2:15 PM Despite now having clear support for a Likud-led Right Wing coalition, Peres will be meeting on Friday with both Bibi and Livni to try to establish a National Unity government as opposed to a Right-wing government that the voters clearly preferred.
12:07 PM Bayit Yehudi recommends Netanyahu.
12:03 PM Shas recommends Netanyahu.
11:03 AM Lieberman still adding conditions. Tells Peres he wants Kadima in the coalition.
11:01 AM Kadima gets it from both ends. Labor announces that Labor will be leading the opposition. (Not sure how that works out mathematically)
11:00 AM Police announce they will be calling in Lieberman within the next few weeks for their investigation.
10:39 AM Lieberman folds. Announces support for Netanyahu as Prime Minister to Peres.
8:37 AM Well that's different.
All the parties with their Leaders having been responsibly in Israel, met with Peres last night or today. 50 MKs came (or are coming) with recommendations for Netanyahu, but more unusual, 77 MKs stated (or are about to state) they won't recommend a Livni led government.
Only at 10:30 AM a now much weakened Lieberman (from his inappropriate vacation) will say his piece to President Peres.
But it won't matter much. With the clear majority not supporting Kadima, Lieberman will be forced to join Likud, or be excluded in a possible unity government, or simple force the country into new elections at which point his party will disappear.
A7 published the actual schedule of the day:
The Jewish Home party is the first on the list of parties to meet with President Shimon Peres on Thursday. Party chairman Rabbi Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz is to arrive at the President's office at 9:00 a.m. for a 20-minute meeting, followed by leaders of Meretz and Balad.
Israel Is Our Home (Yisrael Beiteinu) chairman MK Avigdor Lieberman is scheduled to meet with the President at 10:30. Next in line are leaders of Shas, Labor, Hadash, Ra'am-Ta'al, Ichud and Leumi (National Union). The last discussion is scheduled to begin at 6:10 p.m. with United Torah Judaism (UTJ).
Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד
8 comments:
Perhaps Jameel can take some time from his busy schedule to explain what "sitting in opposition" means, especially for the newcomers. What does this mean realistically?
It's like being a Republican while the Democrats control the House.
You get to sit there and complain, while accomplishing very little.
A coalition sponsored bill needs to pass one vote to become law.
An opposition-sponsored bill requires 3 votes.
Gee...you think maybe his holiness Peres has a hidden agenda that differs from...let's see - the VAST majority of Israelis...
Sitting in the opposition in Israel is often an exercise in frustration. It means, you disagree with everything the government says and you try to break up the ooalition on as many issues as you can so that eventually, maybe, it unravels. At one time, when the government has more people who cared about Israel than cared about the individual party, this was easier to do because members tended to vote for their party, but at least sometimes to vote with their convictions. In the last decade or more, the parties have declared themselves the beginning and end of life in Israel and so you are not allowed to vote against the party line. The health of the party is placed above the nation and staying in office because lest they dare allow the people to decide...the party may lose. And so - Kadima stayed in office long past the time the people had decided to split with the path it was taking. The only reason it stayed in office as long as it did was because the Knesset members were more interested in keeping their party in power than doing what was right for Israel.
FROM CAROL HERMAN
There's an American expression: "Screwed the pooch." Today, I think Livni just did that! To "halp" herself; she's gone to the Jerusalem Post "swearing she'll never join Bibi; and has every intention of "sitting in the opposition." This means Peres hasn't quite given her a green light. All you see shining is the "yellow."
There's another article in the JP. That says Bibi now has 77 ministers who support Bibi. Expressing their dissatisfaction that should have been obvious in November. She' can't form a government to save her arse. But she's unwilling to walk off the stage without getting her fill of sound bytes.
And, this give Peres only one card: POSTPONE. (During which time his friend, Olmert, stays in government as a "care taker.") While Olmert just "squeeze played" Gilad AND Ehud Barak with demands to produce a dead person, first. Or else? Eygpt will still get to quibble, and press, for what eygpt does best, anyway. STALL.
I'd also like to unravel another puzzle for ya. Because it's been going on since the saud's befriended FDR, way back in the 1930's. And, the OIL was a key event that helped the allies win WW2. It doesn't look to you that the saud's still drive this "arabs are us" farce, around. But to test my theory; just go to Iraq.
How many shi'a in Iraq like Americans? How many OTHERS just learned to pick Uncle Sugar's pocket? And, how many others, after that, hate the saud's. And, are aware of the "gimmick." Believe it or not, just like Dubai got built on sand; and so continues to sink. So, too, have the saud's missed their mark. In America, you point to 9/11. And, suddenly millions of AMericans got so smart, they realized ALL of the troops who trekked to Iraq; and survived; couldn't wait to come home! They didn't make friends in Iraq, like lots of soldiers did in Saigon. Let me tell ya that, for a fact.
In Iraq, the stories, here, when they're not dealing with the death and maiming of American soldiers, goes on to tell the stories of the men and women, both, who, upon discharge, "just want to rescue the puppies they rescued from harm, while in Iraq.
HELLO. America hasn't achieved victory ANYPLACE, yet! And, we have suffered much. Because of dogs like Jimmy Carter. And, James Baker. And, even Bill Clinton's misbegotton foreign policies. (Plus, on Clinton's watch, you'll notice the muslims didn't ever say "thank you" for Kosovo.) In other words? America played with fire and got burned.
While Israel learned, long ago, you weren't going to impress new realities on arabs. That there are 22 countries full of arabs. And, the "conflict" pits one small country against all the others. While ALL the stinking American politicians who got too big for their boots, ended up in "gehenem, a-rhine." There's no recovery from this.
While Shimon Peres? I'm sure he's stuck his finger up and into the winds. By now he knows there are things he can't change. He can't "doctor" and revive Labor. It went to pieces on his watch. He can't resusitate Rabin. He can't pull Bill Clinton's pants back up. And, he can, if he's as smart as they say, just get out of the way, now.
Many bubbles have burst.
Lo and behold, again Americans have to "back-handedly" thank the saud's. We wouldn't be in this mess now, except for the greed of a few. And, when gasoline prices shot up to $4 a gallon, retail, "guess who?" And, then? Guess what. Because Dubya destroed his family's legacy. (In the Bible, the bush burns but doesn't disintegrate. In the story of American politics, the bush family legacy can't be revived, either.) While Obama decided he'll move fast, by running downhill.
If you want peace in the Middle East, the rantings of Iran have to stop! (If Israel acts? And, Iran supplies the fuel for it to erupt over its own skies? That solves the problem. Because? Maliki can't just count on a cloud overhead, to keep his shi'a in power. But that's where the power is right now. Thanks to America, and it's "search for justice in all the wrong places," produced another tiger. That's the truth. Iran and Iraq put aside their differences, because control switched to the shi'a. While in Lebanon, well, you know. It's still a mess. And, the turks got out of bed, to walk around as stiff as the sick can get.)
Someday, someone will notice this: Photo ops don't change history.
Bibi nailed the numbers! To steal from him now? It would go down poorly. It would let Shimon Peres rape an entire nation. And, that's saying something; considering how the politicians maneuvered out a man from office who raped no one.
Sometimes? Olmert reminds me of Nixon. Nixon, too, was a very smart man. And, paranoid. He, too, was capable of berating a good civil servant (Gilad), because his pride was pricked.
Oh, yeah. This same story will be just as interesting, t'marra.
FROM CAROL HERMAN
Ya know? That's funny. You write that Labor says it will "lead" the opposition; meaning? Livni can't sit there even if she's not chosen to be prime minister.
On the other hand? I see Ehud Barak grabbing at keeping the defense portfolio. Especially now that he just got attacked by Olmert!
You saw that coming? That Olmert would suddenly discover Shalit needs to be set free? And, he'd pounce on both Ehud Barak and Gilad, a civil service spokesperson; after all the diplomacy that's been going on in Egypt. With Olmert? Politics is personal.
Israel needs to put Olmert out of its misery. How can that gannif still be a "caretaker"? Why aren't people shaking pitchforks and torches outside of his office?
FROM CAROL HERMAN
A new day dawns. It's early Friday morning, here, in the USA. And, for Israelis, it is already Shabbat. Shabbat Shalom.
Yesterday, I read that Shimon Peres has already made up his mind to tap Netanyahu. But he wasn't going to hold his breath till Sunday. (Perhaps, for Israelis, Shabbat is considered "slow news days?)
While, no surprise, here, Livni is still singer her mantra of "rotating prime minister seating."
While I did notice that on the day before, Olmert couldn't help himself. And, he took a swipe at Ehud Barak. Right where Ehud Barak had been successful. And, by this I mean using diplomatic skills in Egypt.
To accomplish the side-swipe, Olmert went to the press with a complaint about a genuinely decent civil servant; Gilad.
Yes, gas bags populate politics. Just as without whores, you can't run a satisfactory whore house.
Still? One article up at the Jerusalem Post the other day, really, really impressed me! Who wrote it? I don't remember. But he was a decent religious guy; who wrote about Avigdor Lieberman. Reading the article I learned that the nickname for Lieberman is: YVET.
And, in Netanyahu's 1996 government, Yvet was the best player in the PMO's office. And, then? There was this priceless quote. Which I stole. Because? Heck you can fit the quote into a dysfunctional marriage story, just as easily as you can frame it to discuss the truth behind a lot of politicians hot air.
Here goes: "Often two sides don't want to be logical. They like their fights better than they like the solutions."
It may take time, but I think Livni loses. And, when Kadima finds itself in the opposition; I think they'll see the disaster.
It's possible that with Shimon Peres' early decision; he got sick and tired of the Kadima apparatchiks? Anyway, the news came out early. It's out there. And, only Shabbat holds back the tides.
I'll even go to the betting window, now. Labor will be in government. Meretz? Newcomers. Who let their best person "sail away." So I don't think they'll get any safety net thrown their way. But what do I know?
Betting means I'm gambling on a certain outcome in the future. Where it's very possible, like an old elephant, Kadima (so new, and yet so set to say buh-bye) toodles off into the sunset. This means, in my book, that Arik Sharon, now, isn't the only one who has had a stroke. And, lays there like a vegetable. I think Livni's done great harm. And, I don't think her decision carries any weight with Shaul Mofaz. For instance.
Anyway, it may be possible to see a few MK's toodling off Livni's "operation." Will this include Dahlia Itzik? Always remember Dahlia is Shimon Peres' doll.
Never bet on mafia horses. Unless you want real justice. In which case she clings to Livni, inside a sinking boat. Should be interesting to see what the soap opera could do with Livni's Kadima "shrinking."
Politics. Always the same games. But usually not the same players.
You know, I did read, somewhere, that Livni intends to "travel the circuit." To go to places outside of Israel, to break any diplomacy Netanyahu tries. (Here? Is this woman crazy? Neither she nor Dahlia Itzik speaks any English!)
I read a great book by a kid from Canada, who was hired to work in NYC, by the Israeli Mission to the UN. Silvan Shalom was his boss! And, you can fall on the floor, laughing, at how Silvan Shalom, who also doesn't speak any English, would be mispronouncing three syllable words. Oh, this kid worked in Sharon's Prime Minister's office, just before he stroked.
And, the stories of Dubya's pressures onto SHaron; not giving him a single day of pleasure after the unilateral disengagement. But only pressing Israel for "more." More of the same on the West Bank; is what made Sharon STROKE. You can't fool me.
Go ahead. Paint the diplomats up. No one trusts them, anymore. And, Dubya's legacy went flying down the slippery slope.
Sure. I can wake up Sunday morning and find that Livni and Bibi found spots for each other inside his government. So I'd be wrong about how this situation plays out.
But I am not wrong on why Sharon suffered such terrible strokes!
Nor am I wrong about the price America pays for Dubya's stupidities. He missed no front! He got it all! With, perhaps, more than a quarter million troops sent to Iraq and Afgahnistan, who came back very unimpressed with the locals.
b"h
Of course Peres will push for a unity gov't. He's an old Lefty & he's trying to get the best deal for the Left, never mind what the majority want. Of course, this conflicts with his role as Pres but the Left has always used its official positions to further their cause whether they be supreme court judges, education ministers, media, etc.
The question is what will Bibi do. Now that 77 MK's have stated they don't want Livni, will she be invited into the gov't in a minor role to be relied upon when Bibi screws the Right?
Or will he bring in Labor & ensure that Livni remains in the opposition? (thereby settling an 'old' score w/ Kadima?)
Either way, Bibi will be balancing out the Right when Hussain Obama begins to put pressure on Israel.
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