Sunday, March 15, 2015

Every vote counts in this crucial election - Isi Leibler



by Isi Leibler


Labor's current list includes post-Zionists who condemn the national anthem as racist, call on ‎mothers not to send their children to the army, and openly declare that they are not Zionist. ‎

This is the context that has led to the rise of the "centrist" parties, which have impacted the ‎dysfunctionality and instability of the entire political system. These parties -- Yesh Atid, Yisrael Beytenu and Kulanu -- ‎are politically amorphous and lack genuine ideologies. Despite their flow ‎of predominantly negative political babble and raucous electioneering, their principal role is to ‎represent vehicles for their leaders to ruthlessly exploit in order to promote their own personal ‎political aspirations.‎

The wretched state of Israeli politics and this unnecessary election has alienated many voters. ‎But opinion polls can be very misleading, especially in the absence of compulsory voting, and ‎the results could well present major surprises.‎

The reality is that the primitive primary system by which Likud and Labor (‎running on the Zionist Union ticket) ‎‎choose their Knesset candidates has enabled well-organized fringe groups to promote the ‎candidacy of radicals who do not share the mainstream view of their respective parties. ‎Labor's current list includes post-Zionists who condemn the national anthem as racist, call on ‎mothers not to send their children to the army, and openly declare that they are not Zionist. ‎

This is the context that has led to the rise of the "centrist" parties, which have impacted the ‎dysfunctionality and instability of the entire political system. These parties -- Yesh Atid, Yisrael Beytenu and Kulanu -- ‎are politically amorphous and lack genuine ideologies. Despite their flow ‎of predominantly negative political babble and raucous electioneering, their principal role is to ‎represent vehicles for their leaders to ruthlessly exploit in order to promote their own personal ‎political aspirations.‎

Yair Lapid, Avigdor Lieberman and Moshe Kahlon handpick their candidates and have all ‎made it abundantly clear that the only criteria for joining a government headed by Likud or ‎Labor will be the position that they can personally leverage for themselves. ‎

The situation becomes more complex because the new Joint Arab List likely to ‎represent a formidable voting bloc, obtaining as many as 12 to 15 Knesset seats, even possibly ‎becoming head of the opposition if a broad government is formed. And if, as current polls ‎suggest, Likud and the Zionist Union emerge with very close results, the Arab bloc could for ‎the first time influence the outcome by recommending that President Reuven Rivlin gives the ‎Zionist Union the first option of forming a government. ‎

The most distressing aspect of this election has been the lack of any serious debate on the ‎crucial issues currently facing Israel. ‎

Indeed, the only item that has dominated the media has been the "Anyone but Bibi" ‎campaign, comprised of an unprecedented mudslinging and personal demonization of ‎Netanyahu. No other Western prime minister has ever been subjected to such petty and ‎vicious scrutiny and such a vindictive campaign of defamation and slander. His wife was ‎portrayed as a witch from Salem. His household culinary preferences, rebates on recycled ‎bottles, excessive house cleaning and petty cash expenses have been front-page headlines. ‎That the expenses of former President Shimon Peres were 20 times more and that none of his ‎predecessors were subjected to such scrutiny speaks for itself. The visceral personal hatred of ‎Netanyahu by Noni Mozes, the publisher of the daily Yedioth Ahronoth, who formerly ‎championed Ehud Olmert, is highlighted daily on the front pages and represents a disgusting ‎example of the depths to which the media has descended. ‎

The prime minister has antagonized many people, but it is difficult to fault his responsible ‎leadership during the course of the Gaza war. The opposition has no shame when it condemns ‎him for failing to finish off Hamas. Similarly, despite fierce opposition, his congressional ‎address was a huge success and certainly did not undermine Israel's relationship with the U.S. as ‎predicted.‎

But regrettably, it is Netanyahu personally who is being attacked, rather than his policies. ‎Setting aside social-economic issues such as housing and inequality, concerning which both ‎Netanyahu and Herzog have both pledged to bring about reforms, many Israelis seem to be ‎unaware or unconcerned about the fact that over the next three or four years, the ‎government will undoubtedly face extraordinary challenges and be obliged to take decisions that will have a major impact on the long-term future and security of the Jewish state.‎

We are a tranquil oasis in a region engulfed by the most terrible barbarism, and unfortunately ‎there are no signs on the horizon of any easing of the carnage and upheavals. We must strive ‎to strengthen our relations with Egypt and gird ourselves for the possibility of renewed ‎terrorist initiatives emanating from Iran, Islamic State, Hezbollah, Hamas and even the Palestinian ‎Authority, which shares the same objectives as Hamas. ‎

Beyond this, we are aware that for the remainder of U.S. President Barack Obama's term in office‎, his ‎administration is determined to continue its pressure on Israel to withdraw to indefensible ‎borders and make further concessions which could have profound long-term repercussions ‎impacting on the security of our children and grandchildren. ‎

Voters should understand that the composition of the next government will have major ‎ramifications on these crucial issues. They should also take into account that recent precedents ‎in Israel have demonstrated that, in the absence of cabinet responsibility, overall policies are ‎largely determined by the prime minister, with coalition partners having little influence over ‎major decisions.‎

Under such circumstances, Israelis should not cynically dismiss the election as theater. They ‎should exercise their right to vote and concentrate on one of the two major blocs rather than ‎flippantly casting their votes to the "centrist" parties. ‎

They must recognize that there are major differences of approach between the policies of ‎Netanyahu and Herzog. They should set aside prejudice regarding personalities and support the party whose leader ‎they consider would be best-equipped to head the nation during this critical period and who is ‎most capable of confronting the pressures from the Obama administration and providing ‎security in the face of our adversaries. That means supporting either Likud and Benjamin ‎Netanyahu or Isaac Herzog and Tzipi Livni of the Zionist Union.‎ ‎

Netanyahu has made it clear that he would not countenance any further unilateral concessions ‎to the Palestinians at this time, which he maintains would merely endanger Israel and advance ‎the cause of the terrorists. He will resist pressures from the Obama administration and ‎feels assured of the support of Congress and the American people.‎

Herzog and Livni believe that Israel should make a deal with Abbas, whom they still consider a ‎peace partner, and would support another disengagement with the Palestinian Authority. ‎They also suggest that they will placate Obama by making such concessions and ‎agreeing on future borders. ‎

In this context, voters should determine whether they consider Netanyahu or Herzog/Livni to ‎be most capable to direct the destiny of the nation as prime minister over the next crucial ‎years. They should vote for that candidate's party and avoid centrist parties that essentially subcontract their votes to individuals who will employ them ‎primarily for personal ambition. That could result in unintended consequences and the ‎formation of a government quite contrary to the genuine will of the nation.‎ ‎


Isi Leibler's website can be viewed at www.wordfromjerusalem.com. He may be contacted at ‎ileibler@leibler.com.

Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=11929

Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.

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