Prime Minister of Israel Scared and Cancelling Israeli Election

[Magicman]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501713_1...ction-canceled


Israeli president: Early election canceled

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the weekly cabinet meeting at his Jerusalem office, Monday, May 7, 2012. Netanyahu said Monday his Likud Party is going to propose Sept. 4 as the date for early elections. (AP Photo/Gali Tibbon, Pool) (Gali Tibbon)
JERUSALEM — In a stunning reversal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called off early elections Tuesday after reaching an agreement to bring the main opposition party into the government, a move that puts a more moderate face on his hawkish coalition.

The deal to include the centrist Kadima Party, announced just a day after Netanyahu set early elections in motion, could have implications for a possible Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities and help Netanyahu fend off challenges over an array of issues from partners in his current coalition.

President Shimon Peres' office confirmed media reports early Tuesday that Netanyahu had struck an agreement with Kadima, parliament's largest party. There was no comment from Netanyahu, who had announced Monday that he would seek to move up national elections to Sept. 4, more than a year ahead of schedule. Netanyahu's current governing coalition has been dominated by religious and nationalist partners that failed to seriously engage the Palestinians. The coalition has also been criticized for promoting a series of bills that appeared to stifle dissent by targeting dovish groups critical of government policy.

Kadima had resisted joining the government when former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni was at the party's helm, because she did not think Netanyahu was serious about reaching a peace deal with the Palestinians.

But Livni, who had been chief peace negotiator under the preceding Kadima-led government, recently lost her bid to remain party leader to Shaul Mofaz, a former military chief and defense minister who will become deputy prime minister under the new coalition agreement.

Last week, she quit the party, whose fortunes flagged under her leadership and have not revived since Mofaz took over, according to the latest polls. The surveys predicted the party would drop to about a dozen seats in parliament, compared to its current 28.

Mofaz, too, has accused Netanyahu of not seeking a peace deal forcefully enough, and has also been a vocal critic of any unilateral Israeli military attack on Iran's nuclear sites.

With Kadima in the government, Netanyahu could have broader backing to make concessions to the Palestinians and face added pressure to show restraint on Iran, though Mofaz has a history of flip-flopping.

Israel, like the West, thinks Iran is developing nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies. But Israel repeatedly has hinted it might strike Iran if it concludes U.S.-led diplomacy and sanctions have failed.

Netanyahu has hinted at the possibility of an Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities and has repeatedly insisted on Israel's sovereign right to act if it feels threatened. He has not, however, made an open threat.

Israel considers Iran a threat to its survival because of its nuclear and missile development programs, frequent references to Israel's destruction by Iranian leaders, and Tehran's support of violent anti-Israeli groups in Lebanon and Gaza.

Reports of Netanyahu's agreement to bring Kadima into his government emerged shortly after Israel's parliament held debates long into the night over whether to break up.

The agreement stabilizes a coalition that had frayed over domestic issues such as drafting the ultra-Orthodox into the military and tearing down illegally built structures in West Bank settlements. With Kadima in, Netanyahu's government will encompass 94 of parliament's 120 lawmakers.

Kadima agreed to join Netanyahu's government on condition it supports scrapping widespread exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews, media said. Disputes within his coalition over drafting the ultra-Orthodox had been a main reason Netanyahu decided to bring forward the election date.

The new government "will try to reach a formula acceptable to all," said Yakov Betzalel, a spokesman for the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party, which opposes a blanket draft.

Parliament Speaker Reuven Rivlin, a veteran of Israeli politics, said he had never seen such a last-minute political upheaval. "This is good for Israel because it brings stability, he said on Army Radio as he left parliament before sunrise.

Israel's Labor Party called the move "ridiculous" and said it would remain in the opposition.

[Inkblots]

Um, Bibi definitely wasn't "scared", Likud is way up in the polls. There's another reason entirely he elected to broaden his coalition:

Now, Netanyahu is at his most comfortable. Instead of been dependant on the mood swings of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and the Likud's right-wing representatives, he has a coalition with two wings, between which he can maneuver. At times he'll break right, at others left, all according to the needs of the moment. He can throw a bone to Lieberman and then to Mofaz; build a settlement and evacuate illegal structures. At times he’ll indicate that war with Iran is near and at others he'll give U.S. President Barack Obama's diplomatic overtures a chance. No politician can dream up of a more perfect situation.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national...again-1.429025

[roho76]

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman

Is that what they call Mr Joe over there?

[Inkblots]

That Avigdor Lieberman is no joke. A right powder keg, that one. He makes John McCain sound restrained.

[Magicman]

Um, Bibi definitely wasn't "scared", Likud is way up in the polls. There's another reason entirely he elected to broaden his coalition:

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national...again-1.429025

You do realize that what you sent me comes from Israeli hawks and nothing they write should be taken seriously.

[Inkblots]

You do realize that what you sent me comes from Israeli hawks and nothing they write should be taken seriously.

I am aware of Haaretz's editorial line, however what they are saying here makes sense. Even Bibi's opponents admit he would have won the election had he called it this summer:

The main towering advantage of postponing the elections until late 2013 is that it ensures only another year and a half of one of the worst governments Israel has ever had – a government that drove hundreds of thousands to the streets in economic desperation, pushed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict past the point of no return, and explicitly set out to mutilate Israel’s democratic process and what remained of its democratic character. If elections were held in four months, all polls bar none showed a resounding Likud victory, the same majority for the right-wing bloc, and ergo – probably a very similar government for another four years. Whatever terrible damage a super-sized coalition majority can do – it’s better to have this for 18 months, than for up to four more years.

http://972mag.com/bright-side-of-coa...umbered/44993/

[gwax23]

Haaretz is a very leftist anti Bibi paper if anything. Netanyahu was hardly scared. He and Likud could of picked up seats in the knesset had the elections gone through. Plenty in fact. Kadima would have died as a party without this deal.

Now he has greater influence and flexibility. Its a win for him on all counts not a loss.

Using "Scared" is terrible description of what is actually going on behind the scenes.

[Magicman]

Haaretz is a very leftist anti Bibi paper if anything. Netanyahu was hardly scared. He and Likud could of picked up seats in the knesset had the elections gone through. Plenty in fact. Kadima would have died as a party without this deal.

Now he has greater influence and flexibility. Its a win for him on all counts not a loss.

Using "Scared" is terrible description of what is actually going on behind the scenes.

Your post is about irrelevant as Netanyahu's re-election, nobody should respect your opinion when you have only 2 posts, go away and don't come back until your brainwashed with Israeli propaganda.

[specsaregood]

go away and don't come back until your brainwashed with Israeli propaganda.

or better yet, ignore that ^, we dont all feel the need to be $#@!s all the time on this site. just some of us, and sometimes.

[Magicman]

or better yet, ignore that ^, we dont all feel the need to be $#@!s all the time on this site. just some of us, and sometimes.

Nah man, sorry I'm not an 'enabler' I call a spade a spade I don't act like an $#@! only to the fake Mitt Romney supporters who are posing as us and I will continue to do so to teach them a lesson.

[gwax23]

Your post is about irrelevant as Netanyahu's re-election, nobody should respect your opinion when you have only 2 posts, go away and don't come back until your brainwashed with Israeli propaganda.

How on earth is my post irrelevant and how on earth am I a "romney poser"

Furthermore what the hell is my post is "Israeli propaganda?"

I would hardly call me explaining the reasons behind an internal Israeli political move (The basis of this thread) to "Israeli propaganda" thats like me discussing the inner workings of the communist party in china.... in a thread about Communist china and you calling me a "Communist" or spreading "Chinese propaganda."

Maybe you should be less of a douchebag to new posters, try reading and comprehending the OP and my post before you make dickish statements.

I volunteered with the Ron Paul campaign in 08 and in this primary. Im a proud gun owning libertarian. But yeah congrats on your post count....

[Intoxiklown]

nobody should respect your opinion when you have only 2 posts,

Yes, because we all know intelligence is based purely on how many posts one has on an internet forum.

No one should respect an opinion when someone is so pompous to make a statement like that.