The world woke up today shocked that Benjamin Netanyahu has won the Israeli elections in a historic landslide. The left wing Haaretz website called today the “mourning after”. The Huffington Post, which has been leading an anti-Bibi campaign for months, is in disbelief. Even hours after the results were clear, CNN still called it “too close to call”. The PM had literally everything going against him and that is why many are in denial. Here are but a few things that were going against the PM this election cycle.
1) Fatigue. Many People in Israel and abroad simply have had enough of Netanyahu. It’s hard for anyone to survive in Israeli Politics for 20 Years. He looked tired, boring and out of ideas. He reminded me of McCain in the McCain-Obama election. Anyone voting for McCain came across as boring and backwards. Anyone voting for Barack Obama came across as sounding smart, sophisticated and hip.
2) Formidable Opponent – Isaac Hertzog is the son of an Ex Israeli President and Grandson of an ex-Chief Rabbi. He comes from very good pedigree. He has a solid military background which is important in Israel. He promised not to divide Jerusalem, to continue building in the West Bank and to stay tough on Iran. He Teamed up With Tzipi Livni who herself is an Ex-Likudnik. These were not tree hugging code pink type lefties. They were strong on security and to the right of Ehud Barak.
3) US President against him – Normally the Israeli Electorate punishes a PM that clashes with the US President. This is what happened with Yitzhak Shamir and Bush SR. Israeli voters are well aware that they need the USA and view a tussle with a sitting US president as a vital security issue.
4) Issues played away from his strength – It’s no secret that Bibi’s strength is discussing Iran, Hamas and security in general. In this election, the major issue of the day were social issues. There were 2 centrist parties that ran on social issues alone. This meant that nobody with the exception of the ultra-left Meretz party was even arguing with Bibi on his main talking points.
5) Terrible Polling – Most polls a week before the election had ZU-24-25 -Likud – 20. As of this writing its Likud 30-ZU 24. To understand how wrong the polls were, most polling in the Romney / Obama election had O-53 – Romney 47. Imagine if a day after the election we wake up to Romney 58-Obama 42. That’s how stunning this was.
6) “The Speech” – I’m not sure how much this hurt him but the press in both Israel and the USA really killed Bibi for this. Even FOX surprisingly hammered him. Many Jewish groups condemned him and sided with the President. It did not help his image at all and if anything it reinforced what the Left and Obama was saying about him being arrogant.
7) At the end he looked desperate and his body language horrible. This had the making of a disaster for the Likud – Some bloggers were saying 15 seats not out of the question for Likud a week before the election. It looked like the floor collapsed and Obama will be celebrating his defeat.
What happened?
In my opinion, it’s the Barak Obama factor that was missed in the polling. Let me explain. After the Gaza disengagement, when the entire world was cheering Israel and Ariel Sharon for destroying the beautiful coastline neighborhoods and evicting 6500 citizens, Hamas moved in and almost immediately used Jewish Gaza as a launching pad to shoot thousands of rockets into Israel Proper. When Israel finally responded militarily, the entire world predictably harshly condemned Israel. They were condemned for excessive force and pretty much the same things they are always blamed for. A libelous report commissioned by the UN called the Goldstone report, blamed Israel for the violence despite the “brave” withdrawal of Gaza just a few years earlier. Bibi spoke at the UN after the report was released and made the point that Israel can’t make any concessions if they do not feel the world will back them afterwards. “Tell us now” if you would back Israel if we withdraw to 67 lines and are then attacked. Will the UN support Israel or will they back the Palestinians as they always do.
Of course we all know that Israel will be condemned by everyone regardless of what they do or don’t do.
This brings us to this election. President Obama hates Israel with a passion. He’s been completely unmasked since the midterms as he now has no more electoral considerations. He loathes Bibi and hates everyone in Israel but the extreme left. These are not just disagreements between friends as he likes to say. In short – the way most people always assumed about Obama regarding Israel but some Liberal Jews tried to deny.
The Israeli people are not going to vote for any party that even hints at making any kind of compromise for Peace if they do not feel they have the support of the United States of America. How can we ask them to make sacrifices for peace if even the USA won’t stand behind them afterwards? If the USA does not stand with Israel, what do you expect from France? Turkey?
In short – the only way the Israeli peace camp can be revived is if President Obama hits the reset button with Israel and stands firmly behind them as all US presidents have before him. Only then will Israel consider taking risks for peace. Otherwise they will go more and more to the right and the peace camp will remain a fringe side show in Israeli politics.
Ephraim Rosenberg – [email protected]
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16 Responses
Agreed. Israel needs the confidence of the president of the United States to have the confidence to make any compromise
Well said!
I agree. Though I don’t think the the “peace” camp will be back for a long time
The world ganged up against BB with the evil,devil,satanic snake muslim
Brotherhood member Obama to commit suicide and elect a goverment who wants to give away Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria.and bring in GAY Marriage Only the jews who are delusional with Stockholm
Syndrome voted for the left.
Obama is like Sheik Yassin he stated inhis Cairo Speech that Israel was created because of the Hollocaust,He Does not recognize that the Jews has historical connection to Erretz Israel,
He responsible for puting Morsi in power who allowed Hamas
get 30000 missiles which killed Israelies in the july war with Hamas .
The voters of the Israeli Right proved that they are the proud Descendent of Mordechai and will not bow to the Israeli hater Iran lover Pharaoh in the White House who treated BB AS HIS slave.The Bipartisan Senate Investigation of Illegal contribution by the State Department should force Obama to resign.
Mr Rosenberg – You nailed it! Finally someone has the guts and brains to tell it like it is – The President has to show the world that he stands with Israel.
Very true
““The Speech” – I’m not sure how much this hurt him but the press in both Israel and the USA really killed Bibi for this. Even FOX surprisingly hammered him. Many Jewish groups condemned him and sided with the President.”
The list of people condemning his speech would include R’ Matisyahu Solomon who chose the speech as his topic for his (1st night) Purim night drasha in BMG this year. Called Netanyahu a Chutzpinyak.
wow very nicely written……. i could not have said it better .
like in todays thiliem ” only from hashem will help come from “
“The Speech” – I’m not sure how much this hurt him but the press in both Israel and the USA really killed Bibi for this. Even FOX surprisingly hammered him. Many Jewish groups condemned him and sided with the President.”
FOX never hammered Bibi for his speech. Please remove this falseness
“kfb – FOX never hammered Bibi for his speech. Please remove this falseness – See more at: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/293401/op-ed-president-obama-is-a-stumbling-block-to-peace-in-the-middle-east.html#comments”
Chris wallace of FOX was very anti the speech to congress. Very informative op ed – I agree with chai-elul though that we wont have a peace camp for a very long time no matter who is president or PM
Dear Ephraim Rosenberg (if thats you’re real name ….)
You made some very good points , however just like the Bibi and others in Israeli politics , you did not mention God … Have we forgotten that God runs the world and that all is up to him ? Not Obama and not Bibi , although we do live a world of politics , we as spiritual jews need to acknowledge Hashem in our speech (Blogs) etc. Maybe then will we spread some light into the world and bring the ultimate redemption … Mochiach now !
To Ephraim Rosenberg: You wrote that all US presidents before Obama stood firmly behind Israel. May I only remind this readership about 2 presidents, Eisenhower and Nixon, who did NOT stand firmly behind Israel. And both of them were Republicans.
Netanyahu did good by saying no to a Palestinian state before negotiations start again.
Good Job You showed them who’s boss!!
To say FoxNews was against Bibis speech is wrong. Unlike CNN which is entirely Left, FoxNews is a Mixed Bag. There are those who are Left such as Juan Williams, Chris Wallace, and the worst Bob Beckel.
Bill O’Reilly, who many think is Conservative, is actually a moderate with clear anti-Israel bias. He did not champion the speech.
BUT, Sean Hannity had an AMAZING Bibi Netanyahu Speech Coverage!! Super Duper Supportive! Also supportive were Greg Gutfeld, Megyn Kelly, Bret Baer, the GREAT ERIC SEAN, Eric Bolling, Judge Jeneane Pirro, Brit Hume, Jon Scott, and many others, so FoxNews was overall SUPPORTIVE of Bibi Netanyahu and his speech.
There were three major voting blocks who voted for Netanyahu, whose numbers might have been discounted or not accounted for by Pollsters:
1. The French (and the South Americans)
2. The American Olim, some went for Bennet but many went for Netanyahu. The power of this new voting block is being entirely ignored.
3. The Holocaust Survivors and their children. For a Holocausr Survivor and their children, the sight of Netanyahu standing in Congress giving THAT speech, 70 years after the ashes of Auschwitz, was so powerful that he had their vote right off the podium.
I think also that a fourth group went for Netanyahu for his perceived strength on security- the Russians. They do not support a PA state.
I must add that at FoxNews the anchor Eric Shawn should be honored by some Jewish Organization in New York, for his Many YEARS of amazing, constant, strong support of Israel and Jews. He deserves some kind of award. Of course, Sean Hannity too, but Eric Shawn has been overlooked for too long.