Haaretz Editorial: Israel Election Results: Gantz Capitulates Without Battle

T. Belman.  Haaretz is obviously not happy. Furthermore they acknowledged that the Joint list was needed if Ganz was to be able to form a government.

“Gantz ignored the Joint List’s support for him as the candidate for the prime minister’s job, even though without it he has no chance of forming a coalition.”

 

Less than a week after his impressive electoral achievement, Benny Gantz conceded his right to be the first to try and form a coalition government

Haaretz Editorial

Kahol Lavan leader Benny Gantz at his party's headquarters after exit poll results are announced on the night of the September 2019 election.

\ AMIR COHEN/ REUTERS

Less than a week after his impressive electoral achievement, the head of the largest Knesset faction, Kahol Lavan leader Benny Gantz, conceded his right to be the first to try and form a coalition government. The explanation given by “party sources” for this concession is that Gantz prefers to wait for Netanyahu to try first and fail.

Regrettably, this lame excuse is unconvincing. This move looks like a capitulation without a fight, an admission that the right wing’s long-standing tactic of delegitimizing parties representing Arab society succeeded. Gantz was apparently worried over being portrayed as someone who “depends on the votes of anti-Zionist, terror-supporting Arab citizens,” as the Joint List is described by right-wing politicians and journalists.

Gantz ignored the Joint List’s support for him as the candidate for the prime minister’s job, even though without it he has no chance of forming a coalition. He refrained from discussing the demands posed by the Joint List, responding with disdain (“our platform already addresses these issues”), not trying to even put on a show of trying to prevent the departure of the Balad faction in the Joint List, which refused to recommend him to the president. This leaves him with only 54 Knesset members supporting him, one less than Netanyahu has.

Balad relinquished an unprecedented opportunity to present its positions in the course of political negotiations, hunkering down behind its anti-Zionist ideology that automatically disqualifies cooperation with any party that is not part of the Joint List, from the extreme right to Meretz.

Balad represents a significant position within Arab society, and it’s a good thing it wasn’t disqualified from participating in the election. But by refusing to recommend Gantz, it effectively supports the continued corrupt, inflammatory rule of Netanyahu. Using a cover of ideological purity and listing the wrongs committed by the Zionist movement against Palestinians, from Herzl to Netanyahu, cannot justify such political folly. The bottom line is that they preferred Bibi to [Joint List MK] Tibi.

In contrast to Balad, Gantz can’t, and is not even trying to, justify his concession with ideological reasons. Hollow slogans of “unity” and “conciliation,” accompanied by ostracizing the representatives of 20 percent of Israel’s citizens, place him among a long list of centrist and leftist politicians who folded in the face of hypocritical tests of patriotism posed by the right, allowing Netanyahu to keep holding on.

Obviously, the results make it hard for Gantz to form a coalition and fulfill his promise to replace Netanyahu. But by handing his rival the mandate, he threw away the hopes and expectations of his voters.

September 24, 2019 | 13 Comments »

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  1. Rivlin taps Netanyahu with forming coalition
    President Reuven Rivlin taps Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a new coalition, for the second time in five months.

    The move comes after efforts to force a unity agreement with Blue and White’s Benny Gantz fail.

    Rivlin says he made the decision after consulting with party leaders.

    Neither Netanyahu nor Gantz received 61 nominations from MKs, says Rivlin. He therefore decided to pick Netanyahu (55 votes) as he was better poised to form a government than Gantz, who received 54 nominations, 10 of whom — the Arab politicians — have ruled out joining a Gantz-led coalition.

    Under the law, Rivlin has seven days after receiving the results to name someone to form a government, but has opted to move ahead without delay.

    Netanyahu will now have 28 days to form a government, with a possible two-week extension.

    If all attempts fail, Rivlin can then assign the task to someone else. After that, if 61 lawmakers nominate another candidate, that politician will also be given a chance.

    Otherwise: Israel heads to its third election in a year.

  2. @ yamit82:
    Iran would think okay we hit the drone and the US did nothing they do NOT want to use military force. Good let us go for it.

    They have a strategy to disrupt to world oil flow if they can not export their own oil.

    The USA does not care like in the 70s because due to fracking the USA is now a net exporter. So US vital interests are not at stake.

    The vital interests of the Gulf Arab States are at stake as are Israel’s interests. Trump is not an isolationist but is far from the NEO-CON philosophy of Bolton. Trump should have known this before he hired him. I do not know if he wants yes men or is just volatile in his hiring and firing.

    Trump cares about Israel because family members do and so does his base of Christian Evangelists. If an Israeli PM makes an argument with Trump in PRIVATE about what he does not like his plan he will take into account. Especially if his son-in-law takes the Israeli side.

    Yes, he is influenced by what he hears on Fox News. I have watched and something is being advocated and minutes later you might see a tweet with a similar position. Once he actually called in and discussed the matter.

  3. @ Bear Klein:

    This should scare evey Trump supporter and give a lot of skepticism about his foreign policy generally and specifically WRT Israel.

    TUCKER CARLSON IS THE REAL NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER OF TRUMP !! WE ARE IN REAL TROUBLE!

    After the attack in June, Trump was poised to launch a military response against the Iranians — strongly urged by Bolton — but pulled back after Fox News host Tucker Carlson and others warned him that it was a bad idea.

    https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/18/bolton-trump-foreign-policy-1501932?fbclid=IwAR0KaOlaG2xNfe3siUf1o6eb6HI4mb2GFRKru1hCW8uQtdcHlMh7djtxB3k

  5. @ yamit82:
    At least part of your idea was hinted at by Bibi during the end of his election campaign. He said he would apply sovereignty to the Jordan Valley, North Dead Sea area, all settlements, plus other unspecified land needed for security.
    That part was very good and basically the White House and Trump emissary’s gave a sort approval saying it would not stop a resolution on the conflict.

    THEN BIBI said, he would negotiate with Trump for other areas UNSPECIFIED. Leading one to believe that large parts of Area C or East Jerusalem were being held in the plan for the PA. I do not believe that any Likud head including Bibi would fight for most of this if not all of it. Clearly if put out ahead of the election Yamina would have taken votes from the Likud.

    Bennett tried to take advantage of the same assumption with a made up map which probably backfired as this map was denied by those who know what is in the plan. The question is how much of the map was wrong.

  6. @ Ted Belman:
    I don’t believe for a nanosecond your fantasy is part of the Trump plan… Unless you have seen an actual agreement then you don’t know either. BB will do whatever his bosses in Washington DC tell him… Trump gave BB a big downpayment over Jerusalem and the Golan and expects to pick up the payment over his deal. Think about it… BB knows what’s in the plan. If the plan were good for Israel and his party and others to the right support it’s overall position then he would have had Trump publish the plan and run on it in the last two elections, consequently winning in a slam dunk running away in the elections. That he knows it would be a hard sell maybe even impossible, he has kept it out of the elections. That the plan has been withheld till now tells me the plan is very bad for Israel… What better way have we got as a referendum of popular support for it than having it centerpiece during our elections? Nope, it is designed to be forced down our throats. BB can’t say NO to Trump!!! Nobody needs or wants a stinking Piece Deal especially a deal designed out of hubris of a megalomaniac.. he views everything as a real estate deal over property disputes and money to solve disputes and conflicts… He has no solid core beliefs or ideology and is incapable of understanding those who do… He is ignorant of history and nuance so he will never solve our conflict nor is he capable of doing so. His deal if openly presented could lose much of his evangelical base, especially if it is seen to have been imposed or coerced upon Israel…Better to be left alone and remain on his shelf if not buried altogether.

  8. @ Ted Belman:

    BB has always been the main impediment of a unified right of center block in the Knesset since they forced him out of office in his first term 1999., that brought Barak as PM in replace of BB. Difficult to unify against the primary leader of the party or block. They will always be divided some in support and others opposed. Without BB the right can unify both against the more leftist Blue and White and their hard-left supporters. The Lord moves in mysterious ways.. due to no clear results in our election cycle TheTrump (PIECE PLAN) “Deal of the Century” Has been shelved indefinitely. Hopefully for good.!!! It’s a given BB would have signed on he owes Trump!! Blue and white I think would be more of a tougher nut to crack because of their collective security positions…

  10. Haaretz need not worry. The attorney general is poised to indict Bibi. The Jrusalem Post says the attorney-general is hurrying the process. Without Bibi as ‘glue” to hold the Right bloc together, it will break up soon enough. No one else in the Right bloc will be able to acquire the respect and prestige that Bibi has, within a matter of a few days. That will enable Gantz, Lapid, Leiberman and Odeh, with a Left bloc of 65 seats, will form a government committed to an Israeli withdrawal from central Judea and Samaria, with it s strategic mountain ridge overlooking Tel Aviv, Lod Airport, and Gush Dan.

  11. The LIKUD members as a whole have sworn allegiance to Netanyahu, to support only him as their leader (and candidate for PM). Of course they are politicians, but if they depart from this, then the crack in the door opens wide… And who knows what may ensue. The almost fanatical desire to avoid a 3rd election is, in my opinion, over-done, and comes much from Rivlin who hates Netanyahu.

    In my opinion, based only on my own perceptions, I believe that the Blue &White is convinced that the first effort to form a govt. will fail, and they really want the second “MUST” succeed try. That the Balad refusal is a “put-up-job” for this purpose, and the whole article from Ha’Aretz is a “pull-the-wool-over-your-eyes” piece of hack journalism that they are famous for. Should I say notorious…? just my opinion based on really nothing.

  12. Liberman doubles down, won’t sit with ultra-Orthodox, ‘messianics,’ Arabs
    “The one and only commitment of ours is to our voters who voted for us and gave us their trust on September 17,” wrote Liberman on his Facebook account.

    Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman reiterated his opposition on Tuesday to sitting with the ultra-Orthodox and right-wing, religious parties, as well as the Arab parties and the Democratic Union.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that any unity government involving between his Likud party and Blue and White needs to include his ultra-Orthodox allies as well as the religious-Zionist Yamina party.

    In comments he made on Facebook Tuesday afternoon, Liberman doubled down on his commitment never to join such a coalition and insisted that the formation of a national unity government including Blue and White, Likud, and possibly his own, was an urgent need due to Israel’s security and economic challenges.

    Liberman said he was responding to “spin” and “commentary” published of late regarding the possibility that Yisrael Beytenu might enter a government including the parties it has previously declared to be out of bounds.

    Liberman also insisted that his party was not “coordinating” with Blue and White, or with Likud, as has been speculated, given his enigmatic decision not to recommend either Blue and White co-chairman Benny Gantz or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form the next government.

    “The one and only commitment of ours is to our voters who voted for us and gave us their trust on September 17,” wrote Liberman on his Facebook account on Tuesday.

    “Therefore, all of our promises from before the elections are iron-clad commitments after the elections too,” he continued in reference to his promise to only join a national-unity government of Blue and White together with the Likud, and his commitments on matters of religion and state.

    “I hope for the establishment of a broad, liberal, national unity government,” he continued, noting that Blue and White and Likud did not need any other party to create such a coalition, adding that he believed however that Yisrael Beytenu should be party of such a government.

    “But under no conditions and not for any reason will we sit with the ultra-Orthodox, the messianics, the Joint List [of Arab parties] and the Democratic Union,” wrote Liberman.

    The Yisrael Beytenu leader added that he believed a vote on appointing a Knesset speaker should come only after “the picture becomes clear regarding the formation of the coalition and the identity of the prime minister.

    Speaking to The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday, a senior Yisrael Beytenu source said that he believed a national-unity government would be established and that a third round of elections would be avoided, due to internal pressure on Netanyahu from within his own party.

    The source noted that back in April Netanyahu promised his party that backing a second election would see Likud increase their seats, and would not put at risk the seats the party had one.

    As it transpired, the absorption of Kulanu into Likud pushed four other Likud candidates back down the list, while Likud’s loss of four seats in this month’s election means that some eight Likud MKs lost their seats.

    The Yisrael Beytenu source said that current Likud MKs would therefore be extremely wary of going to new a third round of elections fearing out of fear for their own Knesset seats.

    The source added that Netanyahu’s “spell and magic” were wearing off of the Likud party, especially the prime minister’s claim that only he can bring about diplomatic successes.

    The official pointed to the fact that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had kept Netanyahu waiting for three hours when he visited him in Sochi, a tactic Putin is well known for with foreign leaders he is displeased with.

    Comments by US President Donal Trump that the US relationship “is with Israel,” seemingly distancing himself somewhat from Netanyahu, as well as other missteps by the prime minister, are further evidence that Netanyahu is not infallible, the source argued.

    So will there be new elections? Or will the Likud Members be willing to have Rivlin pick someone else to be PM in a unity government from the Likud?

    In a third election with Netanyahu as the Likud head they will likely keep losing seats and then Blue/White might be able to form a coalition without them. So would they be better off letting Bibi fight his legal battles and give the country a government of unity. Certainly this is a major compromise and a right wing government would have been better but what other rationale choice is there?

  13. What is standing in the way of a Netanyahu and Gantz rotation agreement?
    Rivlin has been pushing them towards a unity coalition, which would likely involve a rotation agreement for the premiership.
    By Lahav Harkov September 24, 2019 14:41

    The Likud and Blue and White negotiating teams are set to meet on Tuesday, before their respective party leaders Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz return to President Reuven Rivlin on Wednesday for another meeting, after the one on Monday night.

    That meeting ended without white smoke out of Beit Hanassi’s chimney, so to speak, but it seems like the only way out of the current electoral mess is a unity government with a rotation for prime minister.

    Both candidates have reasonable arguments as to why they should be prime minister. Gantz’s Blue and White received the most seats in the Knesset, with 33, but while Likud only has 31 seats, Netanyahu has more recommendations, with 55 to Gantz’s 54.

    Notably, neither has a majority behind him, which means neither has a clear path to a coalition.

    Hence, Rivlin has been pushing them towards a unity coalition, which would likely involve a rotation agreement for the premiership.

    But there are many obstacles in the way and issues to work out before they reach Rivlin’s goal – if they manage to reach it at all.

    No to Netanyahu

    Blue and White’s biggest promise, its most consistent one throughout both election campaigns this year, was that it will not be in a government with Netanyahu as long as he is under an indictment or a recommended indictment.

    Netanyahu’s hearing with Attorney-General Avihai Mandelblit is next week, and just about every legal reporter in the country, including at The Jerusalem Post, says Mandelblit has a strong case and is likely to indict – which means that Blue and White doesn’t have an easy excuse for sitting with Netanyahu.

    One Blue and White source told Ma’ariv that they will not give up on this: “If the Likud doesn’t send [Netanyahu] home, we will go to another election.”

    o

    So someone is going to NEED to change their stance on what they campaigned on. I do NOT Believe Blue & White will sit with Bibi if he is Prime Minister. I do NOT think he will relent to being Prime Minister.

    The Blue & White have the same platform as Liberman when it comes to the Haredi Draft, Civil Marriage, Shabbat Laws……..etc. So the UTJ/Shas are not likely to come over and join Blue/White. Shas is a possibility but NOT UTJ.

    So it will be elections or Rivlin selects another Likud member such as Gideon Saar to form a coalition. This could have a broad coalition excluding the Haredim and Smotrich and the Arab Joint List. B & W 33, Likud 31, Liberman 8, New Right 3, Labor/Gesher 6, Dem Union 5 = 86 Seats so even if a few of the Likud drop out there are many seats to spare.

    UTJ or Shas would head the opposition as they would out vote the Joint Union as a collective to together Smotrich and other Yamina (e.g Rabbi Peretz) members not in the coalition.

    Full article at https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/What-is-standing-in-the-way-of-a-Netanyahu-and-Gantz-rotation-agreement-602680