He writes:
The abrupt termination of Israel’s 21st Parliament with new elections being called for 17 September has seen the New York Times claiming that Israel has been plunged into unprecedented political chaos.
A more sober assessment – based on comparing Israel’s 2015 election results with the April 2019 results – provides a different picture – in which Prime Minister Netanyahu will be returned once again as Israel’s next Prime Minister.
In an earlier article written in March, I opined:
“The cards have certainly been stacked against Benjamin Netanyahu being Israel’s next Prime Minister after three recent major developments — but he is by no means down and out.”Those developments were:
- Israeli Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit’s decision to pursue Netanyahu for alleged criminal offences.
- Three political parties coalescing into the Blue and White Party — promising that two of the three previous leaders — former Chief of Staff Benny Gantz and Yesh Atid’s Yair Lapid — would each be Prime Minister for half of the next Government’s term of office.
- Netanyahu’s role in precipitating a marriage of convenience between Jewish Home, National Union and an extreme right-wing party Otzma Yehudit with alleged links to the assassinated Rabbi Meir Kahane’s banned political party Kach
“The 2015 election results provide a useful guide as to the likely impact these three developments might have on Netanyahu’s chances:Netanyahu won that race – the April 2019 election results revealing:
Likud’s low supporter-base seems unlikely to desert Netanyahu.
- the Likud Party only received 23.4% of the vote—hardly a ringing endorsement for Netanyahu and
- 72% of those eligible voted—very high when compared to America’s 58.1%.
Voter turnout would have to increase dramatically or huge swings away from other right-wing parties would be needed to give Blue and White the nod needed to be invited by President Rivlin to form a coalition Government ahead of Netanyahu.
The unknown elephants in the room are the number of terrorist attacks and international political developments affecting Israel in the next five weeks that will concentrate voters’ minds — when actually casting their votes – on who can best safeguard their personal safety and Israel’s security.
Netanyahu is certainly not out of the race”.
- Voter turnout went down from 72% to 68%
- Netanyahu’s Likud party vote went up from 23.4% to 26.46%
- The party forcing the fresh September elections by refusing to join a Likud-led coalition – Yisrael Beiteinu headed by Avigdor Liberman – saw its vote reduced from 214906 to 173004
The US State Department has confirmed the Conference will go ahead notwithstanding Israel’s snap elections in September.
Add to this the likely possibility that before the September elections:
- Trump could recognise Israel’s political claims to sovereignty in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) as he did in the Golan Heights prior to the April elections
- There could be further terror attacks against Israel from Gaza and the West Bank followed by swift Netanyahu-directed responses
“Bibi got elected. Now, all of a sudden, they’re going to have to go through the process again until September? That’s ridiculous.”Netanyahu – based on the April 2019 election results and Trump’s anticipated pro-Israel decisions – is odds-on favourite to be Israel’s next Prime Minister.
(Author’s note: The cartoon — commissioned exclusively for this article — is by Yaakov Kirschen aka “Dry Bones”- one of Israel’s foremost political and social commentators — whose cartoons have graced the columns of Israeli and international media publications for decades. His cartoons can be viewed at Drybonesblog)
It may all depend on how Bibi performs over thenext six months. If he does well--he should be reelected. If he performs badly, responds weakly to Hamas or Hezbollah aggression, etc.--he will probably lose.
ReplyDeleteIn 1958, former director of UNRWA Ralph Galloway
ReplyDeletedeclared angrily while in Jordan:
“The Arab states do NOT want to solve
the [Palestinian] refugee problem.
They want to keep it as an open sore,
as an affront to the United Nations,
and as a weapon against Israel.
Arab leaders do not give a damn
whether Arab refugees live or die.”
SOURCE: From Time Immemorial:
The Origins of the Arab-Jewish Conflict
over Palestine (chapter 2, page 23)
by Joan Peters, year 1984, JKAP Publications
===================================
“Pornographic files are commonly found
on the computers captured when terrorists
are arrested or killed—including the
computers captured when terrorists
are arrested or killed—including
computers found in the Bin Laden compound.
Nor are animals safe:
a sniper rifle sight using thermal imagery
captured two Taliban fighters satisfying
themselves with a donkey.”
SOURCE: Al Qaeda, the Islamic State,
and the Global Jihadist Movement:
What Everyone Needs to Know
(chapter 3, page 68) by Daniel Byman,
Oxford University Press, year 2015,
ISBN: 019021726X (paperback) ISBN: 9780190217266
(paperback) ISBN: 0190217251 ISBN: 9780190217259
===================================
Mr. Dennis Prager said:
“According to Pew Research, approximately
10 percent of world Muslims have a favorable
opinion of the Islamic State and terror against
civilians. That's more than 100 million people.”
SOURCE: The World Is Getting Worse
But This Time America Won't Save It
by Dennis Prager, 2016 March 8,
seen in Jewish World Review
===================================
If you want the truth about Israel
and the Middle East, then do not waste
your time with the FAKE NEWS
of The New York Times and the
Israel-bashing mainstream-news-media.
Instead, visit these web sites:
www.jns.org
www.algemeiner.com
www.memri.org
www.aish.com
www.DanielPipes.org
www.camera.org
www.UKMediaWatch.org
www.HonestReporting.com