Can you have a coalition without a coalition chairman?
Coalition Chairman Zev Elkin (Likud) is steaming over Prime Minister Netanyahu's decision to
expel the Jews of the Ulpana from their homes.
Speaking on Israel Radio, coalition chairman Ze'ev Elkin said that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was making a “grave mistake” in his decision to demolish five apartment buildings in the Ulpanah neighborhood of Beit El. He called on Likud members to support a law to ensure that the residents of the buildings will be able to remain in their homes. The bill comes up for a vote Wednesday.
Earlier, Elkin said that he “hopes that the ministers who promised to support the law will fulfill their promises on Wednesday. The decision to evacuate the neighborhood is a dangerous precedent, and there is a great likelihood that in the wake of this decision we will see a wave of demands and petitions to the High Court to dismantle more neighborhoods in Judea and Samaria.”
So will Elkin actually support the law? Or will he be a chameleon like every other Israeli politician (see "Netanyahu: Disengagement") and vote against it at the last minute?
Labels: Beit El, outposts, Zev Elkin
Den of fools
Unfortunately, there is bad news this evening. This is a summary from Israel Radio's midnight news broadcast.
President Obama got off his plane in Washington and praised Prime Minister Netanyahu for his efforts to advance an extension of the 'settlement freeze.' Obama says this shows that Netanyahu is serious, even though it's not easy for him to push the freeze through. If the 'settlement freeze' extension happens, says Obama, hopefully talks with the 'Palestinians' will resume immediately.
In Israel the word is that 'nothing' is decided yet. Israel has conditions that haven't been fulfilled, and once they're fulfilled, the 'settlement freeze extension' will be brought for a decision in security cabinet. There are apparently enough votes to pass the extension in the security cabinet and in the full cabinet, although the Shas ministers may abstain rather than vote in favor because their voters will punish them if they vote in favor. Eli Yishai - Shas' leader - is in favor.
Likud members Yuli Edelstein, Zev Elkin, Yariv Levine, Tzipi Hotovely and Danny Danon will meet tomorrow in Edelstein's office to try to find a way to stop Netanyahu. Edelstein is a minister, and Elkin the coalition chair. There is very little they can do. They apparently don't have the votes in the cabinet. I have not done a count but Israel Radio said it would pass narrowly.
There are demonstrations outside the home of Shas leader Eli Yishai this evening, calling on Shas to vote against the freeze. Good luck with that. With Shas, it's always just
a question of price.
In more important news, the IDF reports that Hamas reconstituted itself since Operation Cast Lead. It has access within 24 hours to rockets that can hit Tel Aviv. The IDF complains that Egypt is not doing enough to prevent weapons from entering Gaza. So now we are setting ourselves on a road where it will be equally easy for them to enter Judea and Samaria.
Israel saved Yasser Arafat when he was at his weakest by insisting on Oslo. Now we will save Obama when he is at his weakest by giving him a foreign policy accomplishment immediately after a disastrous trip to the Far East where he accomplished nothing.
With this den of fools in charge of the country, what could go wrong?
Labels: Barack Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu, Eli Yishai, Yuli Edelstein, Zev Elkin
Coalition Chairman Zev Elkin (Likud) is steaming over Prime Minister Netanyahu's decision to expel the Jews of the Ulpana from their homes. 
