When entering the voting booth on March 17 Israelis must not be confused.
I have been engaged in Israeli politics since my days as a student activist at Ramat Gan’s storied Blich High School almost 30 years ago. Those who support me, and even my most critical detractors, all agree that my political activism is based on a passionate belief in an ideological path that I have hewed closely to throughout my years in public service. While I can understand why voters often search for the political party that closely matches their ideology, I know that in this election there is only one choice for those who want a proud, right-wing Israeli government.
During my travels all over the country throughout this election campaign, I have encountered too many voters who believe they are voting in a strategic manner. With the purest of intentions, they believe that by strengthening satellite or sectorial parties they will have a say in forming the ideological makeup of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s next government.
Quite simply, they think they can have their cake and eat it too.
The facts, however, disprove this notion.
Almost every reputable poll published over the past week shows an extremely tight race between the Likud and the Zionist Union. If too many of those currently deliberating between the Likud and other parties do not vote for the Likud, then we will wake up on March 18 with a number of smaller to mid-size right-wing parties.
It is clearer than ever that if the Zionist Union significantly increases in size, the so-called centrist parties, that have declined to openly state their preference for the next prime minister, will team up with the Joint Arab List and recommend Isaac Herzog as the next prime minister to President Reuven Rivlin. The path is paved for Herzog and Tzipi Livni to form the next government.
For those who have forgotten, or been somehow convinced by the misinformation spread by our opponents, now is the time to recall where Herzog and Livni stand on some issues that are critical to all of us. There is no need to elaborate too much on Livni. Her record as Ehud Olmert’s foreign minister, and then as the lead negotiator in the previous government, leave no doubt regarding intentions.
If given the chance to hold an influential portfolio, or even serve as prime minister, we will quickly see her retreat to the pre-1967 borders and divide Jerusalem.
While Herzog’s positions may not be as well known to the general public, there is much cause for concern if he were to be elected. Herzog is on record as saying that he supports Palestinian sovereignty over eastern Jerusalem neighborhoods. Even more worrying, as we await word on what seems to be a very dangerous deal between the P5+1 powers and Iran, Herzog gave an interview in which he refused to classify a nuclear Iran as an existential threat to Israel and said that he trusts the American administration to negotiate the best possible deal with the ayatollahs.
Herzog and Livni are of course entitled to these opinions, and those who support them should vote for Zionist Union next Tuesday. Those, on the other hand, who believe that an experienced right-wing government is best suited to lead Israel in what promises to be a critical few years, must only vote Likud. A vote for any other party may very well lead to a situation where we are sitting on the opposition benches together with our natural allies watching as Herzog and Livni take office.
I respect the passionate dedication to the Land of Israel and the ideological path chosen by so many Israelis. There are times, however, when we must channel this passion into logical and rational choices that will have monumental repercussions.
When entering the voting booth on March 17 Israelis must not be confused.
We are faced with two clear ideological choices. Any attempt to overthink this in the hope of predetermining the makeup of the next government could result in unintended consequences that will be disastrous for our beloved State of Israel.
The author is former deputy defense minister and a Knesset member for Likud.
7@ Goldi:
Goldi:
I have been making precisely the same point over recent days. Anything other than a vote for Likud could in fact lead to a government in Israel led by people who would sell out Jewish rights not only in Shomron and Yehuda, but undivided Jerusalem as well. And even then, Israel would have no peace whatsoever.
Mr Netanyahu certainly has his faults. But the courage to stand up to Barack Hussein Obama in his magnificent speech before the two houses of the Congress of the United States 11 days ago, in defense of the independent State of Israel, shows him to be one of the best leaders of the Jewish state since it was born in 1948.
In any case, I hope that President Reuven Rivlin, himself a member of HaLikud, a strong supporter of permanent Jewish control over all Eretz-Yisrael, and a man who knows the Moslem world better than most other public figures in Israel, has the sole power to determine which major party is selected for first try at building the next governing coalition. All the polls I have seen, including those leaning heavily in favor of Herzog’s and Livni’s joint candidacy, show that most Israelis prefer Netanyahu over Herzog by about 7 to 4, and that the leftist-centrist parties they can attract into a coalition could come up only with about 52 seats, including the 12 expected seats that will elect members of the joint Arab list. Moreover, the Jewish lists are hardly likely to join a coalition that includes a truly leftist party such as Meretz, which is certain to join with Herzog+Livni and Lapid.
One more consideration. Mr Kahlon’s new party is said to be the likely king-maker in case of a close number of seats won by the two main contenting parties. He has said he is interested only in becoming Israel’s finance minister, for which both sides could accommodate him. But Mr Kahlon, has also said — repeatedly — that any proposal to withdraw Israeli sovereignty from any part of Jerusalem or the Jordan Valley bordering on Area C, would be regarded by him as red lines that we will never cross. Based on that clear-cut policy that he has spelled out, I cannot see how he could make common cause with Herzog, Livni, Lapid, whoever runs Meretz, or the Arabs that they would have to drag into their effort in order to get any kind of commanding coalition under any circumstances.
But Jews loyal to undivided Jerusalem and Yesha’s rapidly growing Jewish population, and the need to thwart the likely effort of the Iranian ayatollist government to build weapons of mass destruction, need to focus on getting the most votes for Prime Minister Netanyahu and HaLikud.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
Danny Dannon’s elegantly phrased warning should be heeded by all. Time it too short to analyze and try to understand why that Livni was given two such important posts in the previous Likud government. No one knows what that Livni has up her sleeves. The important issue here is to vote LIKUD, or face the disastrous consequences if the votes were to favour that team of traitors.
@ bernard ross:
BR:
Here you go again. I am sure you are well intentioned in regard to this election in Israel. But what you apparently misunderstand is that the election contest is between Netanyahu on one side and on the other side, Herzog and Livni. That is despite the fact that voters in Israel officially select parties, not their leaders. Nonetheless, the real contest is not between those two and Bennett. He and his party are just second-string players, at about the level of Lapid.
But unless Netanyahu and Likud can beat their leftist liberal competitors, those competitors get first crack at forming the next governing coalition. That means they also get first crack at whatever inducements for cabinet positions that they will be able to offer Kahlon, who is very likely to be a key kingmaker in this election. I understand Kahlon is actually on our side regarding the indivisibility of Jerusalem and keeping the Jordan River valley under permanent Israeli control. But it is far easier to put Bennett into position to play a major role in the next government if Netanyahu enough to be concerned about selling out Jewish control over Jerusalem and Yesha.
All that I can suggest to you at this critical point in time is that you at least try to analyze the coming election aftermath in the terms that I have described above.
Arnold Harris
Mounbt Horeb WI
If there was no doubt of her intentions then why did BB not only choose her as lead negotiator but also Justice which also influences YS developments. Why is it that no one ever explains this?
She was indeed “given a chance to hold 2 influential portfolios”….. by BB, DUH?????
Actually, I keep searching for the platforms which show me the ideology of likud with regards to the “Peace” deals, Jewish settlement in YS, the rights of Jews in YS, the rights of Jews to be free of anti semitism in Israel, the rights of Jews on the Mount. I not only see no ideology but worse I see no advances attempted in these issues.
Furthermore, the commission of Levy Report, the announcement of E1 followed up by nothing appears dishonest.
Dannon may be correct, I do not know I do not vote in Israel but judging from my understanding that all the winning parties are polled as to who they will go with, I would vote to likuds right, probably Bennett, in order to influence a coalition with likud further to the right of BB. Likud appears to support BB stance to the left of likud and voting for likud appears to be a vote for BB continued obstruction of YS development outside major blocks and continued anti semitic harassment of Jews in Israel and holy sites.