Elections 2019: Take Two

New elections set for September. The electorate at least knows what to expect from those claiming to be right minded political parties. This can all be for the best.

Avigdor Lieberman said, "there must be a government that reflects the interests of the entire public."
My question is... Does he feel Chareidim have interests that need reflecting too? They got 10 more seats than him and he feels he can dictate all terms.

Shas chairman and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri confirmed Bibi's version of the story.
"Netanyahu poured out his heart after the elections. He was very hurt and told me that he could not form a government because he knew that Liberman was determined not to let him establish it," he added.

"I thought I was hearing hallucinatory things. I told him he was wrong. This is the first time I felt extorted," the Shas chairman said. "We did not know that we had such an ideological opponent. I feel attacked and hurt. One man decided to drag Israel to elections because of hatred. It pains me."

Minister Deri stressed that even after the next elections, Shas will support Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. "As we proved in the last elections, whoever votes for Shas votes for Netanyahu and Shas. We will continue with the line and support Netanyahu and he is our only candidate."

Whereas Agudath Yisrael had previously agreed to Netanyahu's suggested compromise on the draft issue, but Leiberman rejected that as well.

I was impressed by the growth of Lieberman as Defense Minister, but despite all the hard work to prepare the banquet, the food has spoiled. Even if he is right about being tougher with Hamas, I can no longer, in good conscience, recommend him anymore as an option to vote for. He is not to be relied on to join any government that is not prepared to give him every single item of all that he asks.

Tourism Minister Yariv Levin, who headed the Likud’s coalition negotiating team, said it was clear to him that Avigdor Liberman was not planning to join a prospective government. That was clear, Levin said Thursday in an interview on Reshet Bet, because of the “ridiculous” demands he made as his price for doing so.

“Unfortunately, it was clear to me that Liberman was not interested in joining the government, for several reasons – among this his unbelievable stance on the draft law.” Liberman had demanded that the law be passed on its second and third reading in exactly the same form that Yisrael Beytenu proposed it in its first reading – something that never happens, Levin said. “There is no such thing as a bill that is not changed in its second and third reading,” he added.

Although there are only five Yisrael Beytenu MKs, Liberman demanded that his party get three ministries, and directorship of five government offices.

Lieberman essentially made an impossible demand and then cried out, "Look, the Chareidim and Bibi said no!!" He implied that Likud member(s) did not keep previous agreements that were made behind the scenes. Yet publicly he is presenting a person that does not seem to even care about the opinions of those who do not agree with him. If he is as correct, as he feels that he is, he has certainly not presented a sufficient case for his stance. We are left with only his obstructionism as his way of explanation.
 

Likud’s top coalition negotiator Yariv Levin, attacked Israel Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman on Thursday morning: “The other partners showed responsibility and were willing to make far-reaching compromises to meet Liberman [more than] half way – and everyone had agreed in advance he would receive a much larger share, just so he would have no excuse and no reason to enter the government.”

Is this still about what's best for Israel, Avigdor? All that taxpayer wealth down the drain for arguing about something you knew would happen anyway. Well, at this point it seems, if he is not going to be a part of any Likud government, then things are improving already.

"Good sense will grant favor, but the way of the treacherous is harsh. Every cunning person acts with forethought, but a fool exposes stupidity. " (Proverbs 13:15,16)

Dear political leaders. There are enough politicians in the world that try to wield power to get their way. Let's be diplomats out there. May it soon be so, by the grace of God.

On Making a Treaty Work with the Palestinian Authority

How can one make a treaty work with the Palestinian Authority? Assuming you mean a treaty fairly minded and negotiated, then in short, you can't. This is why they are not bothering to risk sitting down with the Trump Administration.  They can't handle the concept of an honestly brokered deal and that is the kind of deal President Trump is offering. The PA depended on undue pressure on Israel before each meeting with them. That is no longer there. But if the PA were to change, and they somehow do take up President Trump's offer, then here is a suggestion on how to take on such an opportunity to make it as successful as possible.

The Palestinian Authority, in PLO fashion, historically wanted things stacked against Israel before they would come to the table. Arafat's strategy of peace negotiations in between periods of rearmament has continued to be PA/Hamas strategy. A war with words while they clandestinely continued to gather bullets behind the scenes. Ever champing at the bit to conquer rather than seek actual peace for both sides.

In the past I have demanded justice against, not negotiation with the Palestinian Authority. As my philosophy ranks Palestinian Arabs as a valuable asset to Israel, I called instead for regional leaders among them to be replacement leaders for negotiations. I rejected calls to oust them from the country. Had I been asked before Israel or the Trump Administration were to begin the new talks I would have suggested getting this done before the workshop. Cleaning the table before you serve the meal.

Nevertheless, even within current realities, it's not too late to deal with the obstinacy of the PLO run PA when setting up a negotiation session. Adding non terrorist leadership candidates to the Palestinian Authority negotiation team would allow continuity in the subsequent talks with the PA even if current PA leadership force a breakdown in negotiations, as expected. If successful, these politicians among the Palestinian Arabs can become future leaders. It is for this very reason, that the current leadership will not allow it if they have a choice. No Palestinian Authority leadership elections since forever makes this supposition of mine just common sense. Nevertheless, if peacemaking is the goal, this idea of adding fresh leaders to the PA can be a stipulation made, as a prerequisite for the next step.

It is possible that this is in the back of the mind of the Trump Administration. That the reason for inviting so many Arab business men to the Bahrain Economic Workshop, is perhaps to find non-belligerent people to talk to. At the least there is a potential that there may be developed a pool of more vocal pro peace with Israel advocates throughout the Arab world.

In the past, Arab League unity for peace were effectively not much different than tactics according to Arafat strategies of conquest. If the Trump administration can at least find people who are willing to go on record for actual peace that does not risk Israel, then something positive has a distinct possibility to occur.

As for Israel, even if Netanyahu remains PM, policy of toleration of PA violence must cease. How many generations of violence is expected be required according to the current plan of Netanyahu, and certainly of those to his left, before Israel will have a partner in peace? Wait it out is the best they are offering. But if rather Israel would filter out terrorists from the Palestinian Arabic leadership, then true partners in peace could be found. Real peace could then be obtainable as soon as this year.

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I had the honor of meeting with Dr. Mordechai Kedar in New York last week. He supports a 2 state solution, while I support a 1 state solution. But both of us agreed in our discussion that some kind of a terrorist filter is an essential prerequisite to lasting peace with Palestinian Arabs.