Israel Matzav

Netanyahu wins 73.2% of vote; has Feiglin barred from hall

Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu won the Likud primary with 73.2% of the vote. Afterward, he shifted his victory speech to an alternate location to the one that had been announced and had bouncers prevent Moshe Feiglin - who won 23.5% of the vote - from entering the hall.

A last-minute drama ensued when Netanyahu decided to hold his victory speech in a room adjacent to the one originally agreed upon, a decision that prompted media and reporters to refuse to cover the speech.

Reporters said they agreed to boycott the speech to protest Netanyahu's decision, which, they said, was in contradiction with their agreement with him from earlier that evening.

Concurrently, a radio journalist who wished to speak to Feiglin outside the Tel Aviv premises was informed by a Likud security guard that he would be allowed out the building, but not back in. The reporter said on air that he could see Feiglin outside, and that security guards were withholding Feiglin from entering the building.

Netanyahu later told an Israel Radio reporter that he did not give any instructions to bar Feiglin from entering the building.

...

Netanyahu's associates expressed satisfaction with the turnout and said he would now turn his attention to defeating Olmert and Labor chairman Ehud Barak in the next general election. The Likud chief's associates also said he would continue fighting Feiglin, possibly petitioning the High Court of Justice to expel him and his supporters from the party. Netanyahu will also try to draft moderates into the party's leadership from the business sector, academia and former IDF generals, they said.

"We ended the small battle, and now we are starting the big war," a Netanyahu associate said. "Tomorrow we start working to topple the government and return to power."

Sounds like we're getting the Bibi of Why Why Wye? and not the Bibi of "If they give they will receive and if they don't give...." Thanks but no thanks.

Update 10:25 AM

I should probably expand on this since I was a bit rushed when I wrote it and many of you probably do not understand the underlying nuances.

The Bibi of Why Why Wye? is the Bibi who tries to portray himself as a 'centrist' and a 'moderate' thinking that's the only way to be elected. It's the Bibi who lies about our security, who is ready to do anything to show that he too can make a deal with the 'Palestinians.' It's a slicker and possibly less corrupt (possibly) version of Olmert. It's no change in substance from Olmert.

The Bibi of "If they give they will receive and if they don't give..." is the Bibi who plays tough with the 'Palestinians,' makes them fulfill their obligations under existing agreements even if it means that no new ones will be concluded, fights terror first and worries about 'Palestinian' rights later (if at all), and generally acts like a slightly right of center politician. That would be a significant improvement over Olmert, Livni and Barak, and something that Feiglin's supporters are likely to stand behind.

The fact that Bibi wants to fight Feiglin and try to throw him out of the party instead of trying to co-opt him and his supporters and work with them says that Bibi is going to do something that he knows Feiglin's people will never support. That's the Bibi of Why Why Wye? Further evidence that we are getting the Bibi of Why Why Wye? is that he wants to recruit "moderates into the party's leadership from the business sector, academia and former IDF generals." Where are those 'moderates' from the 'business sector, academia and former IDF generals' going to come from? Hint: It's not from Labor (that would be too drastic) and it's not from National Union - NRP (whom the Bibi of Why Why Wye? would not consider 'moderate).'

He's talking about bringing people who abandoned the Likud for Kadima Achora back into the party. He's talking about people like Shaul Mofaz, who zealously commanded the expulsion of the Jews from Gaza two years ago, and Bibi's old buddy Tzachi Hanegbi who has never seen a bribe that looked too criminal to take, and who has been under 'investigation' nearly as many times as Olmert. Bibi's not talking about former generals like Effie Eitam, who was beaten by police at Amona, or Moshe (Boogie) Yaalon, who was fired as Chief of Staff of the IDF because he opposed the Gaza expulsion. (Yaalon is already a member of the Likud, but if Bibi brings Mofaz back, you can bet that it is Mofaz who will be defense minister and not Yaalon).

And that's why I say, thanks but no thanks.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:05 AM