10 of the Tenth Month 5769
By now, most in Israel have caught on to the election ploy that is the current Israeli Defense Forces' [IDF] action in Azza. Necessary and proper as this action is, there is no doubt that it is taking place now, and not three months ago, nor three years ago, due to our proximity to the Israeli national elections to be held on 16 Shevat/February 10.
Fortunately, some Jews in the U. S., like Debbie Schlussel, are also on the ball, and can see through the veil of this war.
I was in Tel Aviv yesterday, and the Kadima and Labor posters were up in force, starting sparsely on the border of the Greater Tel Aviv area (Petah Tiqwah), then all over the place once withing Tel Aviv and suburbs, save for the religious, and mostly Haredi city of B'nei Braq whose votes will undoubtedly go to Shas and United Torah Judaism [UTJ], with some going to the Nationl Union and Likud.
Everywhere there was a Tzippi Livni (Kadima) billboard, an Ehud Baraq (Labor) one was right next to it,...almost as if they were running mates.
In many ways, the Israeli news media has been portraying Foreign Minister Livni as the defacto prime minister,...with very little mention of standing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. And, now all of a sudden it is politically-correct to root for the IDF against the Arabs. That is because it is Kadima and Labor doing the attacking,...and trying to win an election.
Needless to say there are no such posters, let alone billboards in the Shomron (Samaria), almost all of which would be on the chopping blocks if a Kadima/Labor/Mere"tz goverment had anything to say about it. Even Kadima MK Otniel Schneller knows better than to expect any votes to come from his town in the Binyamin Area, Ma'aleh Mikhmas.
There may be some Kadima/Labor efforts in Yehudah (Judea), where two large chunks are said to be included within final status borders in any agreement between Israel and the Arabs. After all, 12% of the City of Efrat voted for Labor, back in 1999.
According to the latest polls, Binyamin Netanyahu (Likud) could still create a right of center/right wing coalition government of 61, probably too weak for his taste. He may join with Kadima in a unity government. Some time ago, Likud candidate Dan Meridor was talking of trying to convince Netanyahu to make the bold move of giving up the Golan Heights. Many want to know why Meridor is on the Likud list at all. No doubt it is to get his supporters' votes.
It seems that Meridor has been silenced,...at least for the time being. Talk of giving up the Golan will lose votes for the Likud to other farther right-wing parties, threatening the Likud's expected plurality.
Projected seats for Labor have jumped from 8 to 15. Kadima and Likud are still neck and neck. The ploy seems to be working.
I am not optimistic.
7 comments:
Very true - when I say this people think I am being too cynical. However, that is precisely the question that needs to be asked. Not "why?" but "why now?" And unfortunately, the answer is rather clear.
I've been calling it the Election Campaign War from the very beginning. It's all in the timing.
"According to the latest polls, Binyamin Netanyahu (Kadima)"
Freudian slip, no?
BTW all the posters round here are the Likud unashamedly jumping on the bandwagon.
I don't believe this but I had to put word verifaction "azati"
It's an omen!
Whoops! Actually, it was a cut and paste thing. My keyboard is dying a slow and painful death. Several of the keys do not work, including the parentheses. So, I cut and paste them from elsewhere.
Glad to know someone is paying attention.
;-}
I don't get your last comment about "Azati" and word verification.
In order to prove to the web-site that I am a real person and not some computer writing "scripts" I have to type in a "word" on the screen which is jumbled-up letters.
The fact that I had to type "Azati" was ironical, as it means Gazan as in from Gaza, like Nathan of Gaza נתן העזתי
Not such a big deal when you have to explain it.
Oh, that. Duh.
I seem to think that those words aren't so coincidental.
Like maybe they're derived somehow from the material they're protecting,...maybe,...sometimes.
Dunno.
Please remind me, privately if you prefer, where your kibbutz is?
I think you told me once.
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