Israel General Discussion: Annus Horribilis

[CumbrianLefty]

I was watching last night an interview with this very articulate history professor at U of M knowledgeable about Israel, and he did not expect much of the planned Blinken visit to Israel. He expected him to mouth platitudes about a two state solution, and so forth, that is dead in the water. I then looked up what happened with the Blinken trip. It appears next to nothing. Does anyone have an opinion of what he accomplished, and the impact of the visit, other than the null set, and mouthing of platitudes?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-pA23q4eZ8

The Americans have no policy minus worthless platitudes and sticking their heads in the sand. Well at least in terms of this administration/party.

Withhold US aids.

Let see how far Israel go before it starts begging for our money.

The point I'm making is they won't withhold any aid regardless of what this government does.

Starting to think this may not be true indefinitely after all.

[Mike88]

Panels Politics poll: (compared with the last poll)

27 Yesh Atid (nc)
26 Likud (-5)
19 National Unity (+4)
10 Shas (+1)
  7 Otzma Yehudit (-1)
  7 UTJ (nc)
  5 RZP (nc)
  5 Yisrael Beiteinu (nc)
  5 Labor (+1)
  5 Hadash–Ta'al (+1)
  4 Meretz (-1)

55 Netanyahu Cabinet (-5)
55 Yesh Atid+National Unity+Labor+Meretz (+4)
  5 Yisrael Beiteinu (nc)
  5 Hadash–Ta'al (+1)

https://twitter.com/ElectsWorld/status/1629428939725631490

[CumbrianLefty]

Meretz reaching the threshold clearly does make a significant difference, despite their small size now.

[Comrade Funk]

Will there be a shred of accountability now that their god leader is running things or...?
https://www.timesofisrael.com/settlers-said-to-rampage-in-huwara-after-deadly-attack-set-fire-to-cars-and-homes/

[Coldstream]

Is there any chance Otzma’s overreach will create a backlash that can bring the whole of the right down?

[Vosem]

Is there any chance Otzma’s overreach will create a backlash that can bring the whole of the right down?

Sure -- at the moment the government is pretty unpopular and is not doing well at the polls. That said, there is no election expected until 2026, and under the present electoral laws which tiny parties hit the threshold and which don't can overwhelm even decently-sized swings.

If an election were somehow forced right now, though, you would expect Bibi to lose. But there are like 3 more years to go.

[Storr]

https://twitter.com/edokonrad/status/1629937676152455169?s=20

[Darthpi – Anti-Florida Activist]

https://twitter.com/edokonrad/status/1629937676152455169?s=20

Okay, I've had it. Cut off all aid to this regime, and start imposing sanctions. Decades upon decades of illegal military occupation were already bad, but if members of the Israeli government are openly supportive of what is by any reasonable definition acts of terrorism against Palestinian people, then it is unquestionably time for the United States to stop being gentle here and start laying down some meaningful consequences. Enough with the statements of "concern" - we need real action before this spirals even further out of control.

[GALeftist]

I'm sorry but at some point it has got to be time for America to put its foot down. Thanks to our inaction the two state solution is dead. If nothing changes Palestine itself may be next.

[Coldstream]

If Israel chooses to leave the ranks of democracies, it should no longer be treated as a democracy, with fascist thugs like Smotrich & Ben Gvir in the government they’ve done so. I’ve been a supporter of Israel all my life and it pains me to say it but I can’t defend them anymore, it’s incumbent on America & the West to take concrete action if they won’t step back from the brink.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Will there be a shred of accountability now that their god leader is running things or...?
https://www.timesofisrael.com/settlers-said-to-rampage-in-huwara-after-deadly-attack-set-fire-to-cars-and-homes/

The government response ranged from "we understand the anger but taking the law into your hands is bad" (Bibi, Gallant) to liking a tweet supporting this then issuing a meek condemnation (Smotrich) to silence and implicit support (Ben Gvir).

MK Tzvi Fogel (Otzma) openly praised the pogrom in Huwarah and says he "likes to see it", several RZ MKs join lawless settlers in taking over a settlement the IDF has already cleared several times, Minister Ben Gvir set to give statement on in a few hours from said illegal settlement and hasn't commented on the pogrom yet.

This is extremely, extremely grim. The blood of both Jews and Arabs is on the settler's hands. At this point I don't even care about bibi's corruption, I just want a unity government without RZ that, while I won't support it politically, will at least bring calm and reach an agreement on settlement construction freeze with the Americans. I'm not willing to die for these people.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I'm sorry but at some point it has got to be time for America to put its foot down. Thanks to our inaction the two state solution is dead. If nothing changes Palestine itself may be next.

Sadly Kamala Harris said Biden supports Israel unconditionally. Even spineless Obama was more willing to stand up to Israel than Biden.

[CumbrianLefty]

What, she said that in the last 24 hours?

[Hnv1]

This government is going to fall by the end of June. Mark my words.

[Zinneke]

Is there any chance Otzma’s overreach will create a backlash that can bring the whole of the right down?

Sure -- at the moment the government is pretty unpopular and is not doing well at the polls. That said, there is no election expected until 2026, and under the present electoral laws which tiny parties hit the threshold and which don't can overwhelm even decently-sized swings.

If an election were somehow forced right now, though, you would expect Bibi to lose. But there are like 3 more years to go.

Yes, contemporary Israeli governments are durable, it's not like they've had almost an election every year recently.

[America Needs R'hllor]

This government is going to fall by the end of June. Mark my words.

Where's the will for it though? I can't see any party who would gain:
- Likud are in power, and might very well lose a re-do
- The haredim can't realistically expect any better outcome than this government
- RZ can't expect any better jobs, authorities and offices than they have in this government

Who will break the government?

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Bibi, as far-right as he is, always seemed like a credible leader and not a tin-pot autocrat. Cracking down on these terror militias is one of the most important tasks he's ever had. And if that means Ben-Gvir and co. break from the coalition, some of the moderate parties need to swallow their pride and form a temporary coalition.

[Darthpi – Anti-Florida Activist]

Bibi, as far-right as he is, always seemed like a credible leader and not a tin-pot autocrat. Cracking down on these terror militias is one of the most important tasks he's ever had. And if that means Ben-Gvir and co. break from the coalition, some of the moderate parties need to swallow their pride and form a temporary coalition.

This is a fascinating take considering that Netanyahu's primary goal right now is to dismantle the courts so that corrupt convicts like Deri can serve in the government and so that the Arab parties can be banned from the Knesset.

[Hnv1]

This government is going to fall by the end of June. Mark my words.

Where's the will for it though? I can't see any party who would gain:
- Likud are in power, and might very well lose a re-do
- The haredim can't realistically expect any better outcome than this government
- RZ can't expect any better jobs, authorities and offices than they have in this government

Who will break the government?

Either Ben Gvir skips to play the “they held my hands and I couldn’t deal with terror”, or they simply can’t pass a budget considering the insane amounts the Haredi and Ben Gvir demand with the rest of the budgetary commitments. Together with the growing protests and intensifying economic situation they will simply disintegrate trying to pass a budget.

[America Needs R'hllor]

This government is going to fall by the end of June. Mark my words.

Where's the will for it though? I can't see any party who would gain:
- Likud are in power, and might very well lose a re-do
- The haredim can't realistically expect any better outcome than this government
- RZ can't expect any better jobs, authorities and offices than they have in this government

Who will break the government?

Either Ben Gvir skips to play the “they held my hands and I couldn’t deal with terror”, or they simply can’t pass a budget considering the insane amounts the Haredi and Ben Gvir demand with the rest of the budgetary commitments. Together with the growing protests and intensifying economic situation they will simply disintegrate trying to pass a budget.

Will do the closest a non-religious man can do to praying for this.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Bibi, as far-right as he is, always seemed like a credible leader and not a tin-pot autocrat. Cracking down on these terror militias is one of the most important tasks he's ever had. And if that means Ben-Gvir and co. break from the coalition, some of the moderate parties need to swallow their pride and form a temporary coalition.

This is a fascinating take considering that Netanyahu's primary goal right now is to dismantle the courts so that corrupt convicts like Deri can serve in the government and so that the Arab parties can be banned from the Knesset.

He still likes to present himself as the face of "rule of law". I don't think he can afford to become the Prime Minister of violent outlaw vigilantes.

[Lexii, harbinger of chaos and sexual anarchy]

Avi Maoz, Noam's sole MK resigned from his government role in charge of immigration from the former Soviet Union

[Hnv1]

This government is going to fall by the end of June. Mark my words.

Where's the will for it though? I can't see any party who would gain:
- Likud are in power, and might very well lose a re-do
- The haredim can't realistically expect any better outcome than this government
- RZ can't expect any better jobs, authorities and offices than they have in this government

Who will break the government?

Either Ben Gvir skips to play the “they held my hands and I couldn’t deal with terror”, or they simply can’t pass a budget considering the insane amounts the Haredi and Ben Gvir demand with the rest of the budgetary commitments. Together with the growing protests and intensifying economic situation they will simply disintegrate trying to pass a budget.

Will do the closest a non-religious man can do to praying for this.

Just want to remind you all that if Michaeli was a not a sociopath egomaniac and ran with Meretz together the current government on 61-2 seats would have been in a dead lock now.

She's done.

[America Needs R'hllor]

This government is going to fall by the end of June. Mark my words.

Where's the will for it though? I can't see any party who would gain:
- Likud are in power, and might very well lose a re-do
- The haredim can't realistically expect any better outcome than this government
- RZ can't expect any better jobs, authorities and offices than they have in this government

Who will break the government?

Either Ben Gvir skips to play the “they held my hands and I couldn’t deal with terror”, or they simply can’t pass a budget considering the insane amounts the Haredi and Ben Gvir demand with the rest of the budgetary commitments. Together with the growing protests and intensifying economic situation they will simply disintegrate trying to pass a budget.

Will do the closest a non-religious man can do to praying for this.

Just want to remind you all that if Michaeli was a not a sociopath egomaniac and ran with Meretz together the current government on 61-2 seats would have been in a dead lock now.

She's done.

More than that- Labor is done (and Meretz as well). At least, done running separately. hopefully done as parties generally.

[CumbrianLefty]

I'm sure that Israel will be better off going forward with no meaningful left presence at all, yeah