Analysis: What's Behind MK Amir Peretz's Venomous Attacks on the Bayit Yehudi?

From today’s Times of Israel:

MK Amir Peretz -- Defense Minister
during Israel's Second Lebanon War

Environmental Protection Minister Amir Peretz, from the center-left Hatnua [The Movement] party, decried the nationalist Jewish Home party’s attacks on the impending Palestinian prisoner release and especially the verbal assault on Hatnua’s leader Tzipi Livni, in which they blamed her for the release.

Releasing terrorists will lead to violence? What an absurd idea...and how dare you even suggest it will lead to attacks on Israelis.

Yet here's some background the Times of Israel neglected to mention: When MK Amir Peretz slams the “Bayit Yehudi” party for “incitement against his party” the primary reason for his venom is because last week on Tuesday, his wife Achlama Peretz, who was the #2 of David Buskila the incumbent mayor of Sderot -- LOST the election to Mayoral Candidate Alon Davidi – supported by...Bayit Yehudi. Not only did Buskila lose the mayoral election but Peretz’s wife didn’t even make it onto the Sderot city council.

Adding insult to injury, on the very same election day last week, Amir Peretz’s sister, Flora Shushan lost the mayoral election in Mitzpe Ramon to Roni Marom...also supported by...Bayit Yehudi.

So when Peretz says “It is forbidden to allow Bayit Yehudi people to sow seeds of calamity”….he isn’t talking about the Bayit Yehudi’s opposition to freeing convicted murders, rather he's referring to the freeing of Sderot and Mitzpe Ramon from the clutches of his nepotistic fiefdom.

h/t: Elyashiv Raichner


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MK Shelli Yahimovitch Accuses Amir Peretz of Voter Fraud

On IDF radio this morning, MK Shelli Yahimovitch accused MK Amir Peretz of voter fraud.

Amir Peretz's office denied the report and said it "The publication of this pains me and is baseless."

Obviously he had nothing to do with voter fraud -- he couldn't have seen it if it were in front of his own face.

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The Colossal Failures: Olmert, Peretz and Halutz

Israel's most serious and important document in the past 20 years was released today; the Winograd Commission's preliminary report on the mis-management of the second Lebanon war this past summer.

The retired judge said the prime minister:

"...formulated his stance without a second thought, without being presented with a detailed military plan, without considering the complex conditions of fighting in Lebanon."

"There was no organized consultation with others, mainly outside of army, despite his lack of diplomatic and military experience"

"The prime minister is responsible for failing to clearly set out the aims of the war, and for there not being a clear definition of aims of war and ways to achieve them. The war's aims were ambitious, and could not be reached. They were not within reach. All of these factors come together to form a serious failure of judgment, responsibility, and caution"

"The decision to go forward with a harsh, immediate military response was not taken on the basis of a well-planned strategy"

"The IDF's response would result in massive fire on the home front, which the IDF didn't have an answer to. There was no information on the state of the army, despite the need for such information"

"The IDF didn't show creativity in making options available -- It didn't demand that reserves be called up, which would have allowed them to be trained and equipped ahead of a needed ground operation."

On Peretz:

"He has no knowledge or experience on diplomatic, military, government affairs."

He has no knowledge on the use of the military as tool to achieve goals. Nevertheless, he took decisions without consultation, and didn't give enough weight to contrary views. He failed to fulfil his role, and he didn't act out on the basis of a strategic plan."

"He didn't demand or examine the army's plans. He didn't check the methods of the IDF, its plans, and its set targets."

On Halutz:

His personal involvement in government decisions was dominant. He was not ready for the kidnapping. He acted impulsively."

"The chief of staff's culpability is made more severe in light of the fact that he knew that the prime minister and the defense minister had no experience, and his claim that the army was ready and had plan. He had no real answer to the doubts raised over the plan, and didn't present any to the political leadership. In all these areas, the chief of staff failed to fulfill his role, and he did not act with responsibility, good judgment, and professionalism." (quotes via YNET)

OK, so what will happen next?

Olmert and Peretz have announced there isn't any reason for them to resign.

None at all.

Reminds me of a post I wrote during the war this past summer, "A Lament for Leadership."

Israel deserves so much better than the dreck we have leading us.

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Peace Now...Jews Later.

The picture above displays the faces of 177 Jews murdered by Palestinian Terrorists after the terrorists were released by Israel.

Released as "gestures" for peace

Released as "gestures" for goodwill during Muslim holidays

Released as "gestures" to the United States, for political brownie points

And what did we get as a result? 177 more Jews were murdered.

The tough call is that kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit is being held by Palestinian Authority Hamas terrorists, and they are demanding the release of over 1000 terrorists in Israel's jails.

Do we release these terrorists who will undoubtedly continue their attempts to kill us, to obtain the freedom of Gilad Shalit, the IDF soldier who was kidnapped outside of Palestinian-controlled Gaza?

The answer should be, a clear, resounding, "no."

Unfortunately, the Kadima, Labor and Meretz politicians of Israel will release these terrorists in the coming years if they are still in power. They will release these terrorists the same way they have always released terrorists for meaningless "peace" initiatives which have proven themselves as worthless gestures.

When one understands that these terrorists will be released anyway and they will continue to kill Jews, we might as well get Gilad Shalit back now.

It's a terrible situation, but we can count on Israel's Left to release these vermin later on down the road, so let's get Gilad in return.

The ALMAGOR - "Terror Victims Association" disagrees, because they don't want to see more Jews killed.

The problem is, they forget how pathetic Israel's leadership is.

And if we're talking about Israel's Leftwing; Peace Now "activists" arrived in Sderot to hand Defense Minister Amir Peretz a letter demanding that he order the immediate evacuation of settlers who legally purchased a home in Hevron.

They could have demanded that Peretz do something to stop the daily launching of Palestinian Qassam rockets from Gaza, but I guess they have much more important things to do.

So it's not just the Muqata which is upset at Peace Now; Sederot residents were furious at Peace Now...and they had to be restrained by the police.

The Sderot residents, for their part, said the arrival of the Peace Now activists to the city was an ‘act of hypocrisy.’

"Where were they when we suffered from the Qassam rockets?" said Alon Davidi, chairman of the Council for Sderot’s Security. "Our real enemy is in Gaza, not among the West Bank Jews."

Peace Now is still clueless as to who the enemy is.

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Chelm Still Laughing at Israel

The above clip appeared on the Jay Leno show, showing Israel's brilliant Defense Minister, Amir Peretz, attempting to look through binoculars with the lens caps still on.**

I wish he did this for the sake of Adar/Purim levity...but alas, that is not the case.

So much to write about. I'm sorry I was out of commission last week; hardly any time, and even less internet access.

However, unlike Jack the Waffle Guy, the often-profound XGH, the poignant Treppenwitz, the ubiquitous Jewbiquitous , the eloquent, champion of blog free-speech Orthomom, the blogger with answers -- AskShifra, Ezzie the round-up blogger, or the Slifkin Scorecard blogger from the 5towns, Krum...unlike them all, I received mention in the Jerusalem Post this week! ***

More to come....Purim is approaching.

In an abrupt, yet neccessary change of pace; my condolences to real-life-blog-friend Steg, who is sitting shiva for his father z'l.

You'll be hearing more from me later.

Shavua Tov.

Adar Sameach,

Jameel.


** Not only did I just notice before posting this that Jack has the exact same picture, but he used "Chelm" in his title. I guess we have been reading each other's blog for way to long, or perhaps we are just the same person after all.

*** If you want a link drop as well, please let me know!

**** Hat-tip to Gee, I'm a Moron for the JPost link.





Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael