wants to run for mayor for a minimum of 6 months prior to officially joining the electoral race (i.e. a minimum of 7 months total).
I think it's a very good idea. I never liked the British law which allows someone to run for Parliament to represent a district they may never have had even visited before deciding to campaign. I was also very disgusted with the Clinton's for moving to New York, a city they had no connection to, just so that Hillary could run for the Senate from there. Carpetbagger* or not, she won the race.
Sports at Safra Square, the Jerusalem Municipality
The position of Mayor is very local. It's not just an administrative job. To do it best, one should intimately know the town or city. And the most reliable way of knowing a place is to live there. That's how you really know if the garbage is picked up and at which hour of the day or night, if the schools are good, public transportation is convenient, infrastructure kept in repair and the community centers and parks have a suitable variety of facilities.
There was a time when it was permitted for Israelis who held dual or multiple citizenships to be Knesset Members, but now the first step for a candidate, even before election day, is to renounce all foreign citizenship. It's part of the loyalty one needs to be in high national office.
One can say that in such national positions, multi-citizenship is like polygamy, right?
*Carpetbagger: 1. a Northerner who went to the South after the Civil War to profit from the unsettled conditions. 2. any person, esp. a politician, who takes up residence in a place opportunistically.
