Likud vs. Likud

מוצש"ק פר' נח תשע"ד

Arutz 7: Bibi Boots Elkin from Plane for Embarrassing Him
Prime Minister tells deputy foreign minister to fly El Al to New York, after Elkin embarrasses him with old quote against PA state.

Gil Ronen, September 25, 2013

MK Ze'ev Elkin
(Likud - Beteinu)

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has punished Deputy Foreign Minister, MK Ze'ev Elkin, by barring him from joining the prime ministerial flight to New York's UN General Assembly as was planned, reports Yisrael Hayom. The decision is reportedly Netanyahu's way of disciplining Elkin, after Elkin embarrassed Netanyahu politically.

Elkin will have to take a regular El Al flight that leaves Saturday night. He will be replaced on the prime minister's plane by Minister Gilad Erdan. Both Elkin and Erdan are members of Likud.

According to the report, Netanyahu is upset because of a speech Elkin delivered at a Likud event ten days ago, and also because of a petition he co-signed with about 30 other MKs, calling on Netanyahu to cancel any further releases of terrorist prisoners.

In the speech, Elkin quoted Netanyahu's own words, 11 years ago, regarding the possible establishment of a Palestinian state. “The Palestinians will enjoy all of the rights,” Netanyahu said then, “except for one right – the right to annihilate Israel. Self rule – yes. A state – no.”

Netanyahu added, then: “They tell us that the Palestinian state is a vision for the future. Well, our nation also has a vision for the future. 'And the wolf will dwell with the sheep. When that vision is realized in the Middle East, we will go back and reconvene the Likud Central Committee and discuss the issue again.”

By quoting Netanyahu, Elkin was showing that he has backtracked on his stated principles. Netanyahu now favors a "demilitarized" Arab state inside Judea and Samaria.

Israel's "Fearless Leader?"
(Photo Credit: YNET Archives)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
I just LOVE this picture of Bibi! Don't you?

So now, do we applaud MK Zev Elkin for getting up to the plate, and declaring the truth?

Do you Likudniks out there condemn him for embarrassing your precious prime minister, and working in the opposite direction of Party unity?

Do the "pragmatists" out there condemn him for not choosing his shots in a terribly efficient manner?

Do those of us on the sidelines ask whether MK Elkin really thinks he has the backing to get on the next Likud list of candidates without Bibi's rubber stamp, especially now that he has stepped on even more toes?

Should we even care?

Well, in between yawns, I applaud MK Elkin for not only speaking up, and calling the prime minister on his shenanigans, but for also not second guessing himself. At least, that's my take on what happened.

You are more than welcome to leave a comment suggesting that I've got this all wrong, and that I do not know MK Elkin as well as you do. I'll probably publish it. I do not have enough emotional investment in the Israeli governmental regime to care, and you'll only be doing me a favor by providing me with some additional insight.

But, until then, MK Elkin if one of the few MK's and even fewer Likud MK's who still have my attention, and positive view.

In case you are wondering who the other Likud MK's are still on my "smiley face" list (for lack of a better term), they are MK Moshe Feiglin, of course, and MK Yariv Levin.

Nope, not Christian lover MK Danny Danon, who was never on said list, and MK Tzippy Hotovely recently revealed her true colors, and so was immediately removed.