Obama prefers the ’67 lines as the borders but says an agreement has to be negotiated. To me this is a contradiction. What he is really saying is that Israel must negotiate the path to the ’67 lines. Since there is an acceptance of swaps of land, this is the only basis that will allow Israel to retain the blocs. But it is doubtful that that would include both Ariel and Maaleh Adumin or even any of the two. Israel is caving in on all fronts. That is why the Knesset almost unanimously refused to extend Israeli law to the settlements and that is why Israel has greatly curbed construction east of the fence. I for one don’t think that Israel can withstand the pressure or defy the international community. The Golan will go the way of J&S. T. Belman
Netanyahu Says Nationalists ‘Do Not Live in This World’
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, far from apologizing for police brutality, made a far-reaching statement which implies a possible stop to Jewish life in Judea and Samaria while defending police destruction of Jewish homes at the privately owned Gilad Farm (Chavat Gilad) in Samaria Monday morning.
Following the police violence against Chavat Gilad residents, who threw stones at the police firing at them with rubber bullets, the Prime Minister told his Likud party officials, “People do not understand where they live. If you do not live in the real world, it is possible to disregard everything, and I suggest that they start being wary in order to protect the existing construction. What is at stake is the new and existing construction,” referring to major Jewish population centers in Judea and Samaria.
“There is construction in Judea and Samaria,” Netanyahu said. “It’s true that in some places there are no tenders and that is being checked, but we are currently making efforts to maintain the existing construction.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu added, “We are in a very difficult international situation; the U.S. veto in the UN Security Council was achieved with great effort. We could ignore everything and say ‘no problem,’ but as the prime minister who bears responsibility for this country, I have to be responsible.”
The recent American veto at the United Nations Security Council prevented passage of a Lebanese-sponsored resolution condemning Israel for building homes for Jews in Judea and Samaria.
Likud Minister Dan Meridor, whose political stand places him on the far left flank of the Likud party, was more explicit than the Prime Minister.
Speaking on Voice of Israel government radio Tuesday morning, he stated that the government needs to concern itself with holding on to the “consensus” that would allow Israel to retain major Jewish population centers in Judea and Samaria.
However, that “consensus” may be history. George W. Bush, when he was president of the United States, wrote a letter to the Israeli government promising that areas such as Maaleh Adumim, a city east of Jerusalem, and the Gush Etzion communities south of the capital would remain in Israel under a future agreement with the Palestinian Authority.
U.S. President Barack Obama has said he is not bound by the promise, arguing that it is not legally binding, putting America in the position of a government not standing up to a previous government’s committments.
The Obama administration seems to agree with the Palestinian Authority position that the PA should have sovereignty over all of Judea and Samaria, but it thinks that the issue can only be resolved in face-to-face discussions and not through resolutions at the United Nations. PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has refused to talk with Israel without a commitment to meet all of its demands, including the surrender of the Old City, with the Western Wall and Temple Mount, and other areas of the capital where more than 250,000 Jews live. He has stated that the hundreds of thousands of Jews in Judea and Samaria would have to leave, making it Judenrein.
“We all want to strengthen the settlements and therefore we ought not ignore reality,” Prime Minister Netanyahu continued as he explained his comments to the Likud audience. “We are a few weeks after one Quartet decision, after the U.S. veto, before another Quartet decision, and therefore we must consider the reality in which we live. When there is a changing world order in the Middle East, there are those who seek an easy but irresponsible solution, and we won’t help them with that.”
Yamit, I was down in Gush Katif the week of the uprooting and it was not as clear cut as you make it. Like I said there were a lot of grays and continue to be.
Yamit, you are correct no one fears us. I for one am not going anywhere. I was merely putting a perspective on the what the PM is dealing with. I have said fromt he beginning he is week. He is going to do what he wants needless to say. I and others will do what they will have to. I am not worried. You should watch how you are defining the issues they are a bit more complicated than you make them out to be. Not all of us are delusional or lost. The situation is a set of grays and one’s actions need to be determined and thought based upon the known. Correct, Bibi may sell out or has sold out, or maybe he hasn’t. This is not the issue. One way or the other sacrifices will have to be made either economically or in terms of dealing with International troops here. As I said I don’t think the PM wants to cave in, but he is weak and so that is what we have to contend with. Like I said it doesn;t matter and people’s views and how much they say they are or aren’t willing to do something about will only be determined when the time comes.
Seems like there is no limit. 🙁
In Israel, as in Iran: Responding to settler promises to launch ‘a day of rage’ in response to the destruction of the outposts, police subjected scores of conservative activists to preventive detention.
Such measures are rarely applied even to Arabs, and are illegal in almost all democracies, except in some jurisdictions for sex offenders. Read More
Israeli capitulation: the government is forthcoming
Netanyahu reportedly is formulating an interim plan for Palestinian statehood, the details of which are to be announced soon. Such a plan would necessarily include withdrawals from some settlements, which explains the police violence at Gilad Farm.
Netanyahu’s plan is a blatant attempt to deflect the world’s criticism over Israel’s procrastination in withdrawing from what Israeli leaders agree is Palestinian land.
There is a fundamental fallacy in such an approach. The Palestinians should be pleading for peace instead of Israel going an extra mile to come up with a peace treaty which would be acceptable to them. Israeli endless stream of peace offers reinforces in the international community the belief that the Jews are the guilty party. The Palestinian Arabs won’t accept Netanyahu’s new plan, but it will set new benchmarks for the concessions which Israel is ready to accept. Read More
Libermann seems to be the only one in the Knesset who knows the truth and is not afraid to state it. SOMEBODY has to step forward and say, “ENOUGH!”
H?ow many “BIG LIES” can the Jewish People allow to promulgate?
This is disturbing, Mark, but I can’t help wondering why they were all kept in an [apparently] communal area in the first place. Why not in each family’s living structure or living space?
Remember Oh Lord, On Davids behalf all his affliction.-
May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward.
For any country to accept filthy rabid Jew hate and ethnically cleanse Jews for the sole reason they are Jews and not Muslims is despicable, perverted and evil.
Surrendering Jewish land will utterly destroy Israel’s security. The goal of every vile Jew-hater on the planet. Not one inch to the barbarians!
No surrender to global jihad.
I have a suggestion, the next time the government removes a so-called illegal settlement or worse a legal one there should be 5000- 10000 Jews ready to storm Har-Habayit. Instead of futility putting on a show and tell for ea. settlement or every house, the counter should be doing exactly what the government fears most.
Mark
I am sorry to tell you that if most of the residents in the territories think like you you are already lost, dead meat waiting for the butcher. When it goes down it will be too late for you and you will not be compensated. You believe BB 80% when it should be 0%. The residents of Katif, believe in Sharon and their rabbis. Two fatal mistakes both betrayed them. Some families moved from Yamit to Katif. I told them they were nuts, that the governments that removed us will certainly have no compunction from removing them.
BB should have been brought down in the first building freeze announcement but you guys accepted it. You were finished from that point. Nobody fears you.
You both are indulging in self delusional wishful thinking a very Jewish pathology and in doing so you both willfully ignore all of the facts that are in the public domain.
Sanctions in this century don’t work unless the party being sanctioned wants it. They haven’t worked against any country except S Africa but S. Africa had a lot of liberals/ and liberal Jews that fought the regime from the inside. The Afrikaners are not the cleverest beings on this planet, I suspect a lot of inbreeding.
Israel has a lot of experience with secondary markets (Black and Gray) there isn’t much we can’t procure. Many of our companies are Global Enterprises with a fair number having headquarters offshore. We are two years away from being energy self-sufficient as well. Most of our best companies developed and thrived because of the Arab Boycott. A boycott will free Israel to annex all the territories and transfer the Arabs. What can they do boycott us? 🙂 Attack us with their militaries? none have the guts and none could afford the blow-back. According to Jane’s and others Israel has nuclear suitcase bombs. Ten suitcase bombs ten cities and or strategic installations etc.
Israel needs leaders with cojones that is willing to engage in Brinkmanship, like for every month of international sanctions we remove one oilfield forever. You hurt us we hurt you.
Its all fun and games until someone puts someone else’s eye out with a sick.
It is hard to understand how there is not a “gamechanger” occurance coming down the pipe in the next 2 years. Between the revolutions in the ME and the elections in the US, someone is going to be doing something very selfish which will turn out to be very stupid and costly.
The key to moving ahead will be to be ready to capitalize with a strong strategy and lightning fast tactical moves.
Don’t even try and guess what it is…just keep on the high ground and keep the gunpowder dry.
And above all else remember that God has been with us since Abraham’s big move westward…way before the Muslims even swang from the branches…just stick to the program and don’t get fancy…and for godsake stop ting one hand behind your back if you are on our team…
“It neither matters whether a soldier is killed in battle or just shucks off his uniform, he’s still dead for all intents and purposes” HW…1960
I don’t think BB is about to cave; I think he is hedging his bets. I pretty much agree with D. Mark’s assessment of him.
Notice that at the end of the day, BB always comes down to the issue of recognition. His public position is that everything – everything– is negotiable just so long as the Palis recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Which they will never do. So, I would guess that his calculus is to “bob and weave” as much as he can, using the recognition issue as his main “foil” maneuver…unless and until Obama gets reelected. If Obama gets reelected, then the pressure really will become too much, as Ted Belman describes. If BB can hang on for two more years, he may make it without being pushed into a sellout deal.
Still, I too would like to see more spine. Yes, the pressure is terrible. But how far is that pussy, Obama, and his fellow pussy leaders of West European states going to push a nuclear-armed Israel?
They could push them into a very, very uncomfortable economic corner with sanctions. That is what I would expect. That would devastate the Israeli economy, and throw many out of work. Now, previous generations of Israelis lived in – by Western standards of today – great poverty and privation. But they stood their ground against tremendous odds. The question really comes down to this: Could BB or any other Israeli leader demand that kind of sacrifice from Israelis today in order to make a successful stand against such pressure?
I can’t answer that. Maybe Yamit can. Maybe Yonatan can. Maybe D. Mark can. You all live there. I don’t.
D. Mark is a voice of common sense from those at the “coalface”. Col hacovod.
Two people here have mentioned the CFR and the New World Order. It might be instructive, to give the 2010 list by by the KOF Index of Globalization. This list shows the countries which are most “globalized”, which can be interpreted as the “closest to the concept of a New World Order” (cf. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization_Index):
1. Belgium (EU, NATO)
2. Austria (EU)
3. Netherlands (EU, NATO)
4. Switzerland
5. Sweden (EU)
6. Denmark (EU, NATO)
7. Canada (NATO)
8. Portugal (EU, NATO)
9. Finland (EU)
10. Hungary (EU, NATO)
11. Ireland (EU)
12. Czech Republic (EU, NATO)
13. France (EU, NATO)
14. Luxembourg (EU, NATO)
15. Spain (EU, NATO)
16. Slovakia (EU, NATO)
17. Singapore
18. Germany (EU, NATO)
19. Australia
20. Norway (EU, NATO)
21. Cyprus (EU)
22. Italy (EU, NATO)
23. Poland (EU, NATO)
24. United Kingdom (EU, NATO)
25. New Zealand
26. Estonia (EU, NATO)
27. United States (NATO)
28. Slovenia (EU, NATO)
29. Croatia (NATO)
30. Malta (EU)
31. Greece (EU, NATO)
32. Bulgaria (EU, NATO)
33. Lithuania (EU, NATO)
34. Chile
35. Malaysia
36. Jordan
37. Latvia (EU, NATO)
38. Israel
Notice that the list is virtually identical to the EU and NATO, plus close allies of member states. Put simply, the New World Order IS NATO. Ultimately, this is the greatest enemy of Israel, not the Arabs nor the Iranians. The latter are simply puppets; NATO is the puppeteer; and the most powerful member of NATO is the US.
I remember your admonitions of Lieberman.
I’m with Yamit, Israel is being set up because Israel is an impediment to the NWO. Even my Rabbi believes the ME implosion is being orchestrated and funded by leftists, globalists. Obama/Soros wants a radicalized but united ME because they’re counting on it to force Israel into a corner. It’s expected that the more Israel is isolated the more likely she is to bend to the will of the world. Unfortunately, Israeli pols are self interested and will eventually cave and I don’t know if the general Israeli population have the will to stand up to the pressure(I’m pretty sure Tel Avivans don’t). I’m sure Israelis have become demoralized and worn down over the years by the constant onslaught. You will find no justice in the UN as appeasement, among other things, is the goal; like the Borg say: “resistance is futile”. Hasbara at this point is a waste of time. The world is set against you(prophecy fulfilling really).
Of course the temple mount is what the globalist/leftist/atheist scum especially want to ensure never falls into the hands of the religious Jews. Atheists may deny the existence of the one true G-D but in the back of their minds they’re whatiffing; so they’ll want to cover their bases just in case. Can’t have uppity religious Jews getting any ideas now can they? If Israel ever voted in a truly right wing and more religiously aware government it would foil alot of the internationalist/leftist/atheist plans but maybe Israel just isn’t ready for that yet.
If it’s any comfort you’re not alone as the USA is being destroyed from within, too; the USA is also considered an impediment to the NWO.
Yamit mentioned Bibi being a CFR member and that’s an excellent clue. Bibi is ultimately an internationalist. I do think Bibi loves Israel, you can read his book and see that, and he knows very well the true history of the area from the lies and propaganda, but the pressure is being brought to bear and BiBi may cave thinking he’s protecting Israelis and bringing “peace”.
bb and barak are trying out the option of a civil war against nationalist Jews. they hate them because they believe that the merkel’s would love them if only theere were not these nationalst Jews. and they belive that if they do everything what the merkel’s diktate them then the merkel’s will protect them in the future.
this reminds me of Shaul who had mercy with amalek and then (as a direct result according to the Rabbis) Shaul and Doeg the Edomite massacred the Priests (Cohanim) of Nov.
but G-d had in return no mercy with Shaul and Doeg has no part in the World to Come. Shaul erred at the end of his life, suffering from pathological depression. his decendence disappered. and David arose to save Israel.
See my comments here. Repeat and rinse.
Whether Lieberman is better or worse for Israel compared to Netanyahu can be measured in nanograms.
Manhigut’s update for this week can be found here, in Hebrew. The update in English is not out yet on Manhigut’s English site.
Feiglin Warns: Netanyahu Will End Up Like Olmert
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/142645During the interview, Feiglin also warned those who think that the Yisrael Beiteinu party, headed by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, is the right party in which to be a member.
“Yisrael Beteinu is a very difficult problem,” he said. “It is a kind of magnet that draws the right, but today we all understand what it means to be a rightist without believing in G-d. We all remember what happened to the great hero, Ariel Sharon. It is true that Yisrael Beiteinu has some outstanding people, but I am convinced that Lieberman would not hesitate to form a government with the left. He cannot be counted on. Going with Lieberman would mean going from bad to worse.”
Its true…I went to get a gun for Shemirah (guard duty) the other day and was dismayed to find that our whole wall of guns were gone and we were left with about six. This just happened to our yishuv. I asked the head of security what happened and he only looked at me and cynically said “Now there will be peace…”
I think it’s actually worse in Israel than in the US — because in Israel, sitting Supreme Court justices can actually appoint other justices to join them on the bench. And can you say Bizarro?.
.
Unfortunatly you are right on this I misstated with the use of EVERY. What’s more important than numbers is the following each rabbi can bring to the effort. Some have thousands who consider their rabbi the authority on Halacha.
The IDF is for both religious and non religious a Holy Cow here and at least 20-30% are observant but in certain Key units they make up over 50%.
BB knows he is playing with fire here, so I wonder why he is wasting his remaining credibility with some by provoking the right at this time. Certainly one would think he has more pressing matters to attend to? Olmert did a similarly stupid act at Amona and the call went out to get Olmert at any price and they dug up dirt enough to bring him down and they did. BB I am sure is no less dirty than was Olmert.
Israel is a soft oligarchic dictatorship where the people except for the occasional vote have little or no influence on the legislative process or much influence on the elected few. Israel has most of a constitution already incorporated into the law called the basic law where a super-majority is needed to amend or repeal any of the basic Laws. No constitution is of any value in a system where the courts can interpret any law in it’s own ideological image and judges here and in the States re: the high court are appointed for life.
Nothing can replace the good character of those who choose politics as a calling. In a small country everybody knows everyone else. Everybody can be reached and gotten to. Israel is in the middle East not the American middle West.
Shalom Yonatan
I agree with you, that a Kahanist like Ben-Ari would likely be a breath of fresh air if he were a PM of a supportive coalition. My objection was to trusting that this could possibly happen, given Israel’s current political system.
Yamit, you said,
Finally, I have gotten a concrete plan of action out of you. Here’s my critique:
(1) You are looking to elections as a temporary relief valve from Israel’s woes. You may be right. Bibi’s descent into hell has been so rapid recently, that any interruption would probably be beneficial
(2) I am all for a civil disobedience campaign; but the seeds of failure are in your use of the expression, “every rabbi“. Saying stuff like that puts a person in La La Land. Six million Jews died in WWII, largely because “every rabbi” couldn’t agree on much of anything. Far from it: It’s hard to get TWO rabbis to agree on anything of importance. I am not Jewish, and therefore not encumbered by rabbi worship. If you can get SOME rabbis to stick their necks out and get this thing going, much as Father Berrigan and some Catholic priests led the charge in the US Antiwar movement, then count your lucky stars and go for it! With Nadia Matar, Caroline Glick and a few token rabbis, you will have a genuine grass-roots movement.
(3) “…should bring the government down.” Yes — If the government is brought down in THIS way, as the result of a genuine grass-roots effort, even by a minority, there is a CHANCE of real change. In my estimation, that real change will get nowhere unless it begins with the enacting of a constitution that (a) makes politicians accountable to their constituents (as in a federal or district setup), and (b) brings down the ability of the High Court to meddle indiscriminately in Israeli politics.
On the latter count, the sad reality is that the High Court merely needs to prosecute known corrupt officials in order to tilt the knesset their way. That’s because Israeli politicians are almost uniformly corrupt, and I blame this largely on the “party” system of electing MKs. That has to end, or Israel is doooooomed to a slow, mediocre death at the very best.
Testimony of Violence at Havat Gilad
Worth watching
Samaria – Where Jewish History Meets Jewish Destiny
Netanyahu Asked to Choose – Barak, or Likud
Fallout over Monday’s violence against residents of the Gilad Farm in Samaria continued Tuesday. A member of the Likud Central Committee warned Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that he is at risk of losing support from his own party.
In a letter to Likud MKs, committee member Meir Goldmintz said, “Today, Defense Minister Ehud Barak crossed an unthinkable red line: firing rubber bullets at Jews. This is a significant escalation in the war against settlers that he began when he was appointed to the position.
“The serious nature of this act aside, he is doing this in our name, in the name of the Likud government. The time has come to put an end to this!”
Barak leads a party with just five seats that has been given an unprecedented four ministries, even though Netanyahu would maintain a majority coalition without Barak, Goldmintz pointed out. “We cannot continue this way!” he said.
“Tell the Prime Minister: Choose either Barak, or us. We will not allow the Likud government to be used by Barak as his base from which to attack settlers,” he said in an appeal to the MKs.
Soldier Announces Plans to Go AWOL
One of the homes destroyed in Gilad Farm belonged to the family of Shimon Weizman, a soldier in the IDF. Weizman held a news conference Monday evening and announced that he will not be returning to duty.
“I fought to enlist in the IDF, to defend the people of Israel, to devote myself to the country,” he said. “During my service, the IDF sent forces to destroy my home and shoot my friends. Until the ruins are rebuilt, I do not plan to return to the army.”
Weizman, who serves in the Kfir anti-terror brigade, could face prison time for his refusal to return.
An IDF spokesman said in response, “The IDF does not choose its missions. Soldiers are expected not to mix political issues with IDF service.”
On Monday night, hundreds gathered to protest the violence, demonstrating at several locations in Jerusalem.
Kahane huh, I guess that explains why I like him. Look, politics as usual is not going to work any more. You can see from what is happening in the world around us that most have had it with the lies. As the truth replaces the lies, someone like Ben-Ari looks better and better. Just because he couldn’t (wouldn’t be allowed to) lead in the past, doesn’t mean that he cannot in the future.
One of the First move B&B (BB and Barak)did when taking office was to begin to disarm the settlers. One of the first things the Begin Government did to us was to cancel most of the Sinai residents reserve call-ups and to disarm many residents as possible. They the government refused to negotiat in good faith or refused to negotiate at all keeping us locked to the settlements for up to 3 years till the Sinai agreements seemed to be going according to plan.
Sharon acted similarly in Gush Katif and N Shomron.
BB is making Life as difficult as he can get away with for the residents of the territories even endangering their lives by removing vital roadblocks and checkpoints, disarming the residents, allowing Arabs to use bypass roads making daily contact on the roads with Arabs in the areas. Almost a total ban on all construction, rescinding tax incentives to the residents of the territories.
BB like Sharon, like Begin are trying to push the residents of the territories into direct and violet confrontations with the IDF in-order to smear them in the public domain. Watch at some point a crazy settler will massacre some Arabs and as has happened before this will with the help of a willing media turn any sympathy and support for ideological settlers and tie the hands of others.
BB as is clear had every intention from even before his assuming the position of PM to do exactly what he seems to be doing: Creating the conditions for the evacuation of all Israeli territorial gains of the 6 Day War. He will blame Obama and the EU ,UN and who not, but this is and was his plan/intention even before serious pressure and threats were brought to bear.
New elections could relieve most of the immediate foreign pressure for as much as 6-7 months but failing that the only way I see BB being stopped is for every rabbi to call for civil disobedience of every religious Jew in the IDF and for every other soldier who feels part of the nationalist camp. I would say just go home and stay there. The IDF can’t arrest them all The rabbis would face jail which is a good thing. That would galvanize and possibly unite the right behind them.
Any government who acts against her most loyal and committed citizens and any Government wh is willing to cede any part of the land of israel must be considered as illegitimate as well as her constituent arms and institutions.
Having such an act of civil and military disobedience should bring the government down.
IDF: Soldier’s refusal to return to army ‘serious’
I have been an avid reader of this blog for a while and have never posted, but feel that I have as more to lose than anyone if the gov’t caves in. You see my family and I live deep in Yehudah in Pnei Hever (10 minutes South of Hevron) and would be booted if even the slightest deal is made. Now let me first say I am no fan of Bibi’s, yet at the same time there is tremendous pressure. This is clear. So far thank G-d there has been no deal and so we must watch carefully to see what happens. Yes the State is in danger, yet we have had it worse, much worse. I don’t think Bibi is interested in going the way of Sharon, he would have done that already. I believe he is trying to duck and weave and considering the circumstances he is getting it about 80% right, but 80% percent might not be good enough. We must pray for salvation and yet not wait and rely on miracles.
Don’t count on democracy
Op-ed: Despite talk about Mideast democracy, what we see is brutal violence, rising Islamism
Guy Bechor
Many festive words had been written and uttered this past month in respect to “democracy” and “popular uprisings.” We were told about the downfall of Middle Eastern tyrants as if this is the 1989 Eastern Europe. A more realistic view may seek new democracies yet discover anarchy, death, aggressive rulers and radical political Islam waiting to take over.
There is not even one beginning of democracy in any of the “revolutions” we are seeing around us.
Middle East Read More
Egypt’s Moussa says running for president; adopts harsher tone on Israel
Arab League chief discusses past ‘disagreements’ with Mubarak over peace treaty; says ‘Egyptian ‘political forces won’t cooperate with Israel’s attempt to thwart my candidacy’
Peres at Herzlia Conference said that we are watching history in the making and Israel must go with the flow. “Now is the time to make peace.” James Jones a Kissinger surrogate reiterated Peres, then all the EU and America echoed the mantra and call on Israel to carpe diem (seize the moment).
The CIA and western intelligence organizations have been working with the Muslim Brotherhood since WW2.
The whitewashing of Muslim Brotherhood by American Homeland security Head and Obama as well as EU leaders is tellingly significant.
EU has it’s sights set on a Mediterranean political and economic union confederated with the EU. I think they are perfectly willing to have a unified Islamic single entity in place of a Balkanized ME with conflicting national interests.
It seems to me the the US/CIA and EU through NGO’s and direct funding is in back of every insurrection,.
Goal is Soros’s Goal and CFR’s goal One world Government. In that light, Israel becomes and impediment to their grand plan.
BB is/was? also listed as a CFR member.
Hi, Yonatan.
You asked, “What about Ben-Ari?” I had to look him up, as he is not a household word on English-speaking online media.
I believe that answers your question. Please alert me when either NU stays together long enough to win more than six seats in the Knesset, or when a Kach supporter will ever be seriously considered as a PM by Israelis. If you want someone to trumpet opinions in the knesset, maybe Ben-Ari’s your man. But trumpeting opinions does not constitute leadership. Netanyahu is flawed and increasingly dangerous to Israel; but he is a leader: He has a loyal following among many Israelis. Ditto for Livni and Lieberman.
Israel needs a true LEADER (not Ben-Ari), who works for the benefit of the Israeli people. Unless God miraculously intervenes, this cannot happen in Israel’s current system. Israelis do not vote for people. They vote for parties; and those who make it to the party lists do so not because of their love of Israel, of their personal character, nor of their leadership abilities: They make it onto the party lists by their sycophantic skills. David ben Gurion and Menachem Begin rose to leadership OUTSIDE of Israel’s political system, under the mandate. Eshkol and Meir came to prominence because of what the Arabs did, more than what they did themselves.
Concerning divine intervention, which Shy Guy cried out for, let’s just put it this way: I don’t think God wants to send some favorite of His to rule over the Jewish people. At best, he would be adored by the religious in return for generous donations, reviled by the anti-religious and danced with in the discotheques by the “cool” majority. Some Jews would fanatically cling to him, and cut off the ears of those who opposed him, and others would seek every opportunity to undermine him. Divine intervention will not come to the Israeli Jews, not the way they carry on today. It’s not that God doesn’t want to help them; it’s just that it’s not possible to simultaneously help them and please them. When things get truly desperate, God will send a savior; and I would be very surprized to see that anyone on Israpundit was the one, though I digress.
The devil once went bragging to God, saying that he had been through the earth counting, and found that he had more followers than the Creator. God gave the earth a little shake, then told the devil, “Go back and count again” while billions on earth fell on their knees and cried out, “O God!”
What about Ben-Ari? He seems like he would do the right thing.
This is what happens when Jews become the biggest goyim.
Hey, up there! Can You send down just a little bit more Divine intervention? Pretty please! 🙁
I suppose there have been many “Rubicons” in Netanyahu’s career; but this speech is certainly a major one. In my opinion, he has gone the way of Ariel Sharon; but I don’t think he will ever enjoy the popularity that Sharon had during the depth of his apostasy.
Yamit can blab about “coming elections” all he wants; but the matter is moot unless the Zionist movement can come up with a credible, popular leader. My money has been on Lieberman; but I see the High Court is about to send him to the political guillotine. The very best thing that can happen, is if Likud ditches Bibi and forces him to go the Sharon route of forming YET ANOTHER splinter party. At the next election, he would then merge with Barak’s rump party and defectors from Kadima, and probably win the election; but the Likud majority could still form the basis of a nationalist opposition. In the worst case scenario, the Likud ministers, who are one and all toadies put into power by kowtowing to Netanyahu, will simply stay with their man and we may get some sort of Bibi-Livni coalition with Livni calling the shots. After Lieberman is politically lynched, will anyone of stature succeed him? I remember a man named Natan Sharansky from long, long ago; but he doesn’t impress me as much of a political animal. He has street cred, and could hold Beiteinu together if he weren’t in Likud.
That seems to be Israel’s prospects, unless Netanyahu follows Sharon healthwise. Israel’s PM choices are all has-been party men and women with no backbone and no real ideas for maintaining a viable Jewish state. The next election will find either Netanyahu or Livni running the country, despite basement popularity for both, and Shas will be waiting in the wings to manipulate both to line its pockets.
If Israelis cannot get off their butts and produce a POPULAR grass-roots movement, they will all perish from cerebral mildew before the Arabs get to kill them.
Nu, so BE responsible.
What is ‘responsible’ about making one’s very existence contingent on the moment-to-moment wimsy of the neighborhood?
Who is it that’s really seeking easy?