Showing posts with label Likud. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Likud. Show all posts
Jul 22, 2024
Likud and Religious Affairs
I am not a big fan of Minister Dudi Amsalem. In recent years I have taken a strong dislike to him.
But now he took a position I strongly agree with and have said the same in the past.
Amsalem referred to the issue of appointing dayanim and said the Likud needs to be a part of any arrangement for appointing dayanim, or the Likud will not allow it to be passed. Amsalem said, "the days of dividing up the available positions between Shas, UTJ, and Mafdal are over. There is also the Likud! If the Likud is not part of the deal, there will not be any appointments of any dayanim!"
I have complained in the past about the Likud and other parties that they do not care about the issues that matter to religion and to the religious sectors and outsource issues of Judaism to the Haredi and DL parties. In my opinion, they should all have positions regarding the office of the Chief Rabbinate, in the appointment of dayanim, in the Ministry of Religious Affairs and in the various religious laws that get passed, and should not just be doing whatever UTJ/Shas/DL want like a rubber stamp for them.
I like that the Likud is finally starting to get involved. We'll see if this turns into one big nothing, just a way for Amsalem to make some noise, and maybe he wants something else and is using this to horse-trade, or if the Likud will really be pushing itself in on these issues. The Likud represents a sizeable, and growing, religious public.
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Dec 20, 2023
fighting like kids
There is a little bit of a spat going on in the government. It may be nothing and lead to nothing, because they both know they need each other, or it may become a coalition crisis.
The War Cabinet announced that it has approved the advances of the head of the Mossad to talk with Hamas and negotiate the release of more hostages in exchange for prisoners in Israeli prisons including heavy terrorists - terrorists with real blood on their hands, not just people guilty of stabbing attempts and the like as were previously released. They would consider releasing big guns for a further hostage release, if the conditions are right and an agreement can be reached.
In response, Betzalel Smotritch, who has several times been refused his demand to be added to the War Cabinet, commented with a sharp statement saying the War Cabinet should be sending the Mossad out to find and kill the heads of Hamas, not to talk and negotiate with them.
Boom! Nice
In response, the Likud commented saying it is upsetting that the Finance Minister tweeted things that have no basis. PM Netanyahu has already instructed the Mossad to assassinate the heads of Hamas wherever they may be, just as he instructed the Finance Minister to open the faucets and take care that money will get to our citizens, to businesses, to the evacuees, to the soldiers and to the Reservists.
Weak, but ok.
And in response, Smotritch commented back that the only faucets the Prime Minister pressured the Finance Minister to open with all sorts of trickery are the ones meant to send money to the Palestinians to pass on to Hamas in Gaza. It is a good thing the Finance Minister is standing in the breach and setting a red line.
Ok, but also weak.
A better, sharper, response, in my opinion, for Smotritch to say would have been the only faucets the Prime Minister is instructing to open are the water and fuel faucets in Gaza.
Will this fizzle out because they can't let it turn into a real crisis or will they get fed up with each other and decide they can no longer work together and break up the coalition? Time will tell but infighting between coalition members is never good (for the coalition)...
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Sep 20, 2023
Moshe Shitrit (Likud Bet Shemesh) goes out to talk to the people (video)
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Jul 18, 2023
Netanyahu deserves it
Yaron Avraham of Channel 12 last night reported that at this time it is looking increasingly likely that Israel will not qualify for its citizens to be exempt from visas for entry into the United States of America. That isnt final yet, but it seems to be the direction it is heading.
Israeli officials admit that they have filled all obligations but recently the USA has added more details and has been making it more difficult and it might not happen. The final decision is supposed to come sometime in August, and if qualified it will go into effect in October.
I must say, Netanyahu deserves it. While I feel bad for the Israelis who were looking forward to it (and it still might happen!), Netanyahu deserves it. Back when the Lapid-Bennett government was in power and they were close to finishing the deal with the USA, Netanyahu had the Likud vote against the program because he wanted to prevent them from such a major accomplishment and he wanted to keep it for himself. When Netanyahu thwarted the vote then he said that when he returns to power he will get it passed.
Sorry, but he deserves it.
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Jul 16, 2023
shrinking the Holocaust
Likud activist Itzik Zarka last night lost control and screamed at protestors (near his house I think) that he is proud that 6 million ashkenazim were burned in the Holocaust..
Shocking, unacceptable.
After some initial tepid criticism by people in the Likud, as the criticism was starting to pick up Zarka apologized for what he said. ok, whatever. Netanyahu has even given orders to kick him out of the Likud for what he said (Zarka has close ties with Netanyahu and has been seen in the past visiting with Netanyahu and even hugging together) so we'll see if that happens on the surface but in the next elections he continues to work for the Likud, or not. And if the Likud does kick him out, I do not think he will get the same level of inexplicable support from the Left that Yoav Galant and Ami Eshed got...to put it mildly...
I have no doubt that he didnt mean it. I dont know him personally, but I have no doubt. He lost control of his mind and his mouth. He might be an idiot but I do not believe he is proud 6 million Jews, Ashkenazi or not, were murdered in the Holocaust. He was able to say what he said, it came to mind and was able to come out of his mouth, only because we have demeaned the Holocaust in today's generation. When all sorts of groups protest, it is all too common to hear screams of "Nazi" directed at policemen and policewomen. In the political sphere it is all too common to hear comparisons of the other side to senior Nazi officials or Nazi policies.
When we treat our own common debates and conflicts as equivalent to the Nazi regime it is no surprise that people have lost the concept of the enormity of the Holocaust and how much worse it was than anything we can even imagine happening today.
The Holocaust has shrunk. We use it in every day terminology in all the wrong ways. With all the Holocaust education Israel employs, with all the museums and ceremonies and days of commemorations.. with all the trips to Auschwitz and other concentration camps and Poland and bringing foreign dignitaries to Yad Vashem... with all that, we have successfully brought the Holocaust down to being a symbol of anyone we dont like.
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Jun 21, 2023
he won but he lost
The Likud backed candidate lost the elections, and lost badly, for the spot of the Israel Bar chairman, and in the council race as well.
This is a race I did not pay attention to or care about. I do not know the significance of the Israel Bar (other than their rep gets a slot on the judicial selection committee, which now gives, supposedly, the Opposition a de facto second candidate), and I do not know the personalities involved, and dont really have any interest in this.
However, I do find it funny that now that the coalition backed candidate lost the Likud wants to dismantle the Israel Bar and by law make it defunct or insignificant at best (though possibly only starting form the next Israel Bar chairman election).
They lost, they cant control it any longer, so dismantle it. The other guy won but in the long run he will have lost if this goes through.
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Mar 20, 2023
delaying elections
If this government doesnt implode from all the chaos it is creating it theoretically has the chance to complete its full term - a very rare feat indeed. This government is homogenous enough to have the chance.
As rare as that might be, the government is actually trying to give itself an extra year before elections. They are extremely optimistic about this possibility to even bother trying.
According to reports in Haaretz, and Behadrei, the Likud has submitted a request tot he election board to set the date for the next elections as November 2, 2027, giving themselves an extra year (approximately). The claim used by the Likud is that the elections were held in the month of Cheshvan so with the law saying that elections for a new term will be held in the Cheshvan following the end of the four year term, the Likud wants to say the Cheshvan that we held the last elections in should not be counted, thus giving them an extra year until the next Cheshvan.
Knesset legal counsel is opposing this request saying the official date of elections (if the Knesset serves its full term) will be the 3rd Tuesday of Cheshvan 5787, which would be November 17 2026.
the Likud is being attacked for trying to pass a law to extend their term without elections, which they reject. The truth is that they are not passing a law for this, just manipulating the existing law to give themselves a longer term.
For anyone who thinks that the judicial reform as proposed would give them the possibility of canceling elections whenever they might wish to, take a look and see that the Likud right now will take advantage of any chance to give themselves more service time without elections. If the reform gives them full power to pass whatever law they want, it isnt farfetched to think they might delay elections if it suits them
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Jan 1, 2023
Tibi for the full right wing government
did they sell the public a bill of goods?
The Likud, UTJ and Shas want to keep their good working relationship with MK Ahmed Tibi (TAAL). To that end they are trying to convince coalition members to support Tibi for the slot of Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, a position held by Tibi for a long time, and traditionally held by a member of the Opposition (in addition to other deputies by coalition members).
Some in the Likud such as Tali Gottleib are opposed to supporting Tibi to continue in this position, as Ministers Smotritch and Ben Gvir (and presumably others in their parties) are also opposed to this.
Were the Likud and Shas and UTJ just selling their voters a bill of goods when they campaigned on the formation of a "full right wing government"? Were their voters largely hoodwinked?
I am pretty sure I am going to get tired of pointing these types of situations out, so I will probably stop pretty soon, but for now, this is immediately after formation of the government and this is when they should be most promoting their full right wing government, not already giving in to outside pressures and taking other considerations into account. Tibi might help the Haredim with some religious legislation as he always has but he wont help with right wing legislation.
I am pretty sure I am going to get tired of pointing these types of situations out, so I will probably stop pretty soon, but for now, this is immediately after formation of the government and this is when they should be most promoting their full right wing government, not already giving in to outside pressures and taking other considerations into account. Tibi might help the Haredim with some religious legislation as he always has but he wont help with right wing legislation.
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Dec 27, 2022
Netanyahu's internal puzzle
As the new government is about to be sworn in, Netanyahu's last hurdle is the internal division of positions, internal within the Likud.
Several Likud MKs have been making noise of trouble for Netanyahu, demanding senior positions "or else".
The Likud has primaries, and the MKs are positioned in the Likud according to the results of the primaries. Yes, Netanyahu has a lot of leeway and wiggle room, but in general the primaries are supposed to be the guide for who gets what assignmentss.
It is very nice that Yisrael Katz is extremely senior in the Likud with a lot of ministerial experience, but he only came in at number 12 in the primaries. It is nice that Danny Danon has been around a long time and has seniority with experience, but he only came in at number 15 in the primaries. Others as well, each in whatever slot they landed.
The top slots in the primaries were achieved by Yariv Levin, Eli Cohen, Yoav Galant, Dudi Amsalem, Amir Ochana, Yoav Kish, Nir Barkat, Miri Regev and Miki Zohar (in that order, after Netanyahu).
With all due respect to the more senior Likudniks like Katz, Edelstein, Danon and some others, plenty of other Likudniks came in higher in the primaries. It is not that I don't think they are worthy of the more important assignments that they are demanding - they are. But, they came in much lower than many others in the primaries, and the people who placed higher deserve the more important assignments. That is the point of having primaries.
With all due respect to the more senior Likudniks like Katz, Edelstein, Danon and some others, plenty of other Likudniks came in higher in the primaries. It is not that I don't think they are worthy of the more important assignments that they are demanding - they are. But, they came in much lower than many others in the primaries, and the people who placed higher deserve the more important assignments. That is the point of having primaries.
They might be making some trouble for Netanyahu, but they should not be. They should accept the results of the primaries and their positioning and accept assignments relative to that. Netanyahu should stand strong and tell them they failed in the primaries so the more senior tasks need to go to the people who placed higher.
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Nov 24, 2022
UTJ appointing a Likud minister
According to a report on Channel 2 news, UTJ has requested Yariv Levin of the Likud be appointed as Minister of Justice, and if he would be they would be willing to not insist on certain reforms in the judicial system which would make the coalition negotiations with them smoother and quicker. UTJ supposedly trusts Yariv Levin and is willing to rely on him to do what is necessary in the Justice Ministry, so they would not require commitments in advance as part of the negotiations.
Whether it is true or spin, I have no idea. I am also not commenting on the idea of Yariv Levin being appointed as Minister of Justice. Perhaps he is deserving of the post and qualified for it, perhaps not. I dont know if he would be any better or worse than anyone else in that role, so I am not commenting on it.
I do find it interesting that UTJ is requesting a specific person from another party appointed to run a specific ministry. If UTJ would put together their appointments and Netanyahu would put himself in the middle of that saying I want you to appoint Porush as Minister of Culture, or Maklev as Minister of Whatever, as deserving, or not, of the appointment that person might be, UTJ would tell Netanyahu to butt out of their business and let them worry about their own appointments. It is interesting to me that UTJ is telling Likud who to appoint where.
I do find it interesting that UTJ is requesting a specific person from another party appointed to run a specific ministry. If UTJ would put together their appointments and Netanyahu would put himself in the middle of that saying I want you to appoint Porush as Minister of Culture, or Maklev as Minister of Whatever, as deserving, or not, of the appointment that person might be, UTJ would tell Netanyahu to butt out of their business and let them worry about their own appointments. It is interesting to me that UTJ is telling Likud who to appoint where.
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Oct 19, 2022
Likud and partners on collision course?
Is Benjamin Netanyahu on his way to a collision course with his bloc-partners and potential coalition partners?
Just this morning Netanyahu said at a campaign event that he is in favor of the Haredim learning core curriculum studies in their education system and he will find a way to bring them along, though it has to be done through dialogue.
Additionally, Netanyahu said in a campaign event that the main portfolios need to be held by the Likud, especially the Finance Ministry and the Defense Ministry. The Finance Ministry has been mentioned by both Smotritch and Goldknopf as potential portfolios they each would request. The Defense Ministry was also mentioned by Smotritch as one he might demand.
Whether any of this ever was realistic is a different story, and this all might just be the start of coalition negotiations, but it seems like a potential collision course, especially after the recent incident in Kfar Chabad...
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Sep 22, 2022
10 minutes that make no difference
Back in the day, Netanyahu, then Prime Minister, was set to give a speech at the United Nations, and it was an election season (when is it not?). The Electoral Board decided (because someone appealed to them) to instruct the local broadcasting stations to broadcast Netanyahu's speech but not live - it had to have a 10 minute delay so anything Netanyahu might say in the speech that might be construed as electioneering could be cut from the broadcast.
Fair is fair and now Yair Lapid is set to give a speech at the United Nations during an election season (again, when is it not an election season here?) and now Netanyahu has appealed to the electoral board to prevent the broadcasting stations from broadcasting Lapid's speech live, but with a 10 minute delay.
Fair is fair, and if that's the rule, so be it. But really, these types of rules are anachronistic and useless and should be done away with.
Does it matter of Channels 11, 13, 14 and the other local broadcasts delay 10 minutes when most people are anyway watching it on the Internet live? And even if they are not, they could if they wanted to. Do we really need these delays in 2022 to protect the people from electioneering when anyone can see it live online from a multitude of other media organizations broadcasting it? These types of rules should all be done away with.
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Aug 31, 2022
it is always election season in Israel
I am really not sure what to think about the latest developments in the inquiry into the Meron tragedy. Yesterday they sent warning letters to several people involved. Aryeh Deri so far hasn't been warned of an impending indictment and seems to have convinced them he was not responsible, but Netanyahu as Prime Minister for 12 consecutive years with overall responsibility and awareness of the dangerous situation was warned, as was Amir Ohana the Minister of Internal Security at the time, along with several police officials and other central figures. Maybe more will be coming to other people, maybe not.
The Likud has attacked this decision to send these letters now, claiming it is a political ploy, as the letter is sent during an election season - another way of hurting Netanyahu and trying to weaken him before elections.
The committee until now has been praised all around as being serious, not political, and fair and determined to reveal the truth. Just because some people dont like the interim conclusions does not mean all that has to now no longer be true.
And the thing is, at least in the past 3 years, but even before that as well though not as in extreme a manner, in Israel we are always right before an election. Nothing would ever get accomplished, as little as gets accomplished as is, if they always had to worry about the ramifications and effect on an upcoming election!
Similar to the way Hamas ends military campaigns with a cease fie to give themselves time to prepare for the next one, Israel concludes an election season just to give itself a bit of time to prepare for the next one.
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Aug 9, 2022
Another criminal running in Likud primaries
David Laniado has been fighting to be able to run in the Likud primaries tomorrow. Netanyahu petitioned the Likud court system to ban cancel Laniado's candidacy due to a conviction in 2011 for breaking into homes, and for hiding a previous crime of hitting a woman.
The court decided that Laniado can run and they cannot bar him from running due to a crime of which the statue of limitations has already passed. While Netanyahu is appealing the decision, he is encouraging voters to not vote for Laniado but to vote for other candidates who will not hurt the Likud's image.
Interesting that Laniado was not framed. Interesting that Laniado is not innocent with the justice system just having tried to bring him down. Interesting that Netanyahu does not want a convicted felon on the list that will hurt the Likud image but he is fine working alongside Aryeh Deri (a convicted felon), along with other Likud members who are also convicted felons (like Tzachi Hanegbi) and others whow ere indicted such as Haim Katz and David Biton. And he was close with Yaakov Litzman who was in Knesset until his recent plea deal. Along with others over the years. And let's not forget that Bibi himself was indicted and is on trial for various crimes. But Laniado's conviction from 11 years ago will make the Likud look bad.
And let's not forget Bibi's argument to let the people decide - preventing someone from running is undemocratic and it should be the people that decide who should represent them...
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Aug 8, 2022
need help with Likud primaries
I am a member of the Likud. I have been for a long time.
Right now I have a problem with the Likud, though I have not canceled my membership. As long as Bibi is running the Likud, I can no longer support it. As long as his groupies are the leaders of the Likud I cannot support it.
My question is not whether or not I should vote in the upcoming Likud primaries. This is exactly why I am a member of the Likud - so I can influence from within and do my little part in helping the Likud put forth an attractive list of candidates for Knesset who will work for the betterment of the country. If I don't like the current list, it is my responsibility to do my part to improve it, primarily via voting in the primaries.
My question is more tactical.
Should I vote for the best possible list of candidates, even if some of them are "Bibists" - Bibi groupies - and overall I think hurting the party and even the country even if they also do good work in Knesset, or should I vote for a party of, let's call it colorful, characters who might hurt the Likud in the short term by being the face of the Likud but in the long term the Likud will perhaps clean up their act because of this?
What do you think?
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Aug 2, 2022
Likud thwarting US entry visas exemption legislation
The Likud is once again showing that it only cares about itself, not its voters and not Israelis in general. There is a battle over the request for the United States of America to cancel the requirement for Israelis traveling to the USA to first get visas to permit entry.
The State Department and the Ambassador Tom Nides has been working with the Israeli government over the past year to help Israel qualify, as there are several requirements that always threw Israel for a loop. One of the main requirements is a low percentage of mistakes on visa applications - below 3%. Israeli applications seem to normally come back with much higher numbers than that, and that prevents, among other things, Israel for qualifying for the visa exemption. This year because of the past year's low travel rate, the Embassy has been able to help Israelis fill out the form properly and keep the mistakes to almost definitely below the cutoff line.
It seems the only thing holding up the arrangement is the Likud not wanting the current government to get this accomplishment, so they are opposing the arrangement and has voted and continues to vote against it. Nides has reportedly pleaded with Netanyahu to not hold up the legislation, saying cancelling it now could throw away the best, and maybe only, chance for this exemption to go through.
It seems the only thing holding up the arrangement is the Likud not wanting the current government to get this accomplishment, so they are opposing the arrangement and has voted and continues to vote against it. Nides has reportedly pleaded with Netanyahu to not hold up the legislation, saying cancelling it now could throw away the best, and maybe only, chance for this exemption to go through.
Be that as it may, the Likud put out a statement saying that they are opposing the legislation because the current legislation violates the privacy of Israelis, and when they form the government they will pass the legislation properly (though they didnt bother doing this over the 12 consecutive years they ran the government until last year).
That is funny considering how the Likud government sold the privacy (not really but probably about as much as this legislation does) of Israelis in 2020 when he gave it away as part of the deal to buy the COVID-19 vaccinations.
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Jul 25, 2022
let the people choose
There is some crazy situation going on how in advance of the Likud primaries, and the Likudniks are torn as to how to deal with it.
A lawyer named Yoni Jorno has announced that he is running for a slot on the Likud list. Big deal, a couple hundred other people are as well.
Well, Jorno, it turns out, was arrested some 20 years ago for involvement in a weird kidnapping case involving a Filipino foreign worker. He was convicted, served some jail time, blah blah blah.
Likudniks are now not sure what to do with him. Let him run and let the Likud look bad? Don't let him run? It seems the ranks are torn as to how to handle the situation.
One thing I know is that they cannot really refuse his candidacy. Considering the head of the party has been indicted for several crimes and is sitting in trial for them, pushing away someone else who served his time, paid for his crime, while letting Netanyahu continue to sit atop the Likud would be pretty hypocritical. Especially because the Likud keeps repeating the mantra that the people have to be left to choose who they want as their leaders in a democracy and the leadership cannot decide that for the peoople. They say that to fight against the movement to prevent Netanyahu from running while under indictment, so they cannot now turn around and prevent this Joprno fellow from running - let the people choose.
That being said, they do not have to support him and promote him. Let him fail to earn a realistic spot like tens of other candidates.
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Jul 18, 2022
The Bibi-Cult Medallion
Menachem Eliezer Mozes was a Member of Knesset for UTJ, and also served as Deputy minister of Education. Mozes has an interesting daughter, Heidi. While she is not frum and has opposed her father's politics, and is an outspoken and public lesbian, she has a very good relationship with her father and speaks of him with admiration.
Heidi Mozes has announced that she will be running for a spot in the upcoming Likud primaries. Several years back she was a supporter of the Kadima party. of Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert, and even worked to become an MK on their party list, but was not successful. She has since switched parties and is now running in the Likud primaries.
It turns out Heidi Mozes is a supreme "brown-noser", so to speak.
At a Likud event yesterday in Givat Zeev, Mozes distributed gold chains with a golden pendant bearing the figure of Benjamin Netanyahu, head of the Likud. She declared wearing one a sign of loyalty to Netanyahu and draped them on some of the attendees, including high ranking Likud representatives. the medallion is also being sold to the public on the "only Bibi" website.
Here is the tweet that initially reported the medallion incident:
אמיתי - בכנס הליכוד הערב בגבעת זאב עונדים לח״כ ישראל כ״ץ תליון זהב בדמות נתניהו שמהווה ״שרשרת הצהרת נאמנות״. העונדת היא היידי מוזס שמתמודדת בפריימריס pic.twitter.com/BQUlgFnj13
— דפנה ליאל (@DaphnaLiel) July 17, 2022
Some are comparing this to the golden calf, a form of idol worship. I am not sure it is quite that, but it is despicable and probably nothing more than low level brown-nosing, looking for some support from Netanyahu to give herself a boost in the primaries. I dont know why the long-term Likudniks dont oppose behavior like this, why they feel they have to play along with every bad idea to show loyalty to Netanyahu. To his credit, Yisrael Katz took it off and passed it t someone else, later explaining he doesnt wear necklaces and didnt even know what ti was.
All these demands for displays and declarations of loyalty have really turned me off the Likud. It is a shame because I do think they are potentially the ruling party and the one normally everyone should support, but they have gone to a really bad place. At this point I dont just think Netanyahu needs to go, but all the other Likud leaders who have had no spine to stand up to behaviors like this also need to go. At this point even if Netanyahu leaves and retires to a ranch or whatever, I dont think I can go back to supporting the Likud until they have new leadership. I despise cult-like behaviors and followings, and try to distance myself from whatever it is, whenever I sense one around me, for good and for bad. I dont like not being able to support the Likud - I am not satisfied with any of the other parties, but these types of behaviors that we have seen over the past couple of years have pushed me away..
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Jun 27, 2022
let's not go to that level
Former news anchor Gadi Sukenik said today that the Likud representatives are at a low level, much lower than the representatives of Yesh Atid. They are a low level of intelligence, of culture and of level of discourse.
Obviously this caused an outcry.
Putting aside the latent racism (or maybe not so latent), Sukenik is just wrong. The Likud representatives are [mostly, if not all] highly intelligent. They hold degrees and doctorates. People Like Benjamin Netanyahu, Yuval Steinitz, Gilad Erdan, Yisrael Katz, Avi Dichter, Ofir Akunis, among others. They are highly educated, along with having spent many years in service of the country. Even the MKs who are loudmouths, such as Dudi Amsalem, Shlomo Karhi an Miri Regev, among others, are highly educated and intelligent.
And one might say the Yesh Atid representatives are actually less educated than the Likud representatives. I am not as familiar with them as I am with the Likud reps, but just starting from the top, Yair Lapid did not even complete his matriculation exams. I looked up some random MKs and they all seem to hold degrees and even masters degrees, so it is generally wrong to say this about them as well, but the head of the party is not educated and he is the one who sets the tone and agenda for Yesh Atid. In his case one might say education is less important as he is accomplished and has shown himself to be a leader. So I would not say either are less intelligent or educated than the other.
Talking like this helps nobody. Just the opposite - it only hurts the people he is trying to help. But it also shows his own ignorance and bias.
And on the other end of it, we have MK Miri Regev today trying to scare the public saying that if Yair Lapid becomes Prime Minister he will remove the words "nefesh yeshudi homiya" (A Jewish soul yearns) from Hatikva, the national anthem, as he will have to as a result of partnering with Raam.
Let's raise the level of discussion all around.
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Jun 7, 2022
be angry at Likud but don't blame Likud
People should be upset, unless you believe the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria do not deserve Israeli rights, at the Likud and Bibi, Smotritch and Ben Gvir and Hatzionut Hadatit, Shas and UTJ... Not for not supporting the government proposal but for voting against the needs of the settlers for the purpose of bringing the Likud back to power. This was the type of vote that should not have been partisan and should have been supported by right wing opposition parties. But the Likud already said explicitly more than once that they dont care about helping anyone right now - not women who need protection from rapists, not settlers, not anybody - their efforts are only to get back to power. People should be upset that they put their own interests before the interests of the country - especially on issues that they have always supported..
But I do not blame them for the failure of the government to pass the Judea and Samaria bill.
This government is chaotic and has a difficult time passing bills because of the competing interests. In the best of times with this government it was a razor thin majority and they had a difficult time passing bills. Every bill was a battle and reopened coalition negotiations and threatened collapse. It is not the Likud's fault, nor Smotritch's nor Gafni's or Deri's fault. It is the government's fault. they have not been able to manage the coalition. This is exactly why 61MK majority governments are very rare - because they have a very difficult time functioning. every MK becomes the king or queen, any and every time a vote is required. A government cannot function for long like that. The government might survive, but it is not getting much done.
Likud et al should have supported this bill, but passing the law is the government's job, not the Opposition's. Bennett, Lapid, Lieberman and the rest of them get the blame for this. They haven't been able to manage their coalition, and they have not been able to get some support even on critical bills from Opposition parties. The Opposition is failing us in the hope of a short term victory, but the Government coalition is failing us worse, as it is their job to pass these bills and run the country, and they have not been able to do that.
And to add a note, I think this experiment has largely failed. At least int eh way it was formed. I would not say that we have learned that an Arab party cannot join a government coalition, but perhaps an Arab party cannot and will not join a razor thin coalition where they (like every other paty) hold the balance of power. if there would be a coalition fo 70 MKs, then maybe an Arab party would also be able to join and make it 74 or 75, but to rely on them for 61 - it wont happen again as the experiment has shown to be futile - the government cannot function like that.
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