Since last week’s elections, I’ve been thinking about the size of political parties in Israel. We have gone from a Knesset in which the largest party has as many as 56 seats (Mapai in the seventh Knesset), or one in which two parties have over 40 seats (the Alignment and Likud in the tenth Knesset) [...]
Archive for the ‘Knesset’ Category
Why the Bigger Parties Are Smaller
Posted in Israel, Knesset, Politics on February 21, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Peretz is a Delusional Idiot
Posted in Elections, Israel, Knesset, Politics, Ridiculous, Stupidity on February 15, 2009 | 3 Comments »
In light of Labor’s dismal showing at the polls, Amir Peretz thinks he can win back the chairmanship of the Labor Party. This is the former labor leader who shut down the country at whim, turned Defense Minister and cost Israeli lives and a failed war.
I hope he wins. It will truly spell the end [...]
National Unity Government?
Posted in Elections, Israel, Knesset, Media, Politics on February 12, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Shmuel Rosner, whose analysis is generally very good, has been pushing a theory over the last couple of days regarding the will of the Israeli electorate, claiming the elections were “a victory for the center,” and that the public wants a national unity government. Rosner argues that people did not vote along ideological lines, rather [...]
Livni + Lieberman?
Posted in Elections, Israel, Knesset, Politics on February 11, 2009 | 4 Comments »
There are two ways in which Kadima and Yisrael Beitenu will be members of the same coalition. Either under Livni or under Bibi. As I’ve already said, the only way Livni can form a coalition is if Lieberman sells out. Yes, Bibi could join a Livni-led coalition, but if Lieberman holds his own, I don’t [...]
More Analysis – and “Make Your Own Coalition”
Posted in Elections, Israel, Knesset, Politics on February 11, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Netanyahu has announced he will not agree to a rotation arrangement with Livni, saying, “We will not [agree to] a rotation government, we intend to form the [largest possible coalition] government.”* To me, this says one of two things:
Option 1 – he will try to head a coalition, with Kadima as a member. I [...]
Livni, Not a Failure?
Posted in Elections, Israel, Knesset, Politics, Ridiculous on February 11, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I think it’s pretty incredible how Peretz, Halutz and Olmert are all remembered as complete failures for the disgrace in Lebanon 2.5 years ago. Yet, somehow Livni managed to emerge untainted. And she’s the architect of the failure known as UNSC 1701…
Anyone care to proffer an explanation?
Preliminary Elections Analysis
Posted in Israel, Jewish, Knesset, Media on February 10, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Early results are trickling in (official Knesset site, but only in Hebrew), and calculations of electoral math has begun. Results, which have been relatively stable seem to suggest that the largest party will be Kadima, headed by Livni, with 28 seats. Yet, she will only be able to claim the premiership if one of the [...]
Celebration of Democracy?
Posted in Elections, Israel, Jewish, Knesset, Politics on February 10, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Israel pretends to be a free country. However, it seems that when things get a little difficult, the authorities prefer to capitulate in the face of threats, rather than live up to their responsibilities.
Last week, Justice Eliezer Rivlin turned down Mazuz’s request to deny Baruch Marzel from officiating as chairman of the ballot committee in [...]
Things Never Really Change
Posted in Gaza, Israel, Knesset, Middle East, Politics on January 19, 2009 | 2 Comments »
The Realist summarizes Cast Lead, and I agree with much of what he said, including his conclusions about what needs to be done next. He says that the political situation needs to be stabilized before we know what will happen, of course – but unfortunately I do not see a real routing of Hamas happening [...]
Truce? What Truce?
Posted in Gaza, Israel, Jewish, Knesset, Media, Middle East, Politics, Stupidity on January 17, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Ynet reports: “Israel declares unilateral Gaza truce.” Wrong. A truce cannot be unilateral. A truce is agreed upon. This a capitulation, yet another mistake in a long line of errors, collectively known as Olmert’s policies.
Regardless of why this operation was initiated, or why now, Hamas is an enemy that doesn’t only need to be “hit [...]
