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Gantz and Netanyahu, together again — 17 Comments

1. Well, well; another cause for democrats here in the USA to weep.

   Maybe somebody out there can explain to me why the Jewish members of the democratic party in congress tolerate and yes, accept, the several blatantly hard core anti-semites within their party.
   Is it because Pelosi is an Italian-American??
   The democrats can’t even pass one of those meaningless, waste of time resolutions condemning these members (about as useful as Congress passing one of their useless, meaningless, waste of time, contempt of Congress votes) condemning the Hitlerian commentary from some of their membership.

   Then again, Herr Bernie Sanders is right in there with his pro-Palestinian, anti-Semitic commentary. Bernie in his past life must have been a KAPO in one of Hitler’s death camps or maybe just a Greiferin.
   By the way, has anyone noticed that the dems are looking to ostracize Herr Sanders not because they disagree with the policies he promotes, but only because they think he has no chance beating Trump.

   As someone once said, if the PLO/Hamas disarms, there will be peace; if Israel disarms, there will be 6.7 million murdered jews.
   But hey, if this actually happened, rest assured that the demokrat party will find a way to show how the dead jews deserved to be murdered.
   Lastly, most American jewish voters vote demokrat.
   Please explain that to me.

2. The title says Granz, not Gantz

3. Marisa:

   Thanks! I’ll fix the typo.

4. John Tyler:

   On the use of the word “kapo” as a term of insult.

5. I have the sense (from afar, and only through casual observation) that the Israeli politics is as burdened or worse by the overwhelming dominance by hard leftists of their media, legal community (i.e., Judiciary) and higher Ed. as the American political scene.

   This is the problem which — apart from Wuhan virus — and their hateful middle-eastern enemies remains to be solved as an outstanding issue. The Supreme Court thinks it can usurp the powers of the Knesset, for instance. Netanyahu can be singled out for a bill of attainder.

   It’s nuts, but it’s also real. The Israelis need to come to grips with this, and soon, before their necessary consensus in self-defense is permitted to perish, and with it, potentially, their State.

6. Byzantine. I’ll go with Byzantine for $2000, Alex.

7. Liel Leibovitz, Tablet: Bibi, King of Israel, The most talented politician in Israeli history cracks his demented foes like walnuts

   https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/bibi-king-of-israel

   A chunk:

   If you’ve been otherwise preoccupied, here’s a very brief summary of Israel’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad month:

   After Netanyahu won Israel’s third and most recent round of elections, Blue and White maneuvered to create a narrow coalition that could finally dethrone him. Their only path to power was a partnership with the Arab-Israeli Joint List, a move many of the party’s supporters—as well as some of its senior Members of Knesset—opposed. To rise on the shoulders of an anti-Zionist party whose members frequently cheer on Palestinian terrorists, went their logic, would be unthinkable.

   Still, with the Joint List’s support, Blue and White could at least make Bibi’s life miserable: With a narrow majority of 61 MKs, Blue and White’s leaders demanded that the speaker of the Knesset, Likud’s Yuli Edelstein, resign. They also insisted on securing for themselves the chairmanship of all of the Knesset’s most prominent committees, even though that privilege is traditionally reserved to the party with the most Knesset seats, which is Likud.

   These demands incensed Edelstein. The venerable refusnik has been serving as the Knesset’s speaker for the past seven years, and is widely regarded as a fair arbiter who frequently transcends partisan considerations and upholds the letter of the law. And the law, he reminded his colleagues, was on his side: According to the Israel’s “Basic Law: The Knesset,” in the event of an election, the Knesset has to elect a new speaker prior to approving a new government. Nothing, however, indicates or requires that this be done any sooner than the moment of approval. With no putative government on the horizon, Edelstein said, there was no reason, precedent, or law that required him to step down.

   Blue and White appealed to the Supreme Court. Edelstein submitted his written defense, which was rejected less than an hour later—which some Israeli legal commentators I spoke with saw as a sign that the court had written its brief well in advance. The court’s order was clear: Edelstein must immediately hold a vote and select his successor.

   Rather than obey what he considered a blatant violation of the separation of powers, Edelstein resigned. In an uncharacteristically fiery speech, he accused the court’s decision of being rooted in “a partisan and extreme interpretation” that constitutes “arrogant interference by the judicial branch in the workings of the legislative branch.” The decision, Edelstein concluded, “undermines the foundations of Israeli democracy.”

   rtwt

8. Every time one of the Parliamentary democracies has problems forming a government, I give thanks to our founders. Our Congress doesn’t need a majority party or coalition to function, our President will be elected in some manner. And fringe 3rd parties will not have outsized influence.
   There was a fiction piece in “Look” in 1968, . In a 3 way race, it was Nixon/Lindsay vs Johnson(or maybe Humphrey)/Bobby K vs Wallace. No electoral majority and the House deadlocks on President 25/25. Bobby Kennedy, however, is elected VP and becomes acting President.

9. sdferr on March 27, 2020 at 8:11 pm said:
   Liel Leibovitz, Tablet: Bibi, King of Israel, The most talented politician in Israeli history cracks his demented foes like walnuts
   * * *
   Excellent – thanks for the link.
   However, the fact that the loony leftists are still in some seats of power, and are undoubtedly making inroads with the younger generation, just like ours, means that someday, sooner or later, they may acquire enough positions to dominate the decision making, much to Israel’s detriment.

   Bibi will not always be King.

10. Bibi will not always be King.

    Heh. That’s what Jimmy Madison said. Which is why the Israelis need to get their architecture right, as currently it stinks.

    To be serious for a moment, this particular job is nothing short of monumental, one which, actually, is far beyond the capacity of Bibi Netanyahu’s skills and talents. Reflective too of our tremendous, stupendous good fortune in the birth of the US, having so many concerted, superb political thinkers and doers in one place at one time. A frigging miracle, truly. What a shame we’ve pissed it away on the ideas of the likes of W. Wilson, FDR, et alia.

11. “Lastly, most American jewish voters vote demokrat.
    Please explain that to me.”

    the percent that does perfectly matches the percent that marries out.
    or to quote the meme
    what’s the difference between Trump and Jewish liberals?
    Jewish Grandchildren

12. sdferr: Agree.
    Our erosion began with the birth of the Progressives circa 1900. Woodrow did his best to destroy the Constitution. But preceding him was ratification of the 16th Amendment, allowing a federal income tax in order to tax “only” the very few super-rich, as was claimed at the time. So was born the Federal Monster.

    As to Israel, it is doomed in the long term because its anti-semitic Arab Muslim citizens, 25% of the population, are out-reproducing Israeli Jews. They are 80% Sunni. The internal Muslim anti-Jew hostility is striking.

13. As to Israel, it is doomed in the long term because its anti-semitic Arab Muslim citizens, 25% of the population, are out-reproducing Israeli Jews.

    http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/269748

    They aren’t.

14. Our Congress doesn’t need a majority party or coalition to function, our President will be elected in some manner. And fringe 3rd parties will not have outsized influence.

    And yet Israelis have somehow managed to keep Bibi in office all these years. It’s almost as if there’s a higher power looking after them.

    As to the fringe parties, the always brilliant Carolyn Glick has argued that the higher threshold for parties to have representation in the Knesset backfired, in that different political factions were forced to unite under “ethnicity” rather than ideology, and that gave rise to the recent stalemate.

15. Some random notes on this from up close here in Israel:

    1. Yes, as some posters noted, Israel has the same problem with left-leaning media, academia, and judiciary as the States. Bibi’s victory comes after attempts to use lawfare against him – after 30 years of going through his garbage cans, all they have is a gift of some cigars and a phone call in which he shmoozes with a newspaper editor to get better coverage. The Left attempted to spin this into a corruption scandal – and the public would have nothing of it.

    2. The drafting of Ganz is a re-run of Rabin in some ways – the Left-labor axis has shrunk pitifully, and they recruited a general to disguise themselves. The Israeli public saw through this – and while quarantined at home, they saw Ganz’s hard-left partners engage in petty politics when leadership was required. The Labor movement that founded this country is now perceived as weak, unpatriotic, and unworthy of leadership.

    3. Ganz himself? Skilled enough to navigate the army ranks, but a novice in this new kind of politics. He looks good – until he opens his mouth, and is ungraceful when forced off-script. He figured out what he had to do to save his one chance at politics. Now we’ll see if the public warms or cools after continued exposure.

    4. As in the States, those of us on the conservative side are astounded that an empty balloon like Blue and White got so many votes. Their vacuous slogan was “it’s time to move on” – as if the nation were picking a brand of hair conditioner.

    BlueWhite’s subsequent willingness to sit with the Arab parties was a slap in the face to the MOR non-religious Israelis who gave them their votes. Each time the Left tips its hand, more and more of these people are disenchanted (literally – they awake from their media-induced spell!) and move Right.

    5. One mystery in all this was the political conversion of Ya’alon – the third leg of BlueWhite – who until recently was a straight-shooting hawk who supported the settler movement. Personal animosity towards Bibi – which motivated Liberman – cannot entirely explain his behavior.

16. Thank you for giving your valuable perspective Ben David. May I ask, who do you think will either successfully present himself or be called forward to lead the political conservatives and people of consequential moderation when Netanyahu decides to step aside?

17. Art Deco:
    From your source: “Births to Arab women made up 23.5% of all live births in Israel in 2018, compared to 23.8% in 2017, 24.5% in 2010, and 29.9% in 2000.”
    So I agree with your idea of the trend. And stand corrected.
    Israeli Muslims are the largest minority in Israel.
    We shall have to see how the recent surge in Israeli Jews’ birth rate plays out over time. I suspect it will fall gradually below that of the Arabs’ and come to mimic Europe’s appallingly low numbers.

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