‘It’s Liberman’s fault we’re in this mess’. WRONG.

T.Belman. I agree with Shaked. The religious parties must compromise. We need a new balance between the religious and the secular sectors.

MK Moshe Gafni criticizes Shaked for suggesting the haredim should compromise on issues of religion and state.

By Ben Shaul, INN

MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism), chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, on Sunday criticized the remarks made by New Right chairwoman Ayelet Shaked, who said that the haredim should compromise on issues of religion and state.

“I am willing to compromise on roles, not on the most sensitive issues. Why should Shaked not compromise in order to bring Meretz to the coalition? After all, there is a need for unity,” Gafni said in an interview with Army Radio.

Discussing the tense political situation and the attempts to form a government, Gafni warned, “Third elections would mean an economic disaster. The most prominent example is the health system which is in a state of economic collapse. The state will not be able to recover from this, it would be a disaster.”

 

Gafni blasted the media which, he claimed, handles Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman with kid gloves. “Liberman has for an entire year gone neither to the left nor to the right. He sits on the fence and in the meantime the state is disabled. It is a pity that the media is afraid to talk about this man named Liberman because we’re in this mess because of him. I would become the darling of the media if I went with the left.”

MK Uri Maklev (United Torah Judaism) also criticized Shaked’s remarks on Sunday, saying, “Most political elements fear an election because they are afraid for themselves, this statement that asks the haredi parties to become flexible comes from fear of new elections, this call is not collegial and incorrect, why are they demanding of us what they do not demand of themselves? Will they meet the Democratic Union’s demands?”

“Are the demands of the haredi parties not applicable for the national religious public too? We insist on our demands which are the foundations of the Jewish people. Things that are the basis and principles of the Jewish people, and to come and say that one can be flexible on this is wrong and improper, and serves no purpose other than to divert the discussion in the direction of the haredi public. If we stand together in a coherent manner, we will all benefit from this,” he added.

The comments came hours after Shaked explained on Sunday morning, “There are two reasonable options for forming a government. 1. A unity government, Netanyahu and Gantz will have to agree amongst themselves who will serve as Prime Minister first. 2. Liberman will enter the right-wing bloc and bring great achievements to his public and the haredim will have to compromise.”

November 4, 2019 | 6 Comments »

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  1. Three possible options exist in the current electoral situation in Israel:

    1. New Elections
    2. Liberman & the Haredi parties have a meeting of the mind and form a right wing government
    3. Gantz turns in his mandate and Gideon Saar (or another MK) gets 60 other MKs to recommend him as Prime Minister during the 21 days following Gantz turning in his mandate.

    Israel Hayom reported the following:

    A unity government is dead, and Israel is on its way to a third election,” the official said.

    Moreover, since the option of a minority government that would depend on support from the Arab parties has dried up because of opposition from Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman and Blue and White MKs Yoaz Hendel and Zvi Hauser, the only possibility that remains would be for Lieberman to rejoin the right-wing bloc. According to the official, such a move by Lieberman would be the only development that could prevent a third election.

    The article left out the possibility (in-spite of Bibi trying to kill it)
    After Gantz turns in his mandate and Gideon Saar (or another MK) gets 60 other MKs to recommend him as Prime Minister during the 21 days following Gantz turning in his mandate.

  2. Israel won’t go to a new election because Gantz and Lapid already have the 65 votes they need to form a government over the next three weeks that excludes the right wing parties. Everyone who says that a third election would be a disaster is correct. But a Gantz-led government, even without a new election, won’t be much better for Israel. He is intent on including the anti_Zionist, pro-PLO and pro-Hamas parties in his government, in fact if perhaps not in name. He wants to use them as mediators with the PLO and Hamas as he strives to negotiate the “two-state solution” with them. He also wants the anti-Zionist parties to help him smooth the way for an eventual Israeli withdrawal from central Judea-Samaria, in order to enable a “contiguous” territory for th Palestinians. His own party and the other Jewish parties will go along with this, albeit some of them reluctantly, since the only alternative is the much-dreaded third election, and because Gantz is the leader they have hitched their wagon to. Trying to find a new leader for the left-of-center coalition at this point. would be extremely divisive and chaotic, and would prevent them from holding exucive offices or committee chairmanships, which they like all politicians desire. From what I can find out from the English-language press, Gantz is a strong, even intimidating, leader in private, even if he seems dull and uncommunicative in public. There was a half-hearted attempt to rebel against his pro-Arab, appeasement-oriented policies at a recent meeting of the left coalition Jewish MKs. But he quickly put it down, insisting that he was their leader and they were obligated to obey him.

  3. 3rd Poll of Possible 3rd Election: Blue & White 34, Likud 33, Joint List 12, Shas 9, Yisrael Beitenu 8; Center-Left Bloc at 58
    Filed under: Knesset, Polls — 8 Comments
    October 31, 2019

    Maagar Mochot conducted a poll of 507 people with a margin of error of 4.1% that was broadcast by 103 FM Radio on October 31 2019.

    Current Knesset seats in [brackets]

    34 [33] Blue & White (Gantz)
    33 [32] Likud (Netanyahu)
    12 [13] The Joint List – Hadash-Taal-Raam-Balad (Odeh)
    09 [09] Shas (Deri)
    08 [08] Yisrael Beitenu (Lieberman)
    07 [06] Labor (A.Peretz)
    06 [07] United Torah Judaism (Litzman)
    06 [07] Yamina (Bennett, Shaked & R.Petetz)
    05 [05] Democratic Union (Horowitz)

    Under 3.25% Electoral Threshold

    00 [–-] Otzma (Ben Gvir)

    Phase 2 Recommendations:

    58 [54/57] Center-Left-Arab Bloc (Nominated Gantz in Phase 2)
    54 [55] Right-Religious Bloc (Nominated Netanyahu in Phase 2)
    08 [08/11] Pushing Unity Government (Did not nominate)

    Balad which was part of the Joint List withdrew the recommendations of their 3 MKs.
    Yamina has split but for some reason the pollster chose to poll them together.

    Additional Questions:

    Who is at fault if we go to another election?

    52% Netanyahu, 21% Lieberman, 19% Lapid, 8% Gantz

  4. ‘A unity government is dead, and Israel is on its way to a 3rd election’
    Senior political official says sides are farther apart than ever, and if Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman does not rejoin the Right, Israel will hold its third election in under a year. Blue and White: There was a real attempt at a unity government, but it didn’t work.

    Full article at https://www.israelhayom.com/2019/11/05/a-unity-government-is-dead-and-israel-is-on-its-way-to-a-3rd-election/

  5. Ok this is JUST for Starters- More to come soon.

    This is fresh from INN:
    Liberman denies: Mixture of nonsense

    Chairman Avigdor Liberman denied reports that his party has discussed compromises that would allow the establishment of a government.

    Writing on Twitter, Liberman said, “This morning, I heard and read a mixture of nonsense from journalists in various media outlets about the so-called Yisrael Beytenu plans: compromises on issues of religion and state, attachment to one bloc or another and the like.
    These reports have no grasp of reality and no basis, and are solely the responsibility of the writers and commentators.”

    How Now- Brown Cow?