Most Israelis expect conflicts between Netanyahu and Obama
One of the campaign themes that Kadima has been hammering away at in this election is that Netanyahu will have conflicts with the Hopenchange administration in Washington, while Livni will not. Therefore, the argument goes, Israelis should vote for Kadima to preserve our relationship with our number one ally.Shmuel Rosner has a poll that indicates that most Israelis agree that Netanyahu is more likely to have conflicts with Obama than is Livni. But unfortunately for Livni and Kadima, most Israelis believe that's okay. Here's part of Rosner's poll (click on it to enlarge).
Read the whole thing.The poll goes on to show that the public believes that Netanyahu will get along better with Obama if he has a 'broad coalition' (read: A coalition with Kadima or Labor), albeit not as well as Livni or Barak would get along with Obama.
My guess is that Netanyahu will attempt to reach coalition agreements with both Kadima and Labor. If we don't hem him in from the right, we will end up with the same government we have now, with Likud replacing Shas and Yisrael Beiteinu and with Netanyahu replacing Olmert. That would mean no hope and no change for Israelis. Those who want to delude themselves that the Likud is going to somehow pursue right wing policies with Kadima and Labor in its coalition because they have Benny Begin and Boogie Yaalon on their slate need to ask themselves what Benny and Boogie are going to do the first time Netanyahu calls something a no confidence vote. Remember what Ariel Sharon did to cabinet ministers who opposed the expulsion of Jews from Gaza in the cabinet? He fired them.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:48 AM
2 Comments:
Carl - Please look at this article by Philippe Karsenty, the courageous man who battled to expose one of the worst blood libels in recent history. Jews have died for this lie. It's a real eye-opener into the dismal state of PR from within Israel. Why does the government not care? Why does it leave it's citizens and Jews around the world exposed to the genocidal intentions of the Arabs? Livni's statement is particularly disturbing.
Israel Losing the Media War: Wonder Why?
http://www.hudsonny.org/2009/01/israel-losing-the-media-war-wonder-why.php
I don't expect Israel's next government to change the status quo. If it does, I will be pleasantly surprised. But Israelis know that Likud governments have whittled away the party's founding philosophy to the point where it is as post-Zionist as all the other parties on the political scene. In the old days, no would have advocated a Palestinian reichlet. The damage that Oslo has done is less to shrink Israel than to act as a corrosive acid undermining Jewish self-confidence and creating doubts about Jews' right to be in Eretz Israel. I think reversing the so-called peace process is necessary but unfortunately, getting off the road to national suicide appears to be beyond the ability of any foreseeable Israeli government.
Hopenchange, Israeli-style.
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