Israel Matzav

Israel waiving Iran attack during US Presidential transition?

JPost is reporting that Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided to dissolve the Knesset as soon as it goes back into session on October 15 and to call new elections - probably for February 12. The reasons seem to be all economic: The Prime Minister fears that the current Knesset will hold up the 2013 budget for populist spending measures if elections are held as scheduled in November 2013.

Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin told Netanyahu and coalition chairman Ze'ev Elkin to initiate elections immediately in the first few hours of the Knesset's winter session. He warned that if the Knesset was not immediately dissolved, parties would try to pass expensive populist legislation and the economy could be harmed. Rivlin said initiating immediate elections were also important in order to pass the budget as soon as possible following the election.

“There is no doubt that a political ruling has been made, and all of the parties are ready for an election,” Rivlin said during a Succot celebration in Migron.

Rivlin pointed out that there is an international economic crisis that threatens to reach Israel, saying that, without a budget for 2013, there can be serious socioeconomic ramifications and harm to the weaker sectors of the population.

If the Knesset is dissolved on October 15, the earliest possible time to hold an election would be January 15, 2013. However, echoing statements by Netanyahu’s Office, Rivlin said he estimates that the vote will be held in the second or third week of February.

There are two other consequences of dissolving the Knesset that are not discussed in the JPost piece. One is that there will be no replacement for the Tal Law - which lapsed in August after being declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court - until at least some months after a new Knesset is seated, probably some time in March. That could mean as much as an entire year in limbo.

But that consequence pales in importance compared with the other one - the fact that Israel is likely to have no government in power during the entire transition period in the US if Obama loses the election. Can it attack Iran anyway? If Obama loses, Netanyahu may be willing to trust Romney and hold off, but what if Obama wins? Did Netanyahu see enough last night to believe that a Romney victory is likely? Hmmm.

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu, Campaign 2012, Iranian nuclear threat, Israeli attack on Iran, Israeli election polls, Mitt Romney

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:58 PM