In Israel, a group of strange bedfellows get together and finally oust Netanyahu
Parliamentary systems mean that sometimes coalition governments can form that are composed of various parties that didn’t get all that much popular support. As long as the most popular party fails to get a majority or create a majority coalition, it can happen that much weaker parties can manage to do it. That’s how eight parties that are united in hatred of long-time (12 years) prime minister Netanyahu managed to finally oust him by the slimmest of margins:
The new government passed at 8:55 with the support of 60 MKs, while 59 opposed it. Ra’am (United Arab List) MK Saeed Alharomi abstained…
Earlier on Monday, [new Prime Minister Naftali] Bennett defiantly presented his new government’s ministers and guidelines in an address at the Knesset plenum, while MKs who will be in the opposition heckled him constantly…
Netanyahu would remain in power if the prospective new coalition’s razor-thin majority were to lose the support of even one MK in a vote of confidence in the Knesset.
Netanyahu isn’t going gentle into that good night:
“I will fight daily against this terrible, dangerous left-wing government in order to topple it,” Netanyahu said at the conclusion of his lengthy speech in the Knesset plenum. “With God’s help, it will happen a lot earlier than you think it will.”
In comments warning Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah that he is not going anywhere, he declared in English: “We’ll be back soon!”
Netanyahu spoke for more than half an hour, well beyond the 15 minutes allotted to him, rattling off a lengthy list of accomplishments in office, slamming Bennett, and vowing to lead a combative opposition. He labeled Bennett’s Yamina party and the New Hope party as “fake right” and accused them of betraying the will of the voters in joining a government with centrist, left-wing and Arab parties.
Netanyahu asserted that Bennett will not and cannot counter the existential threat posed by Iran….
“Bennett does not have the international standing, he doesn’t have the credibility, he doesn’t have the capabilities, he doesn’t have the knowledge and he doesn’t have the governmental support to allow him a real defense [against Iran],” Netanyahu continued. “Among all the differences between us and the incoming government, this is the most important and most fateful difference to the future of Israel.”…
“Even in Iran they understand this — it’s no surprise that they are celebrating today,” he continued. “They are celebrating because they understand that starting today there will be a weak and unstable government that will align with the dictates of the international community.”
That last part of my quote from Netanyahu’s speech – “starting today there will be a weak and unstable government that will align with the dictates of the international community” – reminds me of the situation in the US, as well. It’s an invitation to all enemies to take advantage. Bennett paid lip service to standing strong against the Iran deal, but the government he heads is weak and divided and the US has now returned to the Iran-friendly ways of Obama.
In the recent election, Netanyahu’s Likud Party had won 30 seats in the Knesset but couldn’t cobble together a majority to form a coalition government. This is Bennett’s present coalition: “Yesh Atid (17 seats), Blue and White (8), Yisrael Beytenu (7), Labor (7), Yamina (6 of its 7 MKs), New Hope (6), Meretz (6) and Ra’am (4).”
Yamina is the party Bennett heads.
[NOTE: As I’ve written before, Israeli politics is remarkably complex and I am far from an expert on it. But the present situation both in the US and in Israel seems ominous.]
https://alchetron.com/cdn/pugsley-addams-c3bce0b2-5a1d-4fc0-9965-651ccac23d3-resize-750.jpg
The coalition is depicted here.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7zgcjv
History doesn’t repeat but it rhymes. This puts me in mind of the 1930’s where France had a series of ineffectual governments coupled with economic distress. Also the totalitarians were attacking the structure of the government and calling it illegitimate. Eastern Europe had the same problems.
All as the “Fourth Turning” predicted. Very interesting.
For a slightly more positive take, here’s Daniel Pipes, someone I’ve long respected.
http://www.danielpipes.org/20447/bibi-thank-you-for-your-service
And you’re right – Israeli politics is insanely complex. I trust few who claim expertise. So I hope Pipes is correct.
1. I respected Pipes until he called Oslo wrong and started sounding more and more like an establishment bobblehead.
2. While the depths of pride and personal animosity always surprise me, I also will not be surprised to discover down the road that Bennet was either bought off or played for a patsy with promises that he would be “allowed” to do great things as Prime Minister. Given that his boosters’ and coalition partners’ idea of “great things” is a return to Oslo-era apologetics, let’s hope they renege on those promises.
There is no other explanation for why an ambitious intelligent man would so thoroughly burn his political bridges.
The Israeli internet has been full of old clips and articles showing that he is a serial liar and opportunist.
3. I often say that Arab violence acts as a salutary wake up call that of keeps Israel’s utopian Lefties in check…. In comparison, the comfort and safety of the US have allowed the Left to make more cultural inroads, allowed more people to hover over reality.
But in this case the majority of the Israeli public has already learned the sober lessons of Oslo. In the recent round of missiles from Gaza there were billboards in Tel Aviv urging the army not to take half measures but to “occupy and finish the job”.
The fact that Bennet and Lapid are doing this just a few weeks after major coastal cities saw riots and pogroms by Israeli Arabs against their Jewish neighbors only underscores how out of touch they are and how they are burning their bridges.
Perhaps it is the Israeli center-right that grew complacent. And as i have posted before, Bibi failed to work with these people to build a movement.
how does a party with six seats end up with the prime ministership
https://www.jns.org/opinion/the-coup-against-benjamin-netanyahu/
One Israeli friend of mine who is pretty liberal, and not terribly keen on Bibi, is appalled. She did hold her nose and vote for Bibi’s party because while she doesn’t like Bibi, she realizes that he was the strongest horse and the best bet for safety.
Another extremely left Israeli friend of mine is so ecstatic. He really deludes himself into thinking that: Getting rid of Bibi will be good for Israel; This coalition will work; The opinion of the “international community” matters; Israel getting into the good graces of the “international community” well be good for Israel.
(He also posted all sorts of crap on Facebook about the Palestinian children “killed” by Israel in the recent battle with Hamas. He’s Jewish and lives in Tel Aviv. He left France because of increasing anti-Semitism. I really cannot fathom how his “brain” works. But I stay Facebook friends with him because it’s kind of like slowing down to rubberneck at a train wreck. His trainwreck.)
US taxpayer dollars were spent to oust Bibi (unsuccessfully) in 2015. I wonder how much was committed to the effort this time around.
Bennett’s a bit of a maverick.
His positions have been to the right of Netanyahu’s on certain issues.
His problem now is that if sticks to his guns he will likely break up the coalition.
But if he breaks up the coalition and the government falls, he can kiss his political career good-bye.
This, um, “tension”, creates two possibilities if the current coalition wishes to continue to exist (obviously there are more, so lets call them “main” possibilities:
– that Bennett backs off and triangulates towards the center.
– that his coalition partners cut him some slack even against their better judgment and triangulate toward the center (in some cases) or the slightly right-of-center (in others).
– or a bit of both (I guess that makes “three”).
(All this, it should be stated, to try to make sure that the coalition will live to see another day.)
It is also entirely possible that Israel’s “partners in peace”(TM) will step in to “save the day”.
Regarding the “Biden” administration, Bennett should not expect any help from that quarter—unless the definition of “help” in this case is that “Biden” will put so much pressure on Bennett that the latter will “be forced” to move leftward (toward the center and even beyond). IOW, he will be left gasping able only to say, “I’d really rather not do this but the pressure is intense AND I HAVE NO CHOICE!”
Of course, he does have a choice and if any of this is accurate, it will be interesting to see what that choice will be…as well as what his rationalizations might involve.
In any event, there will be a whole lot for the new government to try to accomplish (aside from security) in the realms of society, education, health, construction, minorities, and the potential need to absorb a great many immigrants….
Disclaimer: The above is purely speculative and may in fact prove to have nothing to do with reality (as we know it).
Disclaimer to disclaimer: We are living in exceedingly unreal times.
I note that parliamentary systems are in many places unstable and create some very odd governments, of which this seems to be one. May God preserve Israel.
But in this case, if the government falls, they have a chance to do better soon. We, on the other hand, are stuck with whoever’s running Biden for another three and a half years.
I see that it’s not just the Palestinians who manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Pipes is half right and mostly wrong…
There will be no successful partnership between the conservative and centrist factions because neither one is willing to address the source of Muslim hate.
Nor will any Israeli government succeed in integrating its Haredi and Muslim citizens. As both are theologically opposed to integration.
“how does a party with six seats…?”
Oh, that’s easy:
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/david_bengurion_146266
A few weeks ago I was relieved to read neo’s admission that she can’t follow the intricacies of Israeli politics either.
Geoffrey:
Haredi, an ultra-orthodox Jewish clan, total about 200 Israelis. Yep, just two hundred.
Israeli Muslims, on the other hand, total about 1.9 million. They are the great Israeli internal danger, aside from leftist Jewish dullards, the demographic Afro-Ams of Israel.
But let’s not give Haredis the equivalence your comment implies, for Pete’s sake!
Haredi, an ultra-orthodox Jewish clan, total about 200 Israelis.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/haredi-population-growing-twice-as-fast-as-total-israeli-population-report/
This says 1.18 million.
@LeeAlso:
“He left France because of increasing anti-Semitism. I really cannot fathom how his “brain” works. But I stay Facebook friends with him because it’s kind of like slowing down to rubberneck at a train wreck. His trainwreck.”
On the plus side, he didn’t emigrate to Florida to ruin it by voting Democrat and only then bug out to Israel to ruin it too by voting for rainbow flags, etc. I like a man who cuts to the chase. And at least in Israel with some real existential skin in the game there’s some tiny chance that he might learn. Eventually.
“This says 1.18 million.”
Haredi are Handy for picking up the pieces (of you). They otherwise appear to be a net drain unless obscure textual studies and speculations are a high priority.
If Israeli national survival ever became last stand skin of the teeth like in Israel I guess they’d make effective human shields and just add water instant minefield clearance experts, voluntary or otherwise. Quantity has a Quality all of its own.
Having your own country is good. It also invites Irony into your lives.
Every country has its people tax. America has the Black Tax, Israel has the Haredi Tax and no doubt the Ethiopian Jew Tax. It’s OK when the good times roll.
Can’t help thinking of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy episode about the space ship full of Telephone Sanitizers sent out to colonise a new planet ahead of the Engineers and Doctors. They were told it was their honour to go out first as they were the special people.
Don’t know anything about Bennett except saw a quote somewhere purporting to be him saying that it was time for Israel to stop taking financial aid from the US because it’s perfectly capable of standing on its own two feet.
They otherwise appear to be a net drain unless obscure textual studies and speculations are a high priority.
They enter the labor force later and work somewhat lower hours.
https://machon.org.il/en/publication/haredi-employment-facts-and-figures-and-the-story-behind-them/
So. Bibi missed the Iran-Pali War to eliminate the Jew opportunity to build bridges and influence people in the Knesset.
But how did the media keep the masses ignorant about such an obvious menace to safety and the Israeli way of life?
THIS is the Great Mystery to their American friends on the Right.
Not up on the finer points of any of this obviously, but does Bibi lose any forms of immunity from prosecution or being otherwise tied up in legal processes once he stops holding the office of Prime Minister?
If there’s a ratchet effect where knocking him out of the office means that he’s debarred from getting back in for the foreseeable future, then obviously his enemies have every incentive to say damn the torpedoes, blow him out of the game and sort out the rest at their leisure — they hope.