According to media reports, quoting unnamed senior officials close to Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu, the premiership hopeful is “willing to pay a heavy political price to bring Kadima into a broad coalition government,” explaining Binyamin Netanyahu (Bibi) is willing to appoint a foreign minister and defense minister from Kadima. Handing over such senior cabinet posts to Kadima might possibly entice Livni to agree to enter a Likud-led coalition, but most still feel Kadima would prefer to sit in opposition with the hope of toppling Netanyahu’s government at the first opportunity.
This would obviously leave the nation with another government that continues many of its current foreign policies, leaning towards continued negotiations and concessions to the PA (Palestinian Authority), Syria and possibly other fronts.
It will also rob the right-wing Knesset majority of a right-wing defense minister, which voters expect, in the hope of bringing daily rocket attacks from Gaza to an end.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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9 Responses
1. LIKUD is a centrist party. It has always supported capitalism and opposed welfare. It has favored territorial concession for a little bit of peace. It tolerates frumkeit but has never embraced it (read Netanyahu’s biography if you have any doubts). If people had wanted a far-right pro-religion party they could have voted for National Union, which did very poorly. Indeed, most of the complaints heard about Likud were expressed in the electorate by support for Lieberman, i.e., that Likud is too pro-Torah. As it was, Likud did substantially better than Lieberman, National Union, and Bayit Yehudi – all put together.
2. Politicians aim to build coalitions. That’s a skill. Extreme positions alienate people. That’s how democracy works. That’s how the frum community works (note how all our organization tries to support intra-community unity).
3. As I’ve been saying, why would Likud (or Kadimah) prefer to share patronage with the small parties when they can horde it for themselves.
Charlie, Kadima has no ideology, other than getting a Knesset seat [and for their leader, the premiership]. They were formed when Sharon betrayed the Likud, and a bunch of opportunists from both sides of the political “spectrum” [if there is one] joined them. Chaim Ramon, Shimon Peres, Dalia Itzik, et al can hardly be call right-wingers.
The question is, will Bibi remain true to his votership & the party he represents, or also go the way of betrayal, the way of Kadima? Time will tell…
THIS IS A VERY MYSTERIOUS AND ABRUPT TURNABOUT FROM WHAT HE AND HIS TOP AIDES WERE SAYING YESTERDAY.
WHO IS PULLING HIS STRINGS?
Rabosai; why are you all so surprised. He is a politician (and his past shows questionable values) and will do anything to gain the office of PM.
WHO IS PULLING HIS STRINGS?
THE JERUSALEM POST HAS JUST ANSWERED MY QUESTION:
US worried over prospect of right-wing gov’t
By HILARY LEILA KRIEGER, THE JERUSALEM POST, WASHINGTON
I don’t quite get all this.
Democracy works by grabbing the center. If you want a more right-wing government, then you have to move the whole center of the voters over to your side, as Bush did temporarily with his wars. Then when the center snapped back the Republicans were left out in the cold and Obs grabbed the plum.
The Israeli center shifted to the right during the last war. Again, war pushes voters to the right. That’s what supports Lieberman; not his anti-Torah stance.
Once the electorate snaps back to the center Lieberman’s going to be out. That’s why Bibi is never, zero chance, going to forge a right-wing coalition. Just watch. He’s going to loop in with Kadima. Because otherwise he knows in six months he’s going to be out in the cold…
Likewise the Torah status quo is in more or less good shape. The Torah parties are going to leaven the coalition and they’ll be indebted to them for that.
I heard a discussion on an Air America show last night, Ron Reagan and Michael Friedson (?), the Israeli expert. I love this line, something like the Palestinians worried about the results of the election because they’re concerned they won’t have a peace (piece?) partner. What concerns them is that there may be an Israeli leader who will hold the Palestinians accountable! There are no negotiations with an intractable partner. Israel’s PM is not the problem.
Bibi is being squeezed only because he was a RODEPH of Moshe Feiglin. Had he worked with him, he would have gotten over 32 seats. Unfortunately, he will learn no lessons from his stupidity. I look forward to the day MF will be PM.
The only One we have to rely on now for the safety and security of the Jewish people is Avinu Shebashomayim!