But for negotiations we would never know what is driving Bibi. The problem is not that Likud members did not support Likud in the elections but that Bibi is not responsive to the will of his MK’s or the people who support them. Had Bibi remained loyal to this constituency, they would have voted for him. I don’t see how Bibi can do this with Bennett in the government. Ted Belman
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s emissaries at Friday’s coalition talks between Likud-Beytenu and Bayit Yehudi told the party that a moratorium would be placed on settlement construction immediately upon the formation of the new government, Channel 2 reported.
The move was posed as “payback” for the practice among residents of West Bank settlements of joining Likud en masse in order to back hawks in party primaries with no intention of voting for the party in general elections. Likud officials have complained of the practice for years.
Only a third of the settlers who joined the Likud for primaries actually voted for the party in January’s general election, according to Channel 2.
The Jerusalem Post revealed days after the general election that a dozen West Bank settlements had more Likud members than people who voted for Likud Beytenu.
Shilo in Samaria has 303 Likud members, but only 127 people voted for Likud Beytenu there. Yitzhar in northern Samaria, which has 93 Likud members, had only 21 Likud Beytenu votes.
In the Jewish community in Hebron, there are 59 party members, but only 21 voted Likud Beytenu. In Beit El, which has 491 members, only 212 voted Likud Beytenu.
There were also fewer Likud Beytenu votes than Likud members in Ofra, Elon Moreh, Revava, Itamar, Kedumim, Mitzpe Yeriho, Otniel and Eli.
Likud activist Barak Herscowitz compiled the numbers for his blog, Pa’amon Haherut (“Liberty Bell”). “For years, there has been a problem with settlers joining the Likud and not voting for the party in general elections,” Herscowitz said. “What they are doing is not illegal, but they are taking advantage of the system to gain power and influence.”
According to Channel 2, Likud Beytenu representatives told Bayit Yehudi MK Uri Ariel on Friday that the next government would set out immediately to freeze building in all settlements outside of the major settlement blocs.
Channel 2 quoted sources close to Netanyahu as saying there would be grave consequences for the settlers “betrayal” of the prime minister and Likud.
Gil Hoffman contributed to this report.
yamit82 Said:
What does Begin and the evacuation of Yamit have to do with Moshe Feiglin or his visit to Har Habayit? Feiglin has written much about the errors of Menachem Begin and his bearing responsibility for the eventual capitulations of Oslo. You want to be cynical about those destroying the country? No problem. But then you and Feiglin and plenty more here have much in common.
yamit82 Said:
you are not a cynic, you have dreams. The cynics have no dreams like those who do not see the beauty of Jews in sinai or in Gaza. I loved the fact of Israel conquering YS, Gaza,Sinai, Lebanon,Syria within reach of Damascus, Egypt within Kilos of Cairo. The sadness is giving it back. I long to see the day that Israel becomes an assertive military power in the ME conquers and keeps the whole shebang; not PC but no apologies. It used to be said that the first day of peace inside Israel was the first day of the 6 day war. I believe there has been a paradigm that intentionally allows the arabs to believe they have a victory, when they have a loss, to preserve their pride. I do not agree with this: I believe they should meet an unequivocal, humiliating and hopeless defeat as occurred in the 6 day war and then they will be ready for accommodation with their victors.
@ yamit82:
this is one post that literally made me cry. (the yamit expulsion)
HOW is it possible??? (and it is still not over… actually, far from it!)
when will we stop pretending???
and even HERE, on this israpundit thread….
@ Shy Guy:
WHY shy the attack on yamit?
fwiw, this is a soliliquay and a rhetorical question. yamit can fend VERY WELL for himself and does not need me.
the point i am trying to bring is WHY is there no unity?
WHY is a jew attacking another jew?
do we need MORE amona’s???
the LAND OF ISRAEL and its incredible glorious history is what is and SHOULD (imho) be the most important item on the agenda…
enemies…there is no shortage of (unfortunately)
i view this forum almost as a microcosm of what is out there…
if our proverbial fort is attacked and part of it has caught fire from the continuous assault of torching arrows, should we not unite and let go of petty differences? should we not make a strong fist out of these (singularly weak and pointing in different directions)five fingers???
Shy Guy Said:
I’ll give you ‘cynic’ but not “sick cynic”.
“And I will place My eyes upon them for good, and I will return them to this land, and I will build them and not destroy, and I will plant them and not pluck them”. Yirmiyahu 24:6
Jews “evacuating” Jews
April 1982 — Last residents leave with sadness and bitterness. Resident Lucy Brenner: “Who came to Yamit? People who wanted to build a new, to change their lives. People who wanted to work. That gives character to a city. We built a new society, a young society, a good society. There were Yemenites and Russians and everything else. There were the religious and the secular. If only I could tell you what Eretz Yisrael has lost here.”
Demolition of Yamit approved by prime minister Menachem Begin at the recommendation of Ariel Sharon.
Mid-April 1982 — Students and a few families are the last holdouts. About 200 soldiers clash with 200 protesters barricaded on roofs. Protesters use bags of sand. Firefighters use foam sprays. Gunshots fired over protesters’ heads. Troops fight protesters with clubs. Some soldiers receive injuries requiring hospitalization.
Protester: “Our message is that you cannot lightly give up a piece of earth you have redeemed and made flourish, even if this means a confrontation with soldiers, in other words, a confrontation with ourselves.”
Sharon: “The ruins of Yamit will bear eternal proof that we have done over and above human imagination to meet (our obligations) under the peace treaty so that our children will not point an accusing finger at us and tell us we have missed the opportunity. No Arab army has succeeded — and never will succeed — in demolishing an Israeli town. Only we, with our own hands, were forced to destroy Yamit. We were compelled to erase her from the face of the earth to implement the peace agreement on time without spilling Jewish blood.”
April 23, 1982 — Demolition of Yamit completed.
Re-conquer Sinai
Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, former Rabbi of Yamit, commemorates thirty years since the Yamit expulsion
We are at the beginning of the thirtieth year since the historic peace treaty with Egypt. Everyone is still glowing from the wonderful peace; we live in a paradise of peace since then.
It seems like we should remove the masks over our faces and look in the mirror. We find that it is all lies, thirty years of lies! We live in a fool?s paradise, and allow our “great leaders”, to continue to blind our eyes.
Let us recall the period prior to ?peace?. A lone Jew could stand in the middle of the night in the main square in Gaza on his way to Sinai, and no one would dare touch him. No stone was thrown on the Jews in Eretz Yisrael, Chargers did not explode. Mortar shells and Qassams? – Whoever heard of such things?
yamit82 Said:
what is his stated platform/postion regarding YS and how does that fit with Lapid as opposed to Likud?
yamit82 Said:
If they do not support the state why are they citizens of Israel and participating in Israeli politics, this appears like hypocrisy. Why don’t they give up their Israeli citizenship and move to YS? Would this agree with their Torah interpretation of not subscribing to the state of Israel? It would appear that YS is more in “exile” than the established state of Israel.
yamit82 Said:
Are you sure, how would they accomplish this? In that case they can only stall an agreement or annex. Possibly they can create an autonomous zone in Israel. They could stall with an interim agreement which leads to a status of an autonomous zone but with Israeli sovereignty but such a proposal would be in vague terms and have everybody ultimately demanding a real state. How can they avoid a pal state considering past Israeli agreements(Oslo 2 state)? I have not read one party position, of the 3, which states how they will avoid a TSS.
yamit82 Said:
Perhaps it is this vacuum, or absence of positions, which allows solutions to be foisted on Israel. The aura always seems to be that leaders know whats going on but don’t tell the people; as if they are trying to manipulate the voter into accepting a foreign solution. Why else are foreigners allowed to make statements which go undenied by Israeli leaders(e.g. the illegality of jewish settlement in YS)?
yamit82 Said:
this is very vague. How does one know the difference in goals of the 3 parties regarding YS.
yamit82 Said:
I read this but it significantly omits how bennett and lapid want more of yesha than BB, how do they differ, what are the specifics, why vote one rather than the other? There are no facts that go with the opinion stated re YS.
RE torah: this true Torah Jew quotes it to support Israel and apparently the Haredi quote it for non support. Is G_D seeking to confuse us?
In an earlier post you mentioned Haredi towns in YS. It is my understanding that the Haredi are religious Jews who do not support the state of Israel but are willing to live in eretz Yisroel under a different soverignty as Jews.
Here is my strange idea: the state of Israel, who apparently does not want YS, unilaterally takes what it wants and claims no more. However, under international law Jews still have an unexpired right of settlement in the west bank. The GOI remains in occupation to guarantee the jewish(not israeli) right of settlement and only agrees to a govt or state which incorporates in its constitution the instructed “encouragment” to settle jews. Until that time it operates as an occupation which facilitates and observes international law, especially jewish settlement. The UN, Pals can take it over but Israel states that any violation of the Jewish right will result in reoccupation and the transfer of the violators(as done in kosovo to the serbs). The takeover can be done on a per town basis. As the most important thing at this time is jewish settlement and as the state of israel does not want YS then it is important to preserve continuing Jewish settlement rights apart from the state of Israel. the other possibility is the renewal of the mandate in YS under UN occupation or mandate trustee. The Haredi(naturei Karta,etc) could give up their Israeli citizenship and live as they desire outside of the state. I know, a crazy idea, grasping at straws, but jewish settlement rights will be lost if they are dependent on the state of israel(unless G_D intervenes). In any case jewish settlement rights need preserving and if Israel leaves it should clearly state that it does not speak for global jewry and has no authority to waive their rights to YS. Also, it should not agree to the establishment of any state there which bars Jewish settlement.
yamit82 Said:
Wow! You’re one sick cynic!
I went to all the anti-Oslo and anti-expulsion protests and all I got was these lousy t-shirts!
Oh yeh. I got arrested, too. So did my sons and my brother. Others in my family got rifle butts to the side of the head.
Oh yeh. We got Netanyahu as PM and Peres as Prez. Ain’t that dandy!
It’s Feiglin’s fault that half the Knesset doesn’t walk out with him like it’s Feiglin’s fault that dufuses like you won’t vote for him and then complain that he can’t accomplish anything alone.
Enjoy the whine.
@ the phoenix:
MK Feiglin: Stay Away from Obama Speech Unless Pollard is There Too
Moshe Feiglin wrote that he would boycott Barack Obama’s Knesset speech – unless Jonathan Pollard was there, too!!
I predict Feiglin will be the sole MK to boycott Obama. Hollow gesture even though I agree with it. A large vocal demonstration against Obama wherever he travels in Israel would be most effective. Feiglin the activist would have organized such demonstrations in the Past. Today Feiglin is a PC political wannabe. So he will not attend. Big deal. I don’t think anyone will notice his absence.
@ Bernard Ross:
Temple Mount Closed Off after Feiglin Visit
MK Feiglin insisted on being allowed into the Dome of the Rock. Police removed him.
MK Moshe Feiglin (Likud) entered the Temple Mount Monday morning and expressed his wish to enter the Dome of the Rock.
Jerusalem Police said that MK Feiglin asked to enter a mosque that is currently closed to Jewish visitors. He was told that he could not enter, but he insisted by virtue of his position, the police said.
A commotion began, with Muslim worshipers gathering in a mob around MK Feiglin.
A police force was called in. It dispersed the mob and ejected MK Feiglin from the Mount.
MK Feiglin sent a letter to the Attorney General asking him to make clear whether Israel has given up its sovereignty over the Temple Mount, and if so – when and in what circumstances did it do so.
Voice of Israel public radio quoted Hamas TV as saying that Muslims threw rocks at MK Feiglin and caused him to be ejected from the Mount.
Bernard Ross Said:
I think there is a consensus that stopping the actual creation of a pali state is the primary concern and the non removal of any Jewish settlments and the Jews who live in them. Anything more is speculative and for the moment non operational in any event.
If anyone understands BB and what motivates him it’s Bennett who worked closely under BB for almost 2 years. Because he does understand BB, I don;t believe he is under any illusions.
I think Bennett understands like Feiglin that a national right wing party must have a broad national agenda and speak to with solutions to the myriad of problems Israel and Israelis face. Feiglin believes in capturing the reins of power and leadership through the Likud and Bennett through a Zionist religious party attractive to all Jewish nationalist voters and especially the youth. The two approaches need not be mutually exclusive. Competition for the Leadership of the National Zionist voters of Israel is a good thing in MO.
At least half of the MK’s on the Likud List could fit seamlessly into Bennett’s Party today. Where BB, and Sharon took the Likud almost relegates them except for the leadership (BB) to being irreverent.
BB’s weakness has nothing to do with his intellect it has everything to do with his character. So far Bennett has shown that he is no less intelligent and is displaying positive qualities of leadership and personal character. He and my opinions of him can change depending on his moves in the near future but I am willing for the moment to give him room to demonstrate what he can do. More than that is not possible.
If the Haredim are kept out of government and for no other reason I would call that government a success.
“And they scorned the desirable land.” (Psalms 106)
“And so they invent all kinds of rationales, all cloaked in a tallit that is all blue. “Israel is also Exile…” “This is not the beginning of the redemption, merely the footsteps of the Messiah…”
Do they understand what they speak? Can one look at a state that rises miraculously after two millennia and watch an ingathering of exiles from a hundred lands and not see in this the beginning of the great vision and redemption? Regardless of the sins and abominations in the land?”
Bernard Ross Said:
This is very significant!!!!
Jewish Home’s far right-religious flank backs Bennett-Lapid pact
Ultra-Orthodox nationalist rabbis say party leader’s coalition stance supports Torah and settlements
Recently, in a previous blog I suggested that since Palywood would take maximum advantage of Pr. O visit, it might be to IL benefit to postpone the visit. In the mean time, Iran is overstretching (into Syria, Africa, Europe, Afghanistan and S. America). Iraq and Hezbollah are sucked everyday deeper into the Syrian moving sands. Hamas may have learn something a couple months ago and the obnoxious Ottoman Sultan is stuck with the Kurdish problem. Qatar and SA would love to see 2 black eyes on the face of the Ayatollahs. Are the stars aligning slowly for IL to move, politically, militarily or both? IL has a few weeks to fix their govt. Could this be an opportunity?
yamit82 Said:
there was a story that if BB did not form a govt by 4 days before his arrival he might not come. Looks like the best deal to me 🙂
(but really, I have a feeling there is already agreement)
Regarding a pal agreement: I dont see what the 3 factions of bennet, lapid, BB want. do any of them want more than e1 and major blocs?
yamit82 Said:
indeed!
@ yamit82:
dear yamit,
bernard’s posted link is indeed worrysome.
sauron and the orcs get in formation to attack gondor…
your comment is making sense and injects SOME hope… but time is very much of the essence and NOTHING seems to be happening for the good guys team….
Iraqi forces attack FSA positions inside Syria.
Iranian FM: Sanctions to be eased as of today – Trend.Az
Iranian FM: Sanctions to be eased as of today
Bernard Ross Said:
JERUSALEM — U.S. President Barack Obama has demanded a timetable for
an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank.
Makes sense!!! Let’s force new elections. Since Israel stands to lose up to a $billion in funding for “Arrow and Iron Dome” do to the sequester and the F-35 in doubt maybe the best thing is forcing new elections and attacking Iran in the interim. Forcing new elections could take up to 6 months where no actionable address will exist in Jerusalem deflecting pressure and turning the tables on Obama and Europe by Nuking Iran. That should put enough on the world’s plate deflecting any more giveaways.
The strongest government Israel can field against Obama is the weakest, a Lame Duck government for as long as possible.
I must assume both Bennett and Lapid are aware of what BB intends as well as all or most in the Likud. That the Likud MK’s are silent speaks volumns.
Obama demanding withdrawal from west bank story
http://www.worldtribune.com/2013/03/03/obama-plans-to-extract-timetable-for-israeli-pullout-from-west-bank/
@ SHmuel HaLevi:
‘aleh v’tizlach!
@ the phoenix:
The original RFI link was hacked so many times that I removed it. The new one, better protected should be up right after Pesach.
@ SHmuel HaLevi:
Link?
Our group has clearly identified Mr. Netanyahu and the likud scafoldoing for precisely what is now in the open. The likud has never been but a false wrapping at least since Sharon times.
And “from withinners” fell for the wrappings or wilfully joined the sham.
We are at the alternative stage. We offer the Jewish people in Eretz Israel a NEW and to be freely elected way to turn the state to its true reason of being.
The system of government installed by MAPAI-MAPAM is disintegrating and as with all pseudo democratic shams. it is extremely dangerous to every Jewish person, not just Y & S Jews. The same concepts of “pay back” has been and will be applied against all of those that expose the facts regarding the combina.
Radio Free Israel is starting to operate within a short time in the INTERNET RADIO circuit. I created the RFI concept ten years ago and it is gaining traction.
Every Jewish person and true friend ia welcome to present his or her views. RFI is not a religious debating forum but a vehicle to plan for the future of the Jewish State and the Jewish people.
First order of business for the next government (by law) is passing the budget.
A budget not passed by a majority, the government falls and new elections are automatic. No government has ever fallen over the budget but the Likud only has 31 votes an all time low for a leading party and are totally dependent on the will and whims of the coalition partners.
The next budget will be an austerity budget with deep cuts in everything. The left will oppose, the religious parties will oppose and many inside the Likud will be hard pressed to vote in favor all though they will in the end. Only a government made up of Bennett, Lapid and Livni with the Likud can pass a budget by enforcing coalition discipline.
There are other considerations other than Y&S Obama etc. BB’s intended policies over Y&S can though influence the budget vote. That’s why the leaks re: Plans to freeze and surrender to Obama makes little sense at this point. It can only stiffen positions of all the other potential partners except Livni.
Bernard Ross Said:
No he can’t bring he government down under any combination. He does not have the votes. If Bennett were to leave the govt. BB just adds Shas in their place. He will get Labor support either in or out of the govt. and Meretz and the Arabs will support from the outside as well.
Only a significant number of Likud MK’s can stop him like what happened with Sharon. That’s why the broadside against settlers not voting Likud.
BB is already laying the internal foundation against Feiglin and his supporters.
In this game of Chess all are expendable except the KING!!!
the impression that i have been getting is that BB does not want more than E1 and the large settlements, and i am not sure about E1, it could have been an election gimmick. I dont think he is interested in further settlement in YS. In that case it is issues of security rather than trying to get the most land. I would think he would look to form with parties seeking the similar and that those who seek more would be considered a problem for him. Isn’t bennett interested in more land? The elephant in the room is obama and the internationals.. If the deal is done then already then he will seek coalition with those who will not obstruct a deal.
NormanF Said:
can bennett inlfuence Yesha from outside the govt.? If he is inside he can bring it down and bring elections. Something is strange about the freezing statement as a punishment. If you wanted to get back at them why do it when you are still vulnerable? I would have thought a freeze would be a requirement of obama instead.
During these coalition negotiations parties leak things that are spins, half truths, and lies to put pressure on other parties to change positions. I am extremely leery about this article. I think we should all take things with a grain of salt and not verbatim. The reporter from the JPost could have used. Some reporters including some at channel 2 may not be Bibi’s biggest fans.
yamit82 Said:
As you well put it, he may not be afraid of his opposition, he is certainly afraid of Obama. Martin Sherman agrees with me. In the end, the real issue is not Netanyahu. The real issue is whether Zionism is more than a cliche in Israel.
I already commented on this item on a previous thread. https://www.israpundit.org/archives/53199/comment-page-1#comment-268705
BB is after Feiglin by this declaration. Not only does BB want no coalition opposition he wants to blunt internal opposition even more. Demonizing the settlers is a tried and true method used in the past. If they can arrange for more Baruch Goldsteins even better.
The Likud lost over a quarter of the constituency in every geographical location. In the South and southern coastal towns, the % was even higher of likud dropouts in this election and settler dropouts in total numbers was a drop in the bucket, compared to large communities all over Israel. Is his intention then to punish all non- settlers likudniks who voted for other parties?
BB is scapegoating the settlers before he begins chopping heads. That’s how it works here, the victims must first be demonized discredited and de-legitimized before being impaled.
Bennett is correct that BB does not want him and Bayit Ha-Yehudi-in the government unless he has enough support to blunt them if they threaten.
The key is to Keep the Haredim and Shas out and Bennett and Lapid in. With Livini and Mofaz 8 seats, Lapid 19 and Bennett 12 that’s 39 plus likid Betaenu 31 = 70. Bennett has some power in this configuration but only if Lapid sticks to his position after joining the coalition against the Haredim being kept out.
Apparently BB is concerned enough with likud internal opposition to begin an assault on them even before forming a government. In the current situation Bennett is less of a threat to BB than a potential opposition within the Likud. The knives are already being sharpened. BB can’t realistically even threaten new elections as he stands to be an even bigger loser. He will form a government with Mertz and the Arabs rather than go to elections.
Hard to see such a weakened BB and Likud pulling off another freeze or disengagement. He is very unpopular and is relying only on the fact that for now he has no serious competitor that most Israelis would have as PM. Even here in that category he polls well under 30% Lapid got 19% of those who see him as PM.
Luckily BB is no Sharon nor even an Olmert. He seems disconcerted now more than I’ve ever seen him and he is shooting in all directions. Problem for him is that he is only shooting BB’s
I don’t see Bennett joining the government if those terms are what Netanyahu wants it to pursue.
Bennett has his voters to answer to and if he sits in a government that strangles Yesha, he is finished. Of course besides humiliating Bennett, Netanyahu would like nothing better than to see the Bayit Yehudi leader betray his own voters for a couple of Cabinet portfolios.
Netanyahu is playing hardball. The only way to make sure he doesn’t away with it is to refuse that kind of offer from him.