No, Saudi King Salman did not finance Netanyahu's campaign
A story in the Middle East Observer, allegedly based on the Panama Papers, has gained a lot of traction for its claim that Saudi King Salman donated $80 million to Prime Minister Netanyahu's 2015 election campaign.
Isaac Herzog, member of the Knesset and
Chairman of the Israeli Labor party, revealed that Saudi king Salman
bin Abdulaziz financed the election campaign of Israeli Prime Minister,
Benjamin Netanyahu.
“In March 2015, King Salman has
deposited eighty million dollars to support Netanyahu’s campaign via a
Syrian-Spanish person named Mohamed Eyad Kayali. The money was deposited
to a company’s account in British Virgin Islands owned by Teddy Sagi,
an Israeli billionaire and businessman, who has allocated the money to
fund the campaign Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu”, Herzog
cited a leaked Panama Paper.
Angela Merkel says it's not the time for a 'two-state solution'
Even German Chancellor Angela Merkel gets it: This is not the time for a 'two-state solution.'
Merkel, who in the past has insisted that the “two-state solution” is
the best way to end the conflict, appeared to signal at Tuesday’s
Government-to-Government meeting that she would turn down the pressure
on Israel to push for a diplomatic process with the Palestinian
Authority (PA).
"Now is not the time for a significant step
forward [in the two-state solution]," she said during a joint press
conference with Netanyahu in Berlin, according to i24news.
Nevertheless,
Merkel stressed that while substantial progress can't be achieved at
this time, "it is possible to make improvements in specific fields," and
promised Germany's help in doing so, particularly in the economic area.
Merkel’s
remarks echo recent statements by officials in the United States, who
admitted that President Barack Obama recognizes that reaching a
two-state solution before he leaves office is unlikely.
Similar
expressions have been sounded in Israel as well, where opposition
chairman Yitzhak Herzog has also admitted that the “two-state solution”
is not feasible at this time and has offered his own, alternative plan
for peace.
With Syria falling apart a few miles away and Lebanon under the control of the Iranian proxy Hezbullah, is the world finally starting to get it?
While American sources claimed Abbas’ statement was “inaccurate,”
senior Palestinian and Israeli officials alike confirmed that the
Americans were not enthusiastic about such a meeting taking place. They
believe it would be explosive and cause the situation to deteriorate
even further. The Americans have learned from experience. They bear the
battle scars of countless disappointments. They would therefore prefer
to spend time preparing for such a meeting, honing positions,
coordinating expectations and going for a sure thing.
For the past few months, the Americans have been very concerned that they could lose Abbas. The Palestinian president’s status among his own people is getting weaker by the day,
and demonstrations against him are turning violent. A quiet uprising of
sorts against him is already underway in the refugee camps, and it
erupts every so often. In some instances, there has even been an
exchange of fire between insurgent Palestinians and security forces. The
last thing Kerry wants to see is Abbas resign or be deposed and have
the West Bank slip into administrative and military chaos. He’s already
had enough problems like that.
The real drama is taking place behind the scenes on various fronts. Kerry met recently
with the leader of the Israeli opposition, Knesset member and Zionist
Camp head Isaac Herzog. While both sides deny they discussed the
political situation, it is quite safe to assume that they did not skip
over the topic.
Netanyahu made him a very tempting
offer in which Herzog’s party would receive the Foreign, Defense and
Justice ministries. Herzog does want to join the government. He knows
that the position of defense minister (offered for just half a term, in
another year and a half) could help him overcome his image as a weakling
and give him that special something he needs to become prime minister.
Before he can join, however, he will have to convince his own party’s
Central Committee to extend his term as chairman until late 2017. That
is what Netanyahu wants in exchange for the deal. The prime minister is
not willing to forego all these strategic assets only to see Herzog
deposed a few months later and replaced with a new party chair who will
lead the Zionist Camp out of the coalition. If that happened, Netanyahu
would be exposed in every direction.
...
Kerry and the peace team he put together (which has since come apart)
are committed to achieving something. They have no interest in leaving
the negotiations in ruins. It is quite possible he would prefer that negotiations were renewed
after Herzog joins Netanyahu’s government and leads it to the political
center. Not only is Netanyahu’s current government incapable of
conducting negotiations, it wouldn’t last the first 15 minutes. Bringing
24 new Knesset members from the center-left into the coalition would
turn this government into something very different. I assume that Kerry
is kept abreast of the secret contacts between Herzog and Netanyahu and
is keeping his fingers crossed for them.
But there is another issue that is even more significant. On Sept. 2,
Al-Monitor revealed that in his meeting with Abbas on March 17, 2014,
President Barack Obama handed Abbas a proposal for a framework agreement with Israel.
This proposal was based on an earlier draft of a framework agreement
reached between the Israelis and the Americans. That agreement was the
outcome of intense negotiations between Kerry, Netanyahu and their
respective staffs, conducted over many long weeks via video
conferencing. The talks took place on an almost daily basis and lasted
for hours. They eventually resulted in a very volatile document in which
Netanyahu agreed to create a mechanism to rehabilitate the Palestinian
refugees. He even agreed to take in a limited number of refugees (to be
determined by Israel), as well as to the principle of the 1967 borders
serving as the basis for each state (with land swaps).
The one point that Netanyahu refused to concede was the status of
Jerusalem. The Americans inserted an especially explosive clause (making
Jerusalem the capital of two states) and presented it to Abbas.
The Palestinian leader has been true to form and has yet to respond
to Obama’s proposal. Kerry seems concerned that in any potential meeting
between Netanyahu and Abbas, this draft will be raised for discussion.
The ensuing explosion would be nuclear. There is no way Netanyahu could
survive politically once that happened. When the Americans informed the
Israelis about their changes to the draft, the Israelis responded with a
shrug. Netanyahu’s adviser, attorney Yitzhak Molcho, told the
Americans, “You can add whatever you want. The Palestinians will still
say no.”
So Netanyahu has already conceded the 1967 lines (1949 armistice lines) as a 'basis for negotiations,' has already conceded '100% land swaps,' has already conceded the 'right of return,' but hasn't yet conceded Jerusalem. The difference between Netanyahu and Olmert 2008 or Barak 2000 is... quite small.
Aren't you glad we elected a 'right wing government'?
Kerry prevented meeting between Netanyahu and Abu Mazen... because he wants Herzog in the government
'Palestinian' sources claim that US Secretary of State John Kerry recently prevented a meeting between Prime Minister Netanyahu and 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud AbbasAbu Mazen from taking place. While the US State Department is calling the 'Palestinian' version of events 'inaccurate,' the reason that the meeting was apparently blocked is that Kerry is trying to force Netanyahu to form a 'unity government' with Labor party leader Yitzchak Herzog.
On Monday, Abbas met in Paris with four retired Israeli ambassadors. There he said he had expressed a willingness in recent weeks to meet with Netanyahu but that “a third party who is not Israeli” had blocked the meeting. Senior Palestinians and Israelis said Abbas was alluding to an incident that took place this month.
Netanyahu has been conveying to Abbas for weeks now, both publicly and through official and unofficial channels, that he wants to meet to discuss the possibility of reviving the peace process. Netanyahu is doing this amid concerns about initiatives by international players, and amid the escalating violence in the territories and Abbas’ threat to tell the UN General Assembly he will reassess or suspend clauses in the Oslo Accords.
In the framework of the messages between Netanyahu and Abbas, an official who is not American tried to initiate a meeting between the two leaders. Abbas responded positively but said he had to consult with Kerry on the matter.
Palestinian and Israeli officials said Kerry asked Abbas not to hold the meeting and to wait a few weeks until the two met at the UN General Assembly in New York.
A meeting between Abbas and Kerry took place on Saturday night.
It is not entirely clear why Kerry made this unusual request of Abbas. Kerry has been the key international player in recent years trying to promote the peace process. Palestinian officials said Kerry did not want a meeting between Netanyahu and Abbas to take place without American involvement and his personal mediation.
...
One official interested in the peace process with whom Kerry has met is opposition leader Isaac Herzog. The two held a two-hour private meeting 10 days ago in London that dealt almost exclusively with the peace process.
Israeli sources who were informed about the details of the discussion said Kerry did not come with a set plan but told Herzog he wanted to make another effort to push the process forward. Israeli political issues also came up during the meeting; for example, Kerry asked about the government’s stability and Netanyahu’s maneuver room with his current coalition.
According to one Israeli source familiar with details of the meeting, Herzog and Kerry also discussed the scenario of an Israeli unity government. But Herzog told Haaretz that this issue did not come up at all.
A senior U.S. official did not completely deny the matter.
“Kerry was in listening mode during the meeting in London,” he said. “He specifically stated that he and the administration were not in the business of advising on internal Israeli politics. It is entirely up to Israel’s leaders and the Israeli people to make all the choices about the shape of their government.”
Even if Kerry does not admit it publicly, the establishment of a unity government with Herzog’s Zionist Union could buoy the renewed peace initiative Kerry wants to lead.
Independent claims Israel going after Iranian nuke scientists
Some of you might remember that newspaper front page. It's from when Defense Minister Moshe "Boogie" Yaalon called US Secretary of State John Kerry 'Messianic' and 'obsessive' for his continued pursuit of a 'two-state solution' long past the point where it was clear that it was not going to happen. Now, with Kerry having negotiated a deal to make Iran a threshold nuclear state, Yaalon has given an interview to Germany's Der Spiegel, which ends with this.
SPIEGEL: If your army or military chiefs were to inform you next
week or next year that Iran has violated the terms of the deal and
reactivated its military nuclear program, would you recommend air
strikes against the nuclear facilities?
Yaalon: In such a case, we will have to discuss it. At the end,
it is very clear. One way or another, the Iranian military nuclear
ambitions should be stopped. We can in no way tolerate an Iran with
nuclear weapons. We prefer for this to be done through a deal or
sanctions, but in the end, Israel should be able to defend itself.
SPIEGEL: So will we see further deaths of Iranian nuclear scientists through attacks or malware compromising Iranian computer networks?
Yaalon: We should be ready to defend ourselves. I'm not responsible for the lives of Iranian scientists.
Israel’s Defence Minister has appeared to imply
that his country is prepared to assassinate Iran’s nuclear scientists
following a historic deal with the West.
What do they expect us to do - roll over and play dead?
Luckily for Israel, Yitzchak Buji Herzog isn't in charge, because 'roll over and play dead' is exactly what he seems to want to do.
"The agreement with Iran is bad, but the dispute with the US is a family
matter- it should not be conducted in public, where our enemies would
enjoy seeing us disagree.
"I am convinced there is certainly
enough time to reach an understanding between us which will prevent
seriously damaging the relations between Israel and the United States in
the short and long term," he said.
He furthered stated in the
meeting with Democratic congressmen that while he and Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu have major differences in their opinion concerning
the Iran deal, he remains critical of the deal's legitimacy.
He
added, however, that it is not Israel's place to interfere in American
foreign policy: "I have no intention of interfering with American
politics, and do not wish to publicly confront the US President or his
administration. The relations between Israel and the United States are a
key component to our national security."
In other words, if this is what Obama wants to do, we shouldn't try to stop it? Now you know why Herzog is not the country's leader.
Buji Herzog's mea culpa one of many about Gush Katif, most Israeli Jews favor retaking and rebuilding Gaza
Sunday will mark the 10th anniversary of the expulsion of some 8,000 Jews from Gaza. The expulsion was originally scheduled to happen on Tisha b'Av (that year, it actually fell on Sunday and was not delayed to Sunday as it is this year), but at the last minute, the government realized the deep historic symbolism that would evoke and postponed the expulsion (in those days it was all but forbidden to refer to it publicly as an 'expulsion' - it was called a 'disengagement') to Monday, which was the day after the fast.
There have been many mea culpas over the expulsion of Gaza's (often referred to as Gush Katif's because the vast majority of the Jewish residents were there) Jews. But perhaps none so incredible as hearing it from opposition leader Yitzchak 'Buji' Herzog.
Disengagement from Gaza was a mistake in terms of security, Zionist
Union chairman MK Isaac Herzog said Monday. “I don’t believe in the
ability to take unilateral steps diplomatically, but only by agreement,”
opposition leader Herzog added.
Speaking at a conference marking 10 years since the
disengagement, Herzog said he thinks “that it is important to rally
support so that Israel does not become an Arab-Jewish state at the end
of the road. We must go to an agreement, and only an agreement that
stands up to all the difficulties,” he said, the peace agreements with
Egypt and Jordan as examples. The conference was held in Nitzan, a
community near Asheklon where many evacuees of the Gush Katif
settlements in Gaza now live.
Herzog also spoke about the disengagement at a
conference last week sponsored by the Israel Democracy Institute and the
conservative daily Makor Rishon. There, he said that people from his
side of the political spectrum “also need to think about whether the
move in general was right. In principle it was the right move to
separate from the Palestinians. We took 8,000 people out of a sea of
Palestinians, but in implementation it was a decision full of mistakes.”
“Unilateral evacuation caused a feeling of deep
national trauma and the public understands today that when we said Gaza
will be the Hong Kong of the Middle East, we failed to understand and
the opposite happened,” he added. “Any separation that comes must be the
result of agreement with the Palestinians and on the basis of a
regional infrastructure and of an updated Arab peace initiative. Because
unilateral evacuation today, following the lessons of the
disengagement, will not work.”
It was the Left that pushed then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to expel Gush Katif's Jews (apparently threatening him and his sons with jail if they did not carry it out). And once he adopted the cause, he did so with vigor, literally running over the opposition (which was a significant number of Israelis if not a majority).
But here's the truly astounding part: Until now, polls have said that Israelis regret the expulsion but would not consider going back. That's no longer true. 51% of Israeli Jews now believe that the government should retake Gaza and rebuild the Jewish communities that were destroyed ten years ago.
Some 51 percent of Israeli Jews said they were in favor of rebuilding Gush Katif where more than 8,000 Israelis lived prior to the 2005 withdrawal.
The poll published on the NRG news website collected the responses of 587 people. Israel evacuated Gush Katif and parts of northern Samaria in 2005 under a plan launched by then prime minister Ariel Sharon.
The poll, part of a series being conducted by Israeli institutes and
the media upon the ten-year anniversary of the Disengagement, reflects
past polls indicating that the Israeli public is highly pessimistic over the withdrawal. A poll published in Maariv earlier
this month showed that the vast majority of the public believed that
the move represents a political, diplomatic, and domestic failure.
Netanyahu’s hard-line coalition partner, Education Minister Naftali
Bennett added: “Today a terrorist nuclear superpower is born, and it
will go down as one of the darkest days in world history.”
Yeah, but that's only because he's hardline, right? Hmmm. Maybe not.
Israeli social media accounts were filled with images of former
British prime minister Neville Chamberlain, who pushed a policy of
appeasement toward Adolf Hitler and the Nazis on the eve of World War
II.
Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders blasted the deal even as
negotiators in Vienna were still making the announcement and providing
details.
“Israel will defend itself,” Bennett warned, vowing
that military action is still an option for the Jewish State.
Like-minded Israelis feel they are in the crosshairs of a belligerent
enemy, where last week protesters in Tehran were chanting “Death to
Israel!”
Israel’s security cabinet unanimously rejected the Iran
deal, also saying that Israel reserves the right to take action to
protect the state.
But an Israeli attack seems unlikely right now....
Opposition leaders were united in condemning the Iran deal, but they
also called its signing a major diplomatic failure for Netanyahu.
Speaking
on Israel Radio, Efraim Halevy, former head of the Israeli intelligence
agency Mossad, said that perhaps it would have been better to avoid a
head-on clash with Obama and, instead, seek to apply pressure through
more discreet channels and have more of a role in shaping the
negotiations.
Because after all, former Mossad heads have just been so helpful in helping the government deal with this. Nearly as helpful as Israel's 'loyal opposition.'
Yair Lapid, a top opposition figure and leader of an Israeli
political party, said there is “no daylight” between Israelis in
condemning the Iran deal. But he said Netanyahu bungled the diplomacy.
On
the evening news in Israel, a rough consensus among political
commentators concluded that Netanyahu has been rendered irrelevant,
dismissed by the U.S. administration.
The United States remains
Israel’s closest — and sometimes only — ally in the world, supplying
diplomatic cover and billions of dollars in military aid over the years,
including some of the most sophisticated U.S. arms technology.
In
an interview with Israel’s Army Radio, main opposition leaders Isaac
Herzog and Tzipi Livni both criticized Netanyahu for allowing the deal
to be reached.
“If you go to a deal, as bad as it may be, the way
to minimize its damage is by arriving at an agreement with the U.S. on a
very significant security package,” said Herzog.
And that could still happen after (and when and if) the deal is signed. But Obama wouldn't talk about that before the deal with Iran was done.
Oh my... Israeli opposition demands US commit in advance to support Israeli strike on Iran
Either Tzipi Livni and Buzi Herzog finally figured out which way the Israeli political winds are blowing, or there's been a massive double cross of US President Hussein Obama. Or perhaps it's a combination of both. In any event, Livni and Herzog, who were backed by Obama in our recent Knesset elections, have issued a position paper which demands that the United States commit in advance to supporting an Israeli strike on Iran.
The crux of Herzog and
Livni's plan is a call on the American administration to commit in
advance to approve an Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear
facilities if Iran violates the framework agreement signed a week and a
half ago by trying to produce nuclear weapons.
The document was split
into three sections: In the first section, the Zionist Union criticizes
Israel's current official position, which takes serious issue with the
framework agreement reached between world powers reached and Iran, but
fails to articulate improvements.
Their own position paper, they claim, constitutes a practical and detailed proposal to what is considered a "good deal".
"Incessant criticism without constructive suggestions could
leave us at a loss," Herzog told Ynet. "To prevent that we must have a
brave and comprehensive dialogue with the US, down to the last detail,"
he said.
The second part of the position paper presents suggestions on
how to "close the loopholes" in the framework agreement and improve upon
its different sections. The proposed improvements mostly focus on the
conditions and limitations on easing the sanctions on Iran.
The Zionist Union demands that "the removal of sanctions will
only be done gradually in a predefined framework coinciding with the
Iranian deal," the document said demanding that should Iran fail to make
good on its part of the deal sanctions will be automatically reinstated
in full force.
The document also calls for enhanced oversight capabilities for
the UN nuclear watchdog – the IAEA – including access to officials,
documents and sites in which alleged Iranian nuclear activity is taking
place.
The third part of the document focuses on rehabilitating
US-Israel ties, and improviing coordination over Iran while the deal is
being implemented.
According to the opposition leaders, "Israel must change its
regional strategy… and work to strengthen ties with the moderate forces
in the region," a move they say will curb not only Iran's nuclear
program, but its destabilizing activates in the area through local
proxies.
"We must act quickly to change the final deal, and raise the
price of its infringement," Herzog said, indicating the deal itself was
not the true problem, but the aforementioned 'loopholes'. He said that
only a "painful" cost to Iran in the case of a breach in the agreement
would safeguard Israel's security.
The position paper was released after party members received
requests to issue the Zionist Union's official position on the framework
agreement.
Has the 'Zionist Union' finally understood that Israelis won't accept Obama's position on Iran? Or are they just trying to position themselves for what they hope will eventually be a 'unity government'? Either way, this is a massive defeat for the Obama administration, which has tried to depict Prime Minister Netanyahu as a lone wolf in opposing the Iranian nuclear deal.
So much for the Prime Minister's expected bounce in the polls as a result of his address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday: Channel 2 is reporting that it was 'modest' at best.
Israeli
Channel 2 news said Netanyahu’s Likud party had increased its likely
support by one seat in the parliament. On rival Channel 10, Likud had
gained two seats to tie its main challenger.
In answer to Channel 2’s question, “Did the speech strengthen or weaken
support for Netanyahu?” 44 percent of the respondents said it
strengthened support, 43 percent said it had no influence, and 12
percent said it weakened support for the premier.
Israeli political analysts had predicted that Netanyahu and Likud would
probably see at least a small bump in support after he warned U.S.
lawmakers to reject President Obama’s draft deal to curb Iran’s nuclear
program.
...
It is too soon to know whether any electoral boost that Netanyahu gains from the speech will be sustained.
The real scrum of the election has just begun.
Likudniks are hoping the boss’s address to Congress will pull them
ahead of their main challenger, Labor Party leader Isaac Herzog and his
running mate, former justice minister and peace negotiator Tzipi Livni,
who are running under the banner of the Zionist Union.
Herzog and the Zionist Union plan to hammer away on the theme that
Netanyahu’s address to Congress may do nothing to change the Iran
nuclear deal but has spoiled relations with Washington.
Israeli newspapers and TV were filled Wednesday with images of House
Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi looking vexed during Netanyahu’s address.
“I was near tears throughout the prime minister's speech — saddened by
the insult to the intelligence of the United States,” Pelosi said
afterward.
You don't think the newspapers and TV are pulling for Herzog, do you?
The
leadership of the most powerful pro-Israel lobby in the U.S. publicly
broke Sunday from the White House over the issue of Iran policy during
the first of a three-day policy conference in Washington attended by
16,000 of its members.
Leaders
of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or Aipac, outlined a
strategy moving forward of working through Congress to disrupt any
nuclear agreement with Tehran that is deemed too weak in denying the
country a nuclear weapons capability.
This
would be achieved, they said, both by seeking to impose new sanctions
on Iran and to block the White House’s ability to lift standing U.S.
sanctions, which would be required as part of any comprehensive
agreement.
“Congress
has a critical role” in determining this deal, Howard Kohr, Aipac’s
executive director, said in opening remarks aimed at rallying the
group’s membership. “Congress’s role doesn’t end when there is a deal.
Congress must review this deal.”
Mr.
Kohr and other Aipac leaders believe any final agreement with Iran must
involve the complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure,
something Obama administration officials have said is no longer on the negotiating table.
Aipac
also is seeking to impose new sanctions on Iran if there is no
agreement by a late March deadline and to legislate an up-or-down vote
in Congress. The White House is opposing both legislative actions.
AIPAC's position sounds a lot like Netanyahu's position. Waiting to hear whether Herzog and Livni disagree.
Hmmm.... Lapid: We won't recommend Left form next government
לפיד טוען שדבריו הוצאו מהקשרם אך הקלטת הראיון למקור ראשון מוכיחה שהוא אכן אמר: ״לא תמצאו אותי ממליץ על השמאל״, ובוזי זה שמאל?, שאלנו. "כן״
— חגי סגל (@haggai_segal) February 26, 2015
For the Hebrew impaired, the tweet above from Makor Rishon columnist Haggai Segal says "[Yesh Atid party leader Yair] Lapid claims that his words were taken out of context, but the recording of the interview with Makor Rishon proves that he said 'you won't find me recommending [that] the Left [form the next government].' 'And Buzi [Herzog] is the Left,' we asked. 'Yes.'
The way Israel's government works is that after the elections, the President calls in the leader of each party and asks who should be given the first opportunity to try to form a government. The President then charges the leader of the party who seems most likely to succeed to form a coalition. That's why sometimes, even if a party has the most votes, it will not be asked to form the government.
Buzi Herzog has lived through everything and learned nothing
Israel's Left has spent nearly 20 years turning purported Rabin assassin Yigal Amir into the national bogeyman, while accusing the Right - and particularly Binyamin Netanyahu - of inciting the Rabin assassination. Now, the Left is trying to incite the assassination of Naftali Bennett - who is not as pliable as Binyamin Netanyahu - by putting up posters like the one above which claims that Yigal Amir (who is not allowed to vote) has told his family to vote for Bennett.
במחנה הציוני מתחיל לחץ על לבני להודיע שהיא מוותרת על הרוטציה. המטרה: שיקום מנהיגות הרצוג שנפגעה מעניין אם אדלר יצליח. @moshegaon64
— Mazal Mualem (@mazalm3) February 16, 2015
Hmmm... In the 'Zionist Union' party (the combined Labor-Tzipi Livni party) pressure is growing on Livni to waive the rotation to which she and Labor party leader Yitzchak Herzog agreed.
Fat chance that will ever happen. More than any other politician in Israel, Livni is all about 'me me me.'
Tonight on i24news:Daniel Abrahams one of the main backers of v15 is donating to Isaac Herzog,despite denies of both labor party and v15
— lucy aharish (@lucyaharish) February 9, 2015
But of course, V-2015 has nothing to do with the Labor party.... Right....
Livni-Herzog-Obama One Voice Movement keffiyeh says 'the land is ours'
This is the true intent of those who would unseat Prime Minister Netanyahu. And apparently, no one else in Israel is getting it (Hat Tip: Ronn Torossian).
One of the main logos currently being used by “One Voice” is of a man in
keffiah scarf, with his hand outstretched to form the map of the whole
of Israel. Underneath is written “The land is ours."
The source is here but it may be taken down soon. The picture above is a screen cap.
One Voice is part of the V-2015 movement that is promoting the candidacy of Tzipi Livni and Buji Herzog's 'Zionist' movement. They are backed by President Hussein Obama of the United States.
This is the philosophy of Tzipi Livni and Buji Herzog.
This is the ad campaign planned by President Hussein Obama's campaigners.
Israelis to Obama: 'The hell you'll tell us whom to vote for'
President Hussein Obama's efforts to influence Israel's upcoming election may be backfiring. This is Anshel Pfeffer, one of Haaretz's more Leftist writers.
Tonight's @haaretzcom poll is the worst for Labor in a long while: Leaves Herzog with no option for a coalition. Ensures Netanyahu 4th term.
— Anshel Pfeffer (@AnshelPfeffer) February 2, 2015
Haaretz - for those who have forgotten - is Israel's Hebrew 'Palestinian' daily, probably the most Leftist rag among Israel's better known Leftist rags. (By the way, only about 5% of Israelis read Haaretz - they have a much wider audience among the elites in the US and Europe).
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud would win 25 seats and the Labor Camp would secure only 23 if elections were held today, a new poll conducted by Haaretz-Dialog found on Monday.
The poll, which was conducted under the supervision
of Professor Camil Fuchs with a representative sample of 514
respondents, showed Netanyahu gaining three more seats than what his
party was predicted to win in the last poll conducted in January. The
margin of error in the poll was 4.2 percent.
Naftali Bennett's Habayit Hayehudi weakened in this poll to receive 14 seats, compared to 16 in the last survey.
The Joint List (Hadash and Arab parties) strengthened, predicted to win
12 seats, while Yesh Atid weakened from 12 to nine seats.
Kulanu and United Torah Judaism were both slated
for eight seats, while Yisrael Beiteinu and Shas were predicted to
receive six seats. Respondents gave Meretz five seats and Yachad was
predicted to get four.
That would put the Right at 25+14+8+6+6+4 = 63, the Left at 23+9+5 = 37, the Arabs (who have never been in any coalition at 12 and Kulanu (which really could go either way) at 8.
In its efforts to avoid running afoul of Israel's strict campaign finance laws, V-15 has argued that they are 'non-partisan' and that their sole message is that the 'Left and Center' should form the next government. Really? Then why was a Knesset candidate from Tzipi (Livni) and Buzi (Herzog)'s party listed as an officer on the organization's web site until Saturday?
Former MK Yoel Hasson,
formerly of Kadima and now number 16 on the joint Labor-Hatnuah (Zionist
camp) list, claims that he holds no post in the umbrella organization
called OneVoice, whose activities are linked with V15. But until this
weekend, Hasson's name and picture appeared on the organization's Web
page as a member of the board. On Saturday, the picture was removed.
According to Hasson, "I never held any
position in OneVoice. I have no involvement with V15 -- I didn't know it
existed until I read the media reports. What matters is not what it
says on a website, but what is written in the Registrar of Associations'
records, and there I obviously don't appear, and never have appeared,
as holding any kind of position."
For the record, according to current polls, number 16 is a very realistic position for the 'Zionist camp' list - Hasson could well be in the next Knesset.
But as a matter of law, he's wrong, at least if the Registrar of Associations works like the Companies Registrar (a bureaucracy with which I deal fairly regularly). The registrar's records don't control. While it's required to notify the registrar, what's controlling is actually the entity's books.
In the meantime, one cannot escape the feeling that V-15 expects to be barred. Otherwise, why would they be behaving like the elections are next week when they're six weeks away.
V15's website reveals the
scope of its activities: On Friday, dozens of volunteers around the
country went door to door in efforts to convince Israeli citizens not to
vote for Netanyahu face to face. The activity was overseen by fully
paid field coordinators. According to assessments, the group's payroll
includes dozens of paid staff. The total cost is estimated at 10 million shekels.
The group's objective is to reach more than 150,000 homes before election day.
It shouldn't take six weeks for 'dozens' of volunteers to reach 150,000 people.
Livni-Herzog campaign being financed by 'Palestinian-Americans'
This should tell you all you need to know about the ideology and financing behind the effort to unseat Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Yes, it's being run by Barack Hussein Obama's Presidential campaign. But it's being paid for by 'Palestinian-Americans.' This came by email from Ronn Torossian.
Do prospective
voters in Israel of “The Zionist Camp” identify with ideological
backing from Hamadeh? One thinks that his ideology is most likely not in
line with the mainstream voters that
Issac
Herzog and Tzipi
Livni are chasing.
Well, maybe. But Sumka and Hamdeh definitely appear to be in line with Livni's and Herzog's ideology. And those 'mainstream voters' aren't sophisticated enough to know the difference, because they likely get their news from the likes of Haaretz and Yediot (YNet's Hebrew side).
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
