By Elad Benari, INN
MK Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) said on Monday that the possibility that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will choose to leave the Likud and form a joint list with Shaul Mofaz, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and other ministers such as Dan Meridor and Michael Eitan, “is more than likely”.
Speaking with Arutz Sheva, Hotovely said she believes that such a decision by Netanyahu, similar to what former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon did when he split the Likud and formed Kadima, will ultimately lead him to where Kadima is today. While Kadima is the largest party in the Knesset at the present time, polls have indicated that it is headed for a downfall in the next elections.
Likud members have recently expressed concerns that Netanyahu is planning such a move, particularly in light of his opposing the proposed outpost regulation law, which many of the Likud’s Knesset members and ministers support.
“Anyone who wants to choose such a path will be judged by history,” said Hotovely. “Our job is to present leadership which tells the truth and is true to the Likud’s way. The possibility [that Netanyahu will split the Likud] is quite possible, but it has a price. The question is whether Netanyahu is thinking only about the next Knesset or whether he wants long-term leadership.”
Hotovely said that Netanyahu is directly responsible for the planned demolition in the Ulpana neighborhood of Beit El, not Barak or any other officials in the justice system.
“I have enough appreciation for the Prime Minister to hold him responsible for the decision,” she said, adding, “This decision is destructive to the settlement enterprise. It’s not a matter of five houses, but the opening of something very dangerous.”
Hotovely said the regulation law, which is scheduled to be brought to a vote in the Knesset on Wednesday, is the most moral law possible, because it compensates a landowner who can prove his ownership. At the same time, she said, the decision to expel the thirty families who live in the Ulpana neighborhood is the least moral decision that can be made.
She noted that social pressure affects the Likud ministers more than anything else and, as such, if the ministers from the Yisrael Beytenu and Shas parties announce that they intend to support the regulation law, it would encourage Likud ministers to the same.
“A minister should know whether he supports the law or not, regardless of pressure by Feiglin or someone else,” said Hotovely. “This is a moral issue.”
Earlier on Monday, Netanyahu pleaded with Likud faction members to back his plan and vote against the regulation law proposed by MK Yaakov Katz (National Union).
Netanyahu has proposed that the five buildings facing demolition be destroyed, but that fifty new structures be approved on adjacent state owned land.
Under the plan, the government would also pay to move the five buildings slated to be destroyed – which would cost the state an estimated NIS 14m.
Netanyahu’s statements seem to indicate he intends to renege on a promise made to Katz, that he would not oppose the regulation law when it was brought to a vote, if Katz would hold off in submitting the bill for a fortnight.
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein on Monday approved Netanyahu’s outline for the Ulpana neighborhood
BlandOatmeal Said:
Bland, I went to the site and read the article. However, there were no quotation marks or attribution to sources regarding the BB “statement” and I have not seen this quoted anywhere. If he said this I would expect a reputable news source to quote and attribute otherwise I would find it questionable.
To all those talking about “ad hominem attacks”, etc., here is the crux of the matter. We now know EXACTLY why Netanyahu favors expelling Jews from their homes: He has been informed by the US Administration, which controls him, that he is to expel them.
As long as Israelis are content to be ruled from Washington, I expect to see more and more of these gestures of abasing Jews. No ad-hominem, no hocus-pocus, just the facts, Ma’am.
Yes, Bill is definitely a liberal. Perhaps we should give him some obama kool aid and then gently crucify him.
@ Bill Narvey:
Not ad hominem but the truth and there is as you know even more cryptic descriptions of BB as you well know.
You have the answers but as I have said, you reject them so why bother with you, You won’t be satisfied until you get an answer that fits your Liberal rational world view. The obvious is too complex for your brilliant mind. You require a Perry Mason scenario or a Sherlock Holmes solution.
Bernard, unless Netanyahu has actually come out to explain his thinking, one can only get some sense of where he is at by vetting and parsing whatever statements he has made in the hope that might reveal some of which Netanyahu privately thinks.
There are a number of avid Netanyahu watchers on this blog. I was hoping some of them would come forward and offer their reasoned and fact based explanations, without the usual ad hominem attacks like, BB is a quisling, a traitor, arrogant, a fool, only interested in his own political career and holding onto his position to power, a crook, corrupt, morally bankrupt, etc.,etc. etc.
I am still waiting for a cogent answer.
Bill Narvey Said:
I find Israeli PM politics strange in that there are mostly backdoor deals and little transparency. I have not even seen, please inform me otherwise, any reason for Bibi’s position stated as to why he thinks his approach is good for Israel. Perhaps everything has to be done in subterfuge in order to get things past the left and international arena. On the other hand there appears to be a great deal of scandal surrounding Israeli leadership (Sharon, Ohlmert, etc) and perhaps these grand plays are the result of blackmail and extortion based on threats from foreign intelligence services. Perhaps these “leaders” sell out Israel to save their own neck. Frankly, I am clueless and mystified as I thought Bibi represented Israeli interests and taking back J&S rather than giving it away, but then I originally thought the same of Sharon, so what do I know?
Like with Arik Sharon, Netanyahu has let Power go to his head. As the wise men of old rightly discerned…power corrupts and absolute power absolutely corrupts. But it also has a way of damaging those who have learnt nought from the fate of those who’ve gone before and succumbed to the same arrogant, but ultimately deadly, “I’m the All-Powerful One” syndrome. For some reason or other, they think ‘it won’t happen to me’. Let’s wait and see what ultimately happens to those who, even if they don’t mean to, cause unimaginable damage to their land and people. Hopefully, Bibi will wake up from his arrogant pose in time, and do what should be done (and I don’t mean, Barak’s suggestion of an unilateral exit from Judea/Samaria, causing nearly half-a-million Judean/Samarian Jews to become refugees in their own land. Shades of the diaspora….) This isn’t what most Israeli Jews expected to go through again, and in their own homeland to boot. Dark clouds are gathering over us, and we should conscienciously prepare for the worst but still remain optimistic that — in the end we shall survive and, as promised in the Bible, will never be ‘plucked out’ from our Land again.
@ mollie mann:
Benito Mussolini would be proud of you!!!
@ mollie mann:
Don’t scapegoat the settlers. They are good people. They are not deciding. They are exercising their democratic rights. They are trying to influence the government.
BB is angling for he thinks the Center wants – a deal with the Arabs and selling out the revanants is the way to get their vote.
I think he miscalculated on public sentiment and the evacuation of the Ulpana is not going to endear Likud supporters to him. The irony is lost on him that in building a huge coalition he is also revealing the so-called “national unity” emperor has no clothes.
None at all.
There is only one legitimate authority in government policy. Otherwise you only have chaos and anarchy. The settlers are not elected and as such cannot decide what is best for the nation.
One further question relates to an article in the JP today with the lead off summary: PM informs ministers, deputy ministers they will be fired if they vote for bills retroactively legalizing outposts. http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=272833
Without anger or smears of Netanyahu over his position, does Yamit or others have a rational fact based explanation for Netanyahu’s position?
In the article, Netanyahu is quoted as saying why he demands support for his position:
What Netanyahu says is true, but that does not mean support for the proposed National Union’s MK Ya’akov Katz’s regulation law is not also related to the major challenges Israel faces as regards the Palestinians.
There must be some other reason(s) Netanyahu is taking such a strong stand in trying to pressure Ministers and Deputy Ministers to oppose the proposed regulation law, which according to the report appears to be working to a significant extent.
What are those reasons or what possible reasons can Netanyahu have for taking this strong stand, in the event the exact reasons are not known and can only be guessed at?
Unlike you Yamit, who delusionaly believes he knows everything, I ask questions when I don’t know or am not clear on things that I need to know in order to better understand whatever issue is at hand.
So, Yamit, if you can answer my questions with facts and not your surmises, I would be much appreciative.
@ Bill Narvey:
Why ask questions Narvey? Especially when you reject answers not in line with your Liberal views.
Hotovely is either the most gullible of Israeli MK’s or she is BB’s shill. What better way to Keep Likud MK’s in line than threaten a Likud split with no heir apparent to BB. He could keep his Parliamentary majority only by co-opting Labor and Meretz. Shas and the Haredi Parties might stick with him for a price but Lieberman and Israel Home party sure to split. Don’t know how many Likud MK’s and ministers will bolt with BB? That’s seems to be the Key. If BB can pull off a another Sharon maneuver it might allow his coalition to survive till end of term but they will get trounced in the coming elections. Israeli public is fed up with these stinking political maneuvers and BB has always gambled and lost when he tried playing for high stakes. He is no Sharon and after Katif Sharon couldn’t get a job as a garbage man. The only reason criminal indictments were not issued against him was his timely coma. 🙂
“How the mighty has Fallen”
Then Likud will become Kadima? Heh
In the U.S.and Canada, politicians are directly voted into or out of office by their constituent electorate. They are thus very sensitive to the public’s mood and feel the need to respond to their electorate’s concerns and views.
To an extent these politicians are impacted by their party’s particular postion, be it the party in government or in opposition, which party also is sensitive to popular opinion.
The result is that even if a particular candidate for office is well liked by their constituency, their party’s platform might sink their chances at election or a candidate not well liked, might still be elected because of their party’s position.
Israel’s electoral system differs in that the people vote for the party and their slate of candidates and not the candidates themselves.
It is with this brief summary in mind that a Hotlevy comment calls for explanation that contributors to Israpundit might weigh in on. She says:
That statement in context of this article, suggests that the social pressure that Likud responds to is not from the electorate, but the social pressure within the microcosm of the Knesset community of members.
Is that the case?
If so, to what extent does the public’s mood, views and concerns register with Knesset parties and members?
If it does have significant impact, do Israeli political parties that have a particular platform of positions and policies make the same kind of extensive effort to sway public opinion and popular support to their respective platforms as political parties and their respective political members do in the U.S. and Canada?
Further, where is the Israeli electorate currently at as regards Netanyahu’s plan that he is seeking Likud support for and for Likud to reject National Union’s MK Ya’akov Katz’s regulation law? Is the electorate for or against Netanyahu and Katz on this issue?
Has there been any effort by Netanyahu and Katz to sway public opinion to their corner or have they simply sought support for their positions amongst Knesset members?
If whichever way the vote turns out, assuming it does not reflect majority Israeli opinion, in what way can this aggrieved majority make their views known and heeded?