Oh my: Benny Begin quits government UPDATED
Likud MK Benny Begin is a rarity in Israeli politics: an honest politician. It's a sad commentary on both Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government's prospects for survival that Netanyahu has in essence
forced Begin to resign from the government.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Facebook post Friday that
while he would “make every effort to incorporate MK Benny Begin into
the cabinet later,” Likud’s coalition partners had objected to changing
the agreed-on number of portfolios per faction, making it impossible to
keep both Begin and Erdan.
Netanyahu’s Facebook post seemingly left Begin no choice but to announce his resignation from the cabinet.
“Over the past few days I have turned to my friends
and partners, the heads of the coalition, with a personal request to
leave our friend, Benny Begin, as an additional Likud minister in the
government,” Netanyahu wrote. However, the coalition partners would not
permit the number of ministers per faction to change and allow Likud to
have 13 ministers.
Netanyahu, who effusively praised Begin in the post,
also wrote that “there is not a shred of truth to the claim that he
[Begin] said he would refuse to resign from the cabinet.”
...
Begin was first appointed minister without portfolio, while Erdan,
who was number two on the Likud Knesset list, remained outside the
cabinet after turning down an offer to become public security minister.
Erdan wanted the Foreign Ministry portfolio, which Netanyahu insists on
holding himself, or a ministerial portfolio that included elements of
both the interior and public security ministries.
When Erdan’s demands were not met, he refused to
join the cabinet. However, last week Erdan agreed to become minister of
public security, strategic affairs and public diplomacy.
Erdan’s appointment angered his fellow party member
MK Zeev Elkin, who was initially given the strategic affairs portfolio
along with immigrant absorption. He then demanded to be made Jerusalem
affairs minister and threatened that, otherwise, he would absent himself
from Knesset votes, which could put the coalition at risk considering
its razor-thin majority (61-59).
Netanyahu subsequently had to break his
commitment to Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat that the Jerusalem Affairs
Ministry would be abolished and its powers absorbed into the Prime
Minister’s Office.
One MK having a temper tantrum is enough to bring down this government. Anyone want to take bets on how long it will last?
UPDATE 3:57 PM
Get a load of these two tweets from JPost Knesset correspondent Lahav Harkov.
Until the next crisis....
Labels: Benny Begin, Binyamin Netanyahu, Gilad Erdan, Israeli Knesset, Knesset elections 2015, Likud party, Ofir Akunis, Zeev Elkin
His father must be rolling over in his grave
Led by Minister without portfolio Benny Begin (who will not be an MK in the next government), the lame duck cabinet on Sunday approved the
gifting of some 50,000 dunams of Negev land to Bedouin tribes who have been squatting there for years.
The Cabinet voted Sunday to approve changes proposed by Minister Benny Begin in the plan to legalize piratic Bedouin settlement in the Negev. The changes are described by opponents in the pro-Jewish settlement NGO Regavim as "a historic mistake." The
changes still require approval by the Knesset in order to become the law
of the land.
The plan will add more Bedouin settlements to the list of those that
will receive official recognition, and increase the amount of land that
will be handed over to Bedouin as part of an agreement.
MK-elect Moshe Feiglin said that Begin was acting dishonestly
by bringing the plan to the government a short time after elections,
when he is about to leave his office as minister after being voted out
of Likud's leadership. He accused Begin of "abandoning the Jewish settlement enterprise in the Negev."
According to the government, however, Minister Begin's
recommendations were formulated in the wake of "unprecedented
consultations" he held among Negev Bedouin, during which he and the
Construction and Housing Ministry Authority on Formalizing the Status of
Bedouin
Settlement in the Negev officials met with over 1,000 Negev
Bedouin, as well as their relevant groups and organizations..
Regavim noted that Begin did not meet with its representatives.
In its decision, the Cabinet adopted the recommendations of the
commission chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge Eliezer Goldberg,
which proposed "to recognize – as much as possible – each of the
unrecognized villages in which there is a minimal mass of residents,
such as will be determined, and which will be able to bear municipal
status, and on the condition that such recognition will not contravene
the district master plan."
Regarding ownership claims, it was decided – inter alia – that
compensation, in land or money, will be given for all of the area in
question (and not just half, as determined by a decision of the previous
government.
The recommendations still need to be approved by the incoming Knesset. Begin's father must be rolling over in his grave at the giveaway of the land of Israel.
Labels: Bedouin, Benny Begin, Negev
Poll: Israel shifting even further to the Right
We're feeling the hope and change here in Israel, but not in the direction that the Obama administration and the Euroweenies want us to go.
A new poll out Friday morning shows the merged
Likud-Yisrael Beiteinu party losing seats... to the even further right Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) party. The poll was taken before the indictment of Avigdor Lieberman, the head of Yisrael Beiteniu, broke on Thursday. And recall that this is after the Likud's own Knesset slate shifted to the Right.
The joint Likud-Yisrael Beytenu list would win only 35 seats in the next Knesset
– seven fewer than their 42 in the outgoing parliament – according to a
Geocartography poll taken for The Jerusalem Post Group’s Hebrew daily the Israel
Post in honor of its inaugural weekend edition (Sof Hashavua), which will come
out on Friday.
The poll of 500 respondents, representing a statistical
sample of the country’s population, was taken on Wednesday, before
Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein announced his decision about Foreign Minister
Avigdor Liberman. It was the same day that Liberman’s attacks on Europe at The
Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference in Herzliya dominated
headlines.
It's not just a question of numbers.
When asked whether the country’s diplomatic situation had
improved or worsened over the past four years, 54.1 percent of respondents said
it had worsened, 15.4% said it had improved, and 23.6% said there had been no
change.
The poll, which has a 4.2-percentage point margin of
error, found
that mandates from the Likud and Yisrael Beytenu would not shift to
Center-Left
parties, but to Bayit Yehudi, further to the Right, which would rise
from
three seats in the current Knesset to 16. The Tzipi Livni Party, which
formed to attract votes from the Right by highlighting the diplomatic
issue, would win
only seven seats, according to the poll.
Labor would win 17 seats, Yesh
Atid 12, Shas 10, United Torah Judaism and Meretz six each, Hadash and United
Arab List four apiece, and Balad three.
Kadima, Am Shalem, Strong Israel
and Green Leaf would not pass the 2-percent electoral threshold.
And here's an indication of how much the country has had it with the 'Palestinians.'
Asked if they believed Balad MK Haneen Zoabi should be permitted
to run for Knesset, 69.4% said no, and only 13.4% said yes.
Zoabi, as you might recall, is the inflammatory 'Israeli Arab' MK who hitched a ride on the Mavi Marmara.
But there's something weird about this poll. Compare it to the Smith poll:
The Smith
poll predicted 29 seats for Likud Beytenu, up two mandates from Smith’s last
poll two weeks ago. Labor would win 19, Bayit Yehudi and Shas 10, Lapid’s
and Livni’s parties nine each, UTJ six, Meretz, Hadash and Balad four each, and
Am Shalem and UAL-Ta’al three apiece.
Kadima and Strong Israel would not
pass the threshold.
Someone want to tell me how a party can have 16 seats in one poll and 10 in another. That's quite a difference.
Read the whole thing.
If the Geocartography poll is correct and votes are shifting from Likud to Bayit Yehudi, it means that Netanyahu will find it difficult to impossible to bring back Meridor and Begin, his more 'centrist' ministers who lost in the primaries, whom he wanted to bring back in some capacity. It means that the Likud - Yisrael Beiteinu merger was a huge mistake (which it seems to have been anyway - who needs Yisrael Beiteinu without Lieberman and without Ayalon - but Netanyahu probably did that to moderate his own party like so many other moves he's made). And it means that the Obama administration and the Europeans may soon be longing for the days that they were dealing with Netanyahu and Barak rather than Netanyahu, Bennett and Feiglin.
What could go wrong?
Labels: Avigdor Lieberman, Benny Begin, Binyamin Netanyahu, Dan Meridor, Ehud Barak, Jewish Home party, Knesset elections 2013, Likud party, Moshe Feiglin, Naftali Bennett, Tzipi Livni, Yisrael Beiteinu
Netanyahu to make 'adjustments' to Likud list?
Arutz Sheva's Hebrew side is reporting that according to 'political sources' Prime Minister Netanyahu will make 'adjustments' to 'balance' the Likud slate elected in Sunday's and Monday's primary so as to
include some of his key confidantes who were shut out, and to make the list less hawkish.
The link is in Hebrew, the translation of part of it below is mine.
According to the sources, "anyone who knows Netanyahu and his pattern of behavior understands that he is not comfortable with the new composition, especially in light of the fact that Ministers Begin and Meridor were pushed out. Netanyahu will try to find them a place in the next government.
Netanyahu himself hinted as such last night at the end of the primaries evening. Netanyahu hinted that he would appoint the big losers, Ministers Benny Begin and Dan Meridor to positions in his next government as well. "I want you by my side" Netanyahu called to the candidates who were pushed off the party's Knesset list.
Ministers Dan Meridor, Avi Dicther and Michael Eitan did not succeed in attaining a realistic spot [on the list]. Minister Benny Begin reached 21st place, but in light of the merger with Yisrael Beiteinu, and promises for representatives of women, minorities and regional lists, he was pushed out of the top 40.
For those who have forgotten Bibi's 'adjustments' in the last election, go
here and
here.
Labels: Benny Begin, Binyamin Netanyahu, Dan Meridor, Knesset elections 2013, Likud party, Moshe Feiglin
Netanyahu prevents annexation measure from coming to a vote
His father must be rolling over in his grave.
Prime Minister Netanyahu on Sunday
prevented a measure that was designed to impose Israeli law on Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria from coming to a vote before a ministerial legislation committee.
A private bill to impose Israeli law on all Jewish settlements in the West Bank was brought to a vote at the Ministerial Committee on Legislative Affairs on Sunday but was eventually withdrawn after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's intervention.
In practice, the bill means that military rule will not be applied in settlements. Imposing Israeli law on Jewish settlements is de facto annexation of the West Bank. [I think that should say, 'military rule will be applied in settlements. CiJ]
Proposed by MK Miri Regev, the bill was brought to a vote at the Ministerial Committee – a prelude to a Knesset vote.
Five ministers initially voted in favor, including Likud ministers Gideon Sa'ar and Limor Livnat. Minister Benny Begin protested and said, "The government is being forced into a decision which must be left to a specially-designated cabinet meeting."
Justice Minister Yaakov Ne'eman, who chairs the Ministerial Committee, wished to postpone the vote by 15 minutes to consult with the prime minister. Upon his return he said, "I wish to postpone the vote by a month and coordinate the matter with the government and the prime minister. This is a political bill and cannot be passed without such coordination."
...
After the ministers realized that Netanyahu wants to postpone the vote and take it off the agenda, nine of them opposed the bill, including Sa'ar and Livnat who said they had originally thought they were voting for a delay in the vote. Five abstained and one – Stas Misezhnikov - voted in favor.
When and where will this country's 'leadership' find courage? Instead, we keep listening to wimps like Dan Meridor.
What could go wrong?
Labels: annexation, Benny Begin, Binyamin Netanyahu, Dan Meridor, Judea and Samaria
Migron deal falls apart
As noted in the flyer above - which was being handed out to motorists around Jerusalem ten days ago - the 'outpost' of Migron has an order of the Supreme Court hanging over it, which calls for it to be destroyed and its residents expelled by the end of March 2012. There is probably a majority in the Knesset for 'legalizing' the outposts, but the Netanyahu-Barak government doesn't want to go that route. Instead, Minister Benny Begin was sent to make a deal with the residents that would see them moved to land that is not 'privately owned.' (Of course, those of you who read Hebrew already know from reading the flyer above that the land on which Migron sits is not privately owned - no actual land owner has ever been proven).
On Monday morning, word came through that the compromise that was worked out by Begin has fallen apart. The residents of Migron say that
Begin went back on his word. And Begin said that the government will ask the country's real rulers - the 'Supreme Court' -
to put off Migron's destruction until 2015. This is from the first link.
The deal was set to be signed this week but negotiations ultimately failed. Is has yet to be officially determined who owns the land on which the Migron outpost sits.
According to agreements reached between the parties, the court was meant to rule on who owns the land before any permanent structures would be razed. It was also agreed that the residents would move to the new location only after the completion of the construction work. The government promised to finish planning the construction of permanent structures in the new location within nine months, after which infrastructure work will commence.
Binyamin Regional Council's Migron is the biggest outpost in the West Bank and includes 60 structures. Palestinian residents and Peace Now petitioned the High Court against the outpost's legality in October 2006. Last August judges ruled that the State must clear Migron by the end of March 2012.
Negotiations on the evacuation have been going on for the past year and a half, during which various compromises were raised. The dispute over house razing ultimately prevented any agreement from being signed.
In any normal country, if ownership by someone else could be proven, given that the government built all the infrastructure and sent these people there (yes, that's what's been left out of the article - for those who read Hebrew, go read the flyer at the top), you would compensate the proven landowner and let these people stay in their homes. But this is not a normal country.... Here's what
Benny Begin had to say.
Likud Minister Benny Begin on Monday called on residents of the West Bank outpost of Migron to sign a deal to relocate their homes 2 kilometers away, saying he would ask the High Court of Justice to give the settlers until 2015 to do so.
Begin held a press conference on the issue after Likud MK Danny Danon and National Union MK Uri Ariel said Sunday evening that that talks broke down over the conditions under which the homes would be relocated.
...
Danon said Sunday that the state insisted that the outpost must be relocated within two-and-a-half years, irrespective of whether new homes have been built for the Migron residents.
Ariel added that the state balked at accepting a condition by the settlers that the status of the land be adjudicated first, before the homes are destroyed.
Begin said that he would ask the High Court of Justice to allow the settlers until November 30, 2015 to relocate in order to give them time to build new homes. He said that following the relocation, the Migron outpost land would be turned over to the Civil Administration.
The Likud minister said that all 48 families in Migron must sign the agreement before the government can present it to the High Court.
In other words, the actual status of the land on which their homes are located has not been adjudicated, but the State wants these people to agree to move without knowing when their promised replacement homes - 2 kilometers away - will be ready. It's been six and a half years since the government expelled nearly 10,000 Jews from Gaza and most of them don't have homes yet. Why would anyone trust the Israeli government to carry out this kind of deal?
Labels: Benny Begin, Danny Danon, Migron, Supreme Court
Haaretz: Netanyahu trying to persuade cabinet to authorize Iran strike
In an earlier post, I noted hints from Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Interior Minister Eli Yishai that a strike against Iran
might be imminent. But Haaretz comes right out and says it: Prime Minister Netanyahu is trying to get the cabinet to approve an
Israeli strike on Iran (Hat Tip:
Mememorandum).
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak are trying to muster a majority in the cabinet in favor of military action against Iran, a senior Israeli official has said. According to the official, there is a "small advantage" in the cabinet for the opponents of such an attack.
Netanyahu and Barak recently persuaded Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who previously objected to attacking Iran, to support such a move.
...
Senior ministers and diplomats said the International Atomic Energy Agency's report, due to be released on November 8, will have a decisive effect on the decisions Israel makes.
The commotion regarding Iran was sparked by journalist Nahum Barnea's column in Yedioth Ahronoth last Friday. Barnea's concerned tone and his editors' decision to run the column under the main headline ("Atomic Pressure" ) repositioned the debate on Iran from closed rooms to the media's front pages.
Reporters could suddenly ask the prime minister and defense minister whether they intend to attack Iran in the near future and the political scene went haywire.
Western intelligence officials agree that Iran is forging ahead with its nuclear program. Intelligence services now say it will take Iran two or three years to get the bomb once it decides to (it hasn't made the decision yet ).
According to Western experts' analyses, an attack on Iran in winter is almost impossible, because the thick clouds would obstruct the Israel Air Force's performance.
Some cabinet members are complaining that public discussion of the possibility of a strike against Iran are
reckless.
Minister-without-Portfolio Benny Begin slammed the Israeli media's conduct surrounding talk of a possible IDF strike on Iran, in an interview with Army Radio Wednesday morning. "There has never been a breakdown of responsibility and a campaign of recklessness like there is today," Begin said.
...
The media attention, Begin said, "pales in comparison to the acts of Anat Kamm, for which she was sentenced to four and a half years in prison," echoing sentiments expressed by Intelligence and Atomic Energy Minister Dan Meridor Wednesday in a Ma'ariv op-ed.
Seemingly referring to former Mossad chief Meir Dagan's push in recent months to discredit the necessity of a military strike on Iran, Begin said that public servants "swore to guard state secrets forever, also after they leave their positions."
Making such discussions public, he added, "can present real damage to the government's abilities to make decisions."
But former National Security Council chief Giora Eiland regards such discussions as 'natural.'
"It's hard to take a topic that the prime minister declares to be the most important to the state of Israel and then prevent public debate about it," Eiland told Army Radio.
"It is only natural that the media took an interest in it," he added.
YNet reports that Begin had
much harsher words for Dagan than the previously linked article reported:
Begin hinted to former Mossad Chief Meir Dagan's comments on a possible strike in Iran, saying that they constituted "a dangerous breach of trust, verging on megalomania. It's just despicable."
Civil servants, he added, "Are obligated to protect state secret they were privy to regardless of time. These kind of acts are very severe."
Clearly, something is going on. But if the weather is really an issue, the hit will have be soon or it will have to wait for the spring. And how do you maintain an element of surprise with all this discussion going on?
What could go wrong?
Labels: Avigdor Lieberman, Benny Begin, Binyamin Netanyahu, Eli Yishai, Giora Eiland, Iranian nuclear threat, Israeli strike on Iran, Meir Dagan
Will Israel apologize to Turkey or is it wishful thinking?
Defenseless defense minister Ehud Barak was in Washington this past week, where he was subjected to a full-court press by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and new Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to apologize to Turkey for allowing the IDF to defend itself during the Mavi Marmara incident last year. Barak, who was inclined to apologize in the first place, told a news conference in Washington that Israel is 'mulling' an apology. Turkey's
Daily Hurriyet has
gone to the bank with that (Hat Tip:
Joshua I).
Particularly since last Sunday the Israeli inner-cabinet, or the so-called “group of eight” met several times on the issue and according to Israeli sources has finally decided five to three to make an “apology” and pay compensation to the relatives of the victims. Israel, however, is still unable to deliver the apology much-demanded by Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, because of its worries in regards to the “legal responsibility” of the soldiers – to be more precise, officers – involved in the deadly high sea piracy on Mavi Marmara. If Israel does not apologize, Turkey’s “plan B” in this year-long standoff includes allowing relatives of victims of the Israeli’s attack on the Turkish ship to seek justice at international court. Yet, there is no guarantee that after a formal apology of any sort by the Israeli state the issue will not be referred by the relatives of the victims to international jurisprudence.
According to Israeli sources, though the apology decision was made several days ago, the international jurisprudence concerns have so far marred Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, walking that unprecedented road. Yes, in whatever form it might come, it would be the first-ever for the state of Israel to apologize to another country, or individuals, for a military operation undertaken by its armed forces, and to pay – even though through a foundation – compensation of any sort. It will of course be painful for Israel, as much as it would be a revolutionary move.
Israeli apology may come as early as today, or tomorrow, if Erdoğan does not deliver yet another explosive remark. Erdoğan, talking to a gathering of Palestinian ambassadors had upped Turkey’s demands for normalization of relations with Israel, introducing “ending the Gaza blockade” condition to the apology and compensation conditions declared earlier. Israel has so far preferred to totally ignore that new third condition spelled out by the Turkish premier, but will Ankara agree to that? We shall see it in days ahead.
JPost is telling the story a little bit differently.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Thursday said that Israel was "willing to consider apologizing" for problems that occurred during last year's raid of the Turkish flotilla ship the Mavi Marmara in which nine Turks were killed by IDF commandos.
...
"Defense Ministry and IDF legal advisers recommend that we come to an understanding with Turkey in order to protect commanders and soldiers from legal action," Barak stated.
"We are not apologizing for the blockade and we are not apologizing for using force," he said. "We are willing to consider apologizing for problems that occurred during the Marmara operation, if indeed their were such problems...I don't like it, but that is the choice that must be made," Barak added.
...
Barak has come out as the key advocate in Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s inner forum urging Israel to take steps necessary to bring about a normalization of ties with Turkey.
There has been talk here for months that we would pay compensation. What's new here is the 'apology,' and although the Turks would undoubtedly spin it as a total capitulation, it's quite limited and if the Turks actually read it they will not be satisfied with it.
I also have my doubts about the 5-3 in favor. I think it's 6-2 against. Here are the eight inner cabinet members: Barak and Dan Meridor are undoubtedly in favor of apologizing. Boogie Yaalon, Benny Begin, and Avigdor Lieberman are opposed. Netanyahu and Yishai are opposed but pliable. Yishai could even just stay away from the vote - that's completely in character for him. Yuval Steinitz? Against, but he's getting killed by all the demonstrations dealing with our economy right now, and there have been rumors about Netanyahu cutting him loose. Would he vote in favor to keep his seat? It wouldn't be the first time in this country.
So that would leave 4-3 in favor of a very limited apology with no taking down the blockade and on condition that we would get assurances that the soldiers won't be hauled into court.
I come back to Turkey not being satisfied with any apology Israel would give and not being able to give assurances that our soldiers won't be sued anyway. I think it will fall on those grounds.
What could go wrong?
Labels: Avigdor Lieberman, Benny Begin, Binyamin Netanyahu, Dan Meridor, Ehud Barak, Eli Yishai, International Criminal Court, Mavi Marmara, Moshe Yaalon, Turkish obsession with Israel, Yuval Steinitz
Begin: 'Mossad opposed Osirak bombing too'
Much is being made here in Israel about the vocal opposition of former Mossad director Meir Dagan (pictured) to an
Israeli attack on Iran. Dagan has been so vocal in his opposition that it is feared here in Israel that he is
weakening our deterrence against Iran. This is from Yaakov Katz's weekend JPost column.
Iran’s confidence also appears to have received a boost from the recent media mayhem in Israel over former Mossad chief Meir Dagan’s comments about Jerusalem’s military option vis-à-vis the Iranian nuclear issue. Dagan said it was a “stupid idea” to attack Iran, and pointed out the “impossible” regional challenge Israel would face following such an attack.
For Tehran, these comments fell on welcoming ears. For years, the Iranians have questioned Israel’s military capabilities. Now here comes Dagan – their archnemesis – and gives them a reason to. Dagan’s justification for doing this – his concern with Israel’s current political leadership – might be genuine, even though it was done with the awareness that it would eat away at the deterrence Jerusalem has tried for years to create in the face of the Iranian threat.
Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon has long spoken about the importance of creating a “credible military option” for Iran’s nuclear program. According to Ya’alon, it is not enough to speak about the option; it is also necessary to show the Iranians that it is real, viable and effective.
“They need to fear that the military option is real and can be used,” Ya’alon has said in the past.
To back up this argument, Ya’alon has referred to Tehran’s 2003 decision to suspend its enrichment of uranium and weapons program. That move was based on fear that after the US invasion of Iraq, it was next in line. President George W. Bush had already listed Iran has part of the “Axis of Evil” mentioned in his 2002 State of the Union address.
Judging by its recent decisions, Iran no longer feels threatened. As it continues to provoke the world without paying a price, there is unfortunately no reason it should.
In this context, the following statement by Benny Begin should be seen as a counterweight to Dagan and as a warning to Iran that they shouldn't be so confident that Israel won't disregard Dagan's advice. After all, says Begin, his father
disregarded the Mossad's advice when he ordered the attack on Iraq's Osirak reactor 30 years ago last week.
“Among those opposing Operation Opera [AL: bombing Saddam Hussein’s Osirak nuclear reactor] was an important, serious man, who had understanding and knew the secrets. He expressed his opinion clearly before the national leadership. He presented convincing arguments. He relied also on his considerable experience and reputation. His recommendation was considered. His recommendation was rejected. He was the head of the Mossad.” Minister Benny Begin in his 10 June 2011 column in Yediot Ahronot. [IMRA translation]
(Until Dagan, the name of the Mossad's head was kept secret and Begin continued that tradition by not disclosing the name of the Mossad head in question). Hmmm.
Labels: Benny Begin, Iranian nuclear program, Meir Dagan, Mossad, Osirak
Benny Begin rejects 'Palestinian state'
Hopefully, Benny Begin will be the first of many to
shoot straight.
"I think any second state of any nature, another sovereignty west of the Jordan River, especially when it comprises the PLO or Hamas, would negate or contradict two basic rights of the Jewish people and the citizens of Israel," Begin told Israel National News Radio's Josh Hasten. during an interview on the Israel Hasbara Hour.
"One is the right of the Jewish people to our homeland, and our right to our homeland does not stop exactly east of the 1949 armistice demarcation lines, also known as the 'Green Line.' It has no historic significance whatsoever. It just marks a balance of military power back then, in 1948 or 1949, between [Israel's] local Arab neighbors and the newborn state of Israel in their attempt to smother the baby state in its cradle. Our right to our land – Including of course to the cradle of our history in Judea and Samaria – is obvious," Begin said.
"There is also the question of national security, and we have had some experience in the the last twenty years under the banner 'territory for peace'... the actual events have been territory for terror. Every piece of land, every hectare, every acre, that was consigned to the PLO reign, became a haven of impunity for terrorism. And we should anticipate that once we transfer parts of our homeland to the PLO it will be, actually, an indirect transfer of land through the PLO to Hamas, and to Iran," Begin said.
Read the whole thing.
Labels: 1949 armistice lines, Benny Begin, two-state solution
More politicians want to fire the rabbis
Minister without portfolio and MK
Benny Begin (Likud) has come out strongly against the rabbis who signed a letter calling on the public not to sell or rent real estate to Arabs.
“One must differentiate between the legal and public situation,” Begin told The Jerusalem Post, stressing the public significance of such a discriminatory letter. “From a moral-public point of view, the city rabbis should not be able to continue to proceed carrying on their public responsibilities, if they do not retract their letter, as some have already done.”
While not elected by the public, they are publicly appointed figures who serve in official positions as municipal rabbis, Begin said.
“It would be morally-publicly impossible for them to continue in their official positions on behalf of the public,” he said, reiterating a similar statement he made on Thursday morning, before [Attorney General Yaakov] Weinstein made his announcement [that he was opening an investigation. CiJ] public.
When asked if the public might side with the rabbis on this issue, as suggested by a few recent polls, Begin explained that the rabbis were appointed by the state, the establishment, which is against such sentiment.
As for the polls, well, it might be that “once again I am in disagreement with the public,” he said.
In response to a question from the Post about what practical measures the government might take against these rabbis, Begin replied that “first of all, we must respond, publicly, to indicate to the public, to the Arab sector, that we do not agree with the letter.”
It also turns out that Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef has refused to sign the letter.
A group of right-wing activists recently approached head of Shas’s Council of Torah Sages Rabbi Ovadia Yosef in an attempt to convince him to add his signature to the letter against renting or selling land in Israel to non-Jews, Channel 2 reported Sunday night.
According to the report, the senior Sephardi adjudicator refused to sign, and told the activists that it was “an unnecessary and harmful petition, such statements shouldn’t be made, next thing we know Jews in London and Paris will be told the same thing.”
Meanwhile, National Union Chairman Yaakov Katz has written a letter to Attorney General Weinstein.
“My bewilderment comes as we have never heard you similarly instructing your attorneys to examine criminal elements in the declarations of radical-left public figures, who demonstrate and ceaselessly that homes in Jerusalem should not be sold or rented to Jews,” Katz wrote. “The perplexity is even greater, since your office is in the Shimon Hatzadik [Sheikh Jarrah] neighborhood, where weekly such demonstrations take place.”
Katz urged Weinstein’s swift response, “to refute the sentiments within the public I represent,” which might “feel that you are continuing the path your predecessors led and the dominant line among your attorneys, which displays hatred and persecution against anything that smacks of Judaism and Torah.”
Yes, the attorney general's office is known to lean strongly left and secular.
In the meantime, the controversy is escalating, with another organization opening up an office to '
out' Jews who sell or rent land to Arabs.
The Lehava anti-assimilation organization announced on Sunday that it is opening a telephone center against the phenomenon of Jews selling or renting homes to Arabs. The announcement follows the rabbinical statement of opposition to such sales or rentals that has been signed by hundreds of rabbis and educators.
People calling 052 225 8183 will hear a recorded message in Hebrew telling them to leave details about people selling or renting their homes to Arabs. Lehava will then verify the information and publish the names of the people on a monthly basis.
Hey if selling or renting your home to an Arab is nothing of which to be ashamed, no one should mind if the fact that they do so is made public, right?
Heh.
Labels: Benny Begin, Deuteronomy 7:2, Lehava, renting or selling land to non-Jews in Israel, Yaakov Weinstein
Majority of Likud MK's sign letter opposing 'settlement freeze' extension
Fourteen of the Likud's 27 Knesset members, including three cabinet ministers, have
signed a petition urging the rejection of the 'settlement freeze' extension sold by Secretary of State Clinton to Prime Minister Netanyahu last Thursday. More Knesset members are expected to sign in the coming days.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya'alon, Vice Premier and Regional Development Minister Silvan Shalom and Minister-without-Portfolio Bennie Begin added their signatures to a letter by the Judea and Samaria regional council which calls on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu not to renew the moratorium. The letter has been signed by 14 Likud members so far.
As a result, a majority of Likud ministers are opposed to a renewal of the freeze. Of the remaining 12 ministers, three are expected to be in favor.
"We, Likud faction members, are expressing our opposition to the settlement construction freeze in Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria," said the letter. "The decision of the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet from November 25, 2009 should be implemented, in which it was decided that 'with the end of the suspension [freeze], the previous government's policy on construction in Judea and Samaria will be implemented.'"
In an interview with Israel Radio on Wednesday, Ya'alon harshly criticized the US proposal to extend the freeze by three months.
If Israel accepts the requested moratorium extension, it will be a surrender to the Palestinian position and a declaration of Israel's inability to stand by it principles during negotiations, said Ya'alon.
He added that he found it hard to believe that the US would provide firm guarantees that building could continue in the neighborhoods of east Jerusalem and that the new freeze extension would be the last one, and, therefore, whether there would be an agreement with the US.
Ya'alon also stated in the Israel Radio interview his unqualified opposition to a continuation of the building freeze.
Meanwhile, a survey shows that a plurality of the Israeli public is
also opposed to the 'settlement freeze' extension.
A telephone poll conducted by Geocartography has found that only 40% of Israeli Jews support another freeze on Jewish construction.
When asked, "Should Israel accept the American offer in exchange for the three month freeze?" 40% said “Yes”, 42% said “No”, and 18% said “Don’t know”.
When asked, "What is your confidence in PM Netanyahu if he accepts the American proposal?" 32% said “Down”, 20% said “Up”, and 48% said “No change/Don’t know”.
These kinds of results did not stop Ariel Sharon five years ago. Will they stop Binyamin Netanyahu? Maybe. He's not as stubborn as Sharon was.
The picture at the top is Likud MK Danny Danon.
Labels: Benny Begin, Binyamin Netanyahu, Danny Danon, Moshe Yaalon, settlement freeze extension
Who will rally the opposition to Netanyahu?
Before I start this post, I want to update you on something I posted last night. Last night, I wrote the following in the name of Uzi Landau, one of the primary opponents to the 'settlement freeze' extension.
Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau has thrown cold water on comments by Defense Mnister Ehud Barak celebrating the U.S. “present” of 20 advanced fighter jets to Israel in exchange for implementing an additronal freeze. Landau clarified that the jets are not guaranteed to Israel and noted that they depend on reaching a final agreement with PA which most Israelis do not believe is possible.
I received the following clarification from Landau (via three intermediaries - Hat Tip:
David H).
What is quoted here in Israelmatzav is not exactly what he said. He did not say that the deal explicitly calls for Israel to settle on borders in order for the jets to be awarded. He said that there is nothing in this deal that obligates the US. They have in the past and could in the future just decline to fulfill obligations.
Lovely.
In the meantime, the Likud is still trying to drum up opposition to their own leader's disastrous path to concessions. The opponents are looking to
Benny Begin (pictured).
Although Minister-without-Portfolio Bennie Begin did not attend Monday’s Knesset meeting, he gave the freeze opponents a strong boost on Monday evening when he broke two days of silence to denounce the intended move.
“Government promises must be followed through,” said Begin, in reference to his own pledges and that of Netanyahu that the first freeze on new construction, which ended on September 26, was a onetime deal.
Begin, who is believed to be the man who can best rally the party’s right wing, told Channel 2, “One should have been able to anticipate the actions of recent days, and if they weren’t taken into consideration in advance, that is strange to me. Someone needs to offer some explanations.”
And Minister Yuli Edelstein has an answer for the inevitable accusation that it's only the 'Feiglin wing' that opposes the extension:
“I think that this is a very bad situation for the Likud,” Edelstein responded when asked if his party could split over a second freeze.
“The participants in the meeting aren’t some extreme elements that infiltrated the Likud. These are Likudniks. And if they remain bitter and disappointed, it would be very serious for the party. I would not want to be the one who has to organize and rally the faction around major issues after we go in to a freeze.”
And Knesset speaker Ruby Rivlin, who is a long-time Netanyahu rival, but who is currently out of the country, sent in his opposition from Germany:
“The freeze has created a serious argument in both the Knesset and the Israeli public. The possibility that Israel will stand alone before the UN Security Council without an American veto creates a new situation in the Middle East, and that must be examined in a long-term perspective,” Rivlin said.
“Israelis now wonder: What will happen next time that there is a disagreement with the Americans? From now on, will every step that Israel takes be measured against the threat of the Americans rescinding their veto?”
Israel Radio just reported that a vote on the 'settlement freeze' extension is being held up - by objections from the 'Palestinians.' But you'll have to wait for the next post (I'll have it up soon) for that.
Labels: Benny Begin, Marco Rubio, Ruby Rivlin, settlement freeze extension, Uzi Landau, Yuli Edelstein
