Today we start off with the latest Poll out of Israel a Panels Internet Poll. Knesset Jeremy reports:
An internet based poll by the Panels Polling Company on Decemeber 12, 2011, offers an explanation for why Prime Minister Netanyahu decided to call for early primaries for the Likud chairmanship. According to the poll Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud would gain five seats and enjoy a 13-seat lead over second place Kadima. Labor drops from the second largest party position in recent polls to third and would win only four more seats than it had under Defense Minister Barak in 2009. Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman drops to 13 seats in this poll and is a main reason his party is against calling for early elections. The poll only showed the results for the four largest parties and chose not to show the results of the other nine parties currently represented in Knesset. The poll does show that the four larger parties would gain three seats from its smaller counterparts.
If elections held today (expressed in Knesset seats)
Current Knesset seats in [brackets]
32 [27] Likud
19 [28] Kadima
17 [08] Labor
13 [15] Yisrael Beitenu
39 [ 42] Other Parties
Granted that this is an Internet Poll so anything here is subject to question. However this follows on the heels of a Haaretz/Dialogue Poll from 12/5/11 which shows:
The latest poll conducted on Tuesday, November 29, 2011, and published in the print edition of Ha’aretz on Thursday, December 1, 2011, shows that despite the latest wave of controversial bills the nationalist block is gaining strength.
According to the poll Netanyahu’s Likud and his senior coalition partner, Liberman’s Y.B., would both receive two additional seats. Opposition leader Livni’s Kadima continues its recent trend of dropping in the polls and would lose 11 seats. Yachimovich’s Labor is starting to drop from recent polls and dips under 20 seats for the first time since late August. Interior Minister Yishai’s Shas would drop two seats. A merged National Union and Jewish Home would become the sixth largest party with seven seats, and Meretz would be close behind with six seats after a gain of three.
The poll had a sample of 505 adults Israelis, and the statistical error was +/- 4.5 percentage points.
If elections held today (expressed in Knesset seats)
Current Knesset seats in [brackets]
29 [27] Likud
19 [08] Labor
17 [28] Kadima
17 [15] Yisrael Beitenu
09 [11] Shas
07 [07] National Union and Jewish Home
06 [03] Meretz
06 [05] Yahadut Hatorah/UTJ
05 [04] Hadash
05 [07] Ra’am, Ta’al and Balad
00 [05] Independence
In both polls, Likud and the Nationalists hold on to the Knesset while Labor and Kadima jostle each other for seats with Meretz picking up some either Kadima or Labor. Either way, here is just a snapshot of what is happening.
Today, I want to print some articles from some columnists I agree with. First we have Brad Burston lamenting some of the issues facing Israel today. In his column: Israel 2012, Teaching the Horse to Starve, Burston rightfully takes on those people that diminesh the dream of Jewish Democracy and the principles that founded Israel.
We all know who the balagulas (from a joke referenced early in the piece) are. The foreign minister who doesn't believe in diplomacy, the finance minister who doesn't believe in economic opportunity, the health minister who doesn't believe in doctors, the minister for fostering aliyah who extols an Israeli ad campaign for America which directly offends U.S. Jews.
Day by day at home, this Israel teaches the horse to starve when it demands more and more of the non-Haredi young and provides less and less: in return for less education, more fees, in return for more inequitable army duty and taxation, less affordable housing.
Day by day the prime minister, in callous insult or in condescension, in domestic calculation or out of personal need, teaches the horse to starve when he reduces Israel's support abroad, alienating traditional allies and the Jewish world. Pledging to work for two states, and then ensuring that state number two will be the People's Republic of Judea.
Until this year, the rule of balagulism proved itself. The balagulas taught the horse to starve, and, holding all the power, gave the horse no option but to obey. The balagulas were – are - pleased as punch with themselves. And when it all collapses around them, they will always have the horse to blame.
Burstons commentary seems to come from a sense that the leaders of his adopted home Israel (Burston is an Oleh) are betraying the foundations of the Country set forth by David Ben-Gurion and the Yishuv. Given the diplomatic failures (only held by the friendship of the U.S.) and internal economic issues this seems like a valid contention.
Our Next Opinion column is from Zvi Bar'el discussing the IDF and the recent attacks on it by Right Wing elements:
Here Bar'el makes a great case for why the IDF needs to move against "price tag" attacks and how the IDF is the one thing in Israeli society that can improve on this:
It's too easy to mock faulted democracies such as Egypt or Turkey, where citizens are tried for insulting the army. In such countries one doesn't even have to throw stones at officers in order to be locked away for years. But in true democracies, the army isn't raised from the people, and the civilian public is the sovereign, holy party that is untouchable.
In true democracies, the army isn't an educational body, and certainly isn't an organization that defines cultural or political borders. In Israel, the army acquired a unique status, and now it cannot renounce its responsibility.
Only the IDF, as a chief arbiter of the public forum, can now alter the definition of terror, before the whole state of Israel falls victim to a "price tag" operation.
Bar'el rightly points that that had these elements happened, an assault on the IDF, or the burning of a Synagogue, or stone throwing assaults on settlers by Palestinians they would be treated as terror attacks YET, they are not characterized this way when the Settlers do this to fellow Jews or the military. So it is up to the IDF to lead the way and protect all of it's citizens.
Our third piece is a Haaretz editorial that regards Economic Justice:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed determination on Sunday when he voted in the cabinet meeting for most of the recommendations on increasing competitiveness in the economy suggested by the Trajtenberg Committee.
The recommendations approved by the cabinet are truly historic. They include establishing metropolitan authorities to manage cities' public transportation, increasing competition in public transportation, taking the gas stations away from big energy companies and giving broader powers to the Antitrust Authority to break up companies that wield too much economic power. These structural recommendations are of unparalleled importance and will increase competition in Israel.
This said the editorial also explores the issue of controlled imports and how important they are to lowering prices for the Middle Class.
Anyway, please discuss and have fun!
So why is Kadima the big loser here? Aren't they the 'centrists'? These polls would seem to suggest that their prior support is now being split between Labor and Lukid. Why is that?
ReplyDeleteWhen you look at the state of the world, such as the UNSC vote yesterday, it is not surprising that Israel feels as it does.
ReplyDeleteOr that nice kid's kid's essay thanking Hitler?
I wonder why the Nazi-Arab connection is a taboo subject anyway, since it is historical fact.
I agree with those who believe settlement construction should be halted because this is how to show the PA uses it as a ruse.
As for Anon., it sounds like someone I know, but even if not, it's testament to where things stand in the human race where animus towards others seems the rule of the day for many that call for peace and brotherhood.
@ oldschool: How taboo is the Nazi-Arab connection, outside of the Derange-o-sphere?
ReplyDeleteA few weeks ago there was an excellent show on the Military Channel, in the Nazi Collaborators series, about the Grand Mufti. They really didn't pull any punches! I was really impressed. They even said that Yaser Arafat was his nephew or cousin or something.
The sphere you mention includes much of the so-called "intelligentsia" and many in the mainstream that purposefully ignore it or are fearful of being labeled as racist or blasphemous, when it is actually just fact.
ReplyDeleteThe Military Channel has a quite limited audience that I would venture is pro-Israel.
That said, I agree that in certain environments the imbalance of treatment is extreme.
The poll results continue to reflect the change in Israeli politics made with the disaster of a directly elected prime minister. Before that change, at least one of the major parties would get 40+ Knesset seats and the two major parties, would, together, control at least 75-80 seats. Now, it's been ages since two parties, combined, even got a majority of Knesset seats between the two of them. The only ways to fix this system are either raising the electoral threshold (to say 5%) or to institute a presidential system. Another possible alternative, is to introduce a system like Germany's that mixes direct and proportional representation.
ReplyDeleteI don't know that Haj Amin Huessani is a "forbidden" topic. I brought him and the Arab Higher Committee up at DKos before. I think everyone knows about that. The movement of the Palestinians that people don't know about was the Nussessibeh's who were much more moderate but lost out in power to the al-Huessani's.
ReplyDeleteAnyway... alliances change. Look at the U.S. The Germans were our mortal enemies, now they are our best friends. But again, I don't see anyone stopping people from discussing the al-Husseini ties to the Nazi's.
The one thing is, that remember part of that was political. After all the Germans promised the Arabs autonomy from their British and French rulers. Note that Jordan, who was independent sided with the Allies at that time.
But to be fair, Egypt and Iraq which were also independent were strongly affiliated with the Third Reich.
Yes. That is the point! The Nazi influence is not limited to the Mufti, but permeates much of the Arab world, and we are talking about TODAY!
ReplyDeleteGermans and Japanese chose to be our friends, while still the Palestinians are unwilling to accept the simple premise of UN194 to live with neighbors in peace.
Also, it is often the case that people say the Mufti was just some fringe figure that had minimal influence. Like an Arab Ron Paul? But surely you are not implying that this problem died with the Mufti?
I have seen the no Nazi analogy applied in Eiron (antisemitism) fashion many times at Daily Kos to reject ANY mention of Nazis and Arabs.
I would love to see more diaries at Daily Kos that showed Palestinian behavior like meeting in private to honor a cold blooded killer, but that ship has sailed. It's basically impossible to criticize Palestinians there, except for the most extreme behavior. Who wants to be called a bigot, anyway? Not to mention that it is actually a very small echo chamber.
We should not pretend, however, because one can mention the Mufti on occasion. The ability to raise the present Nazi influence is taboo because the administrators believed it was fair, but is it right to allow wrongdoers and antisemites to take away the right of the innocent to raise historical facts and wrongs?
Ummm Just FYI the Israelis don't accept UN 194 either.. just thought I would toss that in there.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure what you are talking about in your second paragraph at all - with the problem dying with the Mufti. Of course it didn't.
I actually could give a shit anymore about DKos I.P. You can diary it, you are a member there. Go for it.
Living in peace with neighbors was a precondition directed at the Palestinians, not the Israelis, and simply identifies a norm of conduct by which to gauge behavior as to peaceful intent.
ReplyDeleteYour statement about being unsure is no more clear. In any event, the Mufti and AHC were not forbidden per se, but the Nazi connection for him and others was.
Whether you could care or not about Daily Kos, where you were rather prolific at one time, we both know the reception that a diary like I mentioned would receive. And that was the point.
So was Jerusalem as an international City. Neither side accepts that one.
ReplyDeleteAs for DKos... sure I know what reception it would receive but who cares. Are you interested in posting truth or getting recs?
Still lost on your point in paragraph two. Everyone knows that he and Hitler were buds. And?
So? Your point? If you do not want to accept what I said about the norm of behavior from UN194, that is your choice. It was and is a key to resolving the refugee matter and overall conflict, substantively, but I suppose throwing technicalities are utmost.
ReplyDeleteShall I play the game and say that Israel accepted Jersualem as international in UN181? Does it matter to the conversation?
I think you were more worried about ratings games at DKos than I ever was, truth be told. I am interested in truth as I see it, as are you. I gave up on the site long before you did, and had better things to do than even try to communicate with extreme and obnoxious people who in reality could not hear and had no intention to engage in good faith.
Finally, I think you are quite mistaken about the knowledge of "everyone" when it comes to not only the Mufti, but his cohorts and all their progeny up to this day. In fact, I find that many people are completely ignorant about the connection, especially those not intimately involved in trying to understand and address the conflict.
I was just talking to several friends the other day, affluent and smart progressives and Democrats, and they had not a clue. Nor have many others I have encountered. So, as I have pointed out before, I think you have a tendency to overstate your position, and certainly here by speaking for everyone.