Israeli General Election (2019) II: Electric Boogaloo (17.9.2019)

[Famous Mortimer]

Hmmm

Now conflicting reports about whether or not Otzma Yehudit is actually part of the alliance or not. Bennett said he wanted them in the alliance (said the same thing about Zehut) but they didn't respond apparently.

Otzma Yehudit also announced an alliance with the anti-gay Noam party, which seems to suggest they are planning to run on their own.

[Hnv1]

The NR-URW union is also not done yet (why not just call it the Old JH as it's exactly the same as it was last year...)
Shaked and Bennet refuse to pledge a recommendation to Bibi instead only stating they'll support a right wing government

[DavidB.]

Shaked and Bennet refuse to pledge a recommendation to Bibi instead only stating they'll support a right wing government

Which is the logical thing to do now that the informal bloc logic is dead anyway. Why nominate Netanyahu only to have him form a grand coalition with BW and YB, whose agenda would be completely opposed to the URP agenda.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Otzma aren't part of this agreement yet. Instead they indeed signed an agreement with Noam, a party running on frothing-in-the-mouth homophobia and incitement against LGBTQs. I'm fine with this- all the truly evil people in one party.

But it's also true that both Bennet and Shaked said they want Otzma in their bloc. This shows that the work Itamar Ben Gvir and Benjamin Netanyahu have done in the last election bore fruits- nazism has been normalized in Israel. Normal mainstream politicians "disagree" with it, but they're ready to make alliances with it. Kahanists who praise mass-murderers and wish to instate their own version of the Nurenberg Laws are legitimate political partners. I grieve for my country, because we officially forgot the holocaust.

[Walmart_shopper]

But it's also true that both Bennet and Shaked said they want Otzma in their bloc. This shows that the work Itamar Ben Gvir and Benjamin Netanyahu have done in the last election bore fruits- nazism has been normalized in Israel. Normal mainstream politicians "disagree" with it, but they're ready to make alliances with it. Kahanists who praise mass-murderers and wish to instate their own version of the Nurenberg Laws are legitimate political partners. I grieve for my country, because we officially forgot the holocaust.

The problem here is that it took an extremely tiny anti-lgbt party and a couple of carnival-barking Kahanists for you to realize this. We've been "forgetting the Holocaust" for so long that saying so no longer even has meaning in our political discourse.

[Walmart_shopper]

Shaked and Bennet refuse to pledge a recommendation to Bibi instead only stating they'll support a right wing government

Which is the logical thing to do now that the informal bloc logic is dead anyway. Why nominate Netanyahu only to have him form a grand coalition with BW and YB, whose agenda would be completely opposed to the URP agenda.

If Likud and BW want a unity government then they will get a unity government irrespective of what Shaked and Bennet recommend. It is just typical posturing to look sonehow independent of the Likud. That's the game Bennet has been playing for years. He preens and flexes as though he were far more politically significant and powerful than he really is. At some point you cannot pretend to be a major political player if you can't get more than ten mandates.

[DavidB.]

Absolutely disgusting comments with which the majority of Israelis thankfully disagree. There is absolutely no comparison between the industrial genocide of six million Jews within the discriminatory, imperialist system of the Nazi state on the one hand, and two tiny parties opposed by most Israelis competing in free and fair elections within a healthy, democratic nation state on the other hand.

If Likud and BW want a unity government then they will get a unity government irrespective of what Shaked and Bennet recommend.

Sure, but why would Shaked and Bennett commit to supporting such an effort?

At some point you cannot pretend to be a major political player if you can't get more than ten mandates.

Avigdor Lieberman disagrees.

[America Needs R'hllor]

two tiny parties opposed by most Israelis competing in free and fair elections within a healthy, democratic nation state on the other hand.

My problem is not with the fact that they're able to compete. My problem is that where once Likud MK Michael Eitan compared their platform to the Nurenberg Laws- which is factually true, the Kahanist doctrine seems like it was copied from these laws- and the entire Knesset boycotted their speech, now half the politicians legitimize them as a political force. Obviously they haven't come close to the horror of the holocaust, but their platform is very much a reason to be worried and the fact that it's been quickly legitimized is a huge problem. We should learn from history, and right now we're doing the opposite.

[Walmart_shopper]

At some point you cannot pretend to be a major political player if you can't get more than ten mandates.

Avigdor Lieberman disagrees.

Avigdor Liberman recommended Bibi as PM.

[DavidB.]

At some point you cannot pretend to be a major political player if you can't get more than ten mandates.

Avigdor Lieberman disagrees.

Avigdor Liberman recommended Bibi as PM.

He caused a new election instead of putting up with Bibi and the Haredim's wishes, indicating he is a relevant political player despite having fewer than 10 seats.

[Walmart_shopper]

The far right alliance between the New Right and the Jewish Home is now official, but it doesn't include the even-farther-far-right Otzmah faction. Amazingly, Likud is throwing a fit about this and claims that without the support of ethnic cleansing supporters there is a existential threat to the right in the elections. So that's fun.

[Tintrlvr]

The far right alliance between the New Right and the Jewish Home is now official, but it doesn't include the even-farther-far-right Otzmah faction. Amazingly, Likud is throwing a fit about this and claims that without the support of ethnic cleansing supporters there is a existential threat to the right in the elections. So that's fun.

So, Likud, if you feel so strongly, form an alliance with Otzma yourself...

[bigic]

So, Likud, if you feel so strongly, form an alliance with Otzma yourself...

+1

AFAIK even the previous "United Right" alliance was formed due to pressure from Likud.

[America Needs R'hllor]

The far right alliance between the New Right and the Jewish Home is now official, but it doesn't include the even-farther-far-right Otzmah faction. Amazingly, Likud is throwing a fit about this and claims that without the support of ethnic cleansing supporters there is a existential threat to the right in the elections. So that's fun.

The UR (United Right- we shall hereby have a new abbreviation) suggested including Otzma representatives in reserved spots in Likud. Likud's response? No, because our limit of reserved spots was reached with the union with Kulanu. "See, we'd love to put a Kahanist or two in our list, but we don't have any place left"...

[Famous Mortimer]

I have a question about something that's so small and insignificant that the Israeli press hasn't bothered to talk about it in English (which is saying something because they usually translate everything), nevertheless, as a politics nerd I am interested and hopefully some Israeli here can answer for me:

Eli Ben-Dahan and his Ahi party, who are they allied with now, if anyone? Are they part of Likud still? Are they part of the Jewish Home? Are they part of Otzma?

[America Needs R'hllor]

I have a question about something that's so small and insignificant that the Israeli press hasn't bothered to talk about it in English (which is saying something because they usually translate everything), nevertheless, as a politics nerd I am interested and hopefully some Israeli here can answer for me:

Eli Ben-Dahan and his Ahi party, who are they allied with no, if anyone? Are they part of Likud still? Are they part of the Jewish Home? Are they part of Otzma?

Ahi was just a vehicle for Ben Dahan to be put in the Likud list as part of the grand URWP deal- he's otherwise part of the JH list, so he'll be placed in the UR list (probably in the 13th place if I had to guess).

[Famous Mortimer]

I have a question about something that's so small and insignificant that the Israeli press hasn't bothered to talk about it in English (which is saying something because they usually translate everything), nevertheless, as a politics nerd I am interested and hopefully some Israeli here can answer for me:

Eli Ben-Dahan and his Ahi party, who are they allied with no, if anyone? Are they part of Likud still? Are they part of the Jewish Home? Are they part of Otzma?

Ahi was just a vehicle for Ben Dahan to be put in the Likud list as part of the grand URWP deal- he's otherwise part of the JH list, so he'll be placed in the UR list (probably in the 13th place if I had to guess).

Can he though? Or will that violate the party switching rule?

Or are they just going to throw out the party switching rule since you can game it by resurrecting a dead minor party and forming "an alliance" with a major party.

[danny]

Can he though? Or will that violate the party switching rule?

Or are they just going to throw out the party switching rule since you can game it by resurrecting a dead minor party and forming "an alliance" with a major party.

There is no blanket rule against changing parties from one election to the next, the rule applies to MK's who leave their party in the middle of the term and their original party has them declared as leavers from joining a different party for the next election. Ben Dahan's changes were agreed upon between the parties, so this is irrelevant. It also doesn't apply to Shaffir, who is technically still in Labour, and is simply running with a different party in the coming election.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Likud Minister Tzahi Hanegbi (note: considered a relative moderate), answering a question about the right embracing the Kahanists: "we prefer the far-right a million times over the left's values".

When most of the country is gradually starting to honestly believe that murder-supporting Kahanists are better than you...

In other news, in responde to MK Yoaz Hendel (Kahol Lavan) condemning settlers who threw stones on IDF soldiers and saying that all stone throwers should be treated roughly, Transportation Minister and National Union leader Bezalel Smotrich tweeted that "I do care if the attackers are Jewish or Arab. There's no equation between brothers and enemies... I treat my brothers differently even if they're hardcore criminals." So he's admitting plainly that he's going down a segregrationist route, and marks an entire race as "the enemy". This follows the statement by Education Minister and Jewish Home leader Rafi Peretz that when the territories will be annexed, the Palestinians won't have a right to vote.

They made it subtle a few years ago, accusing us of overreacting and misinterpreting. Now they're making it plain.

[Walmart_shopper]

Likud Minister Tzahi Hanegbi (note: considered a relative moderate), answering a question about the right embracing the Kahanists: "we prefer the far-right a million times over the left's values".

When most of the country is gradually starting to honestly believe that murder-supporting Kahanists are better than you...

In other news, in responde to MK Yoaz Hendel (Kahol Lavan) condemning settlers who threw stones on IDF soldiers and saying that all stone throwers should be treated roughly, Transportation Minister and National Union leader Bezalel Smotrich tweeted that "I do care if the attackers are Jewish or Arab. There's no equation between brothers and enemies... I treat my brothers differently even if they're hardcore criminals." So he's admitting plainly that he's going down a segregrationist route, and marks an entire race as "the enemy". This follows the statement by Education Minister and Jewish Home leader Rafi Peretz that when the territories will be annexed, the Palestinians won't have a right to vote.

They made it subtle a few years ago, accusing us of overreacting and misinterpreting. Now they're making it plain.

I think it's wonderful that at last right wing politicians who subscribe to a racist theological system that has racist political implications are now willing to make clear how racist their theological system and its political implications really are. This is really very standard and normative discourse for the religious right in Israel. This is Jewish Orthodoxy, and it is why its increased political strength is dangerous and immoral.

The problem though isn't that Orthodox rabbis-cum-politicos are repeating the same kind of bigoted nonsense that passes as "scholarship" in their yeshivot. The problem is that Tzachi HaNegbi and Bibi Netanyahu are now willing to shrug at it and normalize it for a few more mandates. That is a consequence of the Likud becoming a shallow Netanyahu personality cult that serves the intetest of the Netanyahu family rather than its traditional role as the Israeli big tent establishment party.

The good news is that corrupt rapprochments between fundamentalist religion and its political enablers is a house of cards that will fall spectacularly. The bad news is that the rest of us have to try to wait patiently until it does.

[Famous Mortimer]

Where are bougie leftist Ashkenazis going to immigrate to when Israel becomes a fascist state?

[Walmart_shopper]

Where are bougie leftist Ashkenazis going to immigrate to when Israel becomes a fascist state?

For years the popular choices have been Berlin, Amsterdam, Canada, and the US. Sydney and Mexico are growing in popularity. But when the rich Ashkenazi techies leave they'll bring the entire Israeli economy with them, so it remains to he seen if the Mizrahim who are forced to leave as well will be so enamored with Europe. They really like Miami, for some (utterly not apparent) reason.

[Hnv1]

Peretz is so beyond caring he simply expelled dozens of Labour convention members who oppose his deal with Gesher to get the vote in. he's going to sell everything to be president.
He's a pointless politician, 30 years in and beside the Iron Dome there is  all I can think of that he did.

The Democratic Camp fell in polls which proves that bottom line it's 1.25*Meretz

[Famous Mortimer]

Who did he expel? Anyone notable?

[Famous Mortimer]

Also I guess it's safe to say there's going to be a Likud-United Right-Shas-UTJ-Labor government or maybe just Likud-United Right-Shas-UTJ-Gesher+Peretz government, but that should be enough for a majority.