AUTHOR:G.
DATE:11/02/2002 11:34:00 PM
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Why does a lot of Americans love Bibi?
First of all he is great in making speeches, and his way of thinking is very “American” (I’m not sure how exactly to put this in words).
I think that one of the main reasons Americans connect to him is the fact that Netanyahu has excellent English (American style) and does not have the usual funny Israeli accent (like Ehud Barak for example, it’s so funny listening to him speaking English). You may think it’s a very shallow idea but I think it holds water, it probably works in the subconscious.
I don’t think that this is something unique to Americans, it works the same way in Israel. A lot of Palestinian leaders can speak excellent Hebrew (which they learned in Israeli jails). I personally can say that whenever I hear a Palestinian talking in clear and correct Hebrew he automatically looks more credible to me (with no real reason). It’s a common Palestinian (legitimate) trick, they summon Israeli reporters, preferably TV or radio, and try to convince the Israeli audience in our own language, Hebrew.
I wonder if this native language trick works the same with reading? If so I guess I lose some credibility with my, well... imperfect English.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:11/02/2002 11:27:00 AM
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Netanyahu tangles
Sharon is an experienced politician and this weekend he pulled one of his smart tricks. Sharon offered (and made sure the public knows about it) Netanyahu the Foreign Affairs portfolio in his government. Whatever Bibi’s answer will be Sharon will benefit from it and Netanyahu will lose points. If Netanyahu agrees to be Sharon’s number 2 it will damage his odds to beat Sharon in the Likud primaries and he won’t be able to criticize the government. If Netanyahu won’t accept Sharon’s offer it will result in losing supporters inside the Likud. He will be looked upon as the one who abandoned Likud government in a time of crisis and Sharon will be seen as the responsible one that wanted to join forces and cooperate with Netanyahu.
I wrote here before that I don’t like Bibi and I don’t trust him. The man is good in making speeches and appearing in television and that’s about it. Sharon and Netanyahu met yesterday to discuss Bibi’s joining the government. Netanyahu haven’t decided yet and probably will meet Sharon again in a day or two. Vague reports say that Netanyahu tends to reject Sharon’s offer and to try to bring to an early elections. Sharon offered Netanyahu to join on the basis of the guidelines of the current government. According to reports Netanyahu have a problem with the government’s economic policy. No word about Netanyahu having a problem with Sharon’s political and security policies which he criticized so much.
In the last two years Netanyahu huffs and puffs calling the government actions against the Palestinians too soft and suddenly when he can stand behind his words and try to change the government’s policy he became silent. The man is only good in words not in actions. To sum it up in Hebrew: “ma hu mezayen et hasechel ya’allah!” (îä äåà îæééï àú äùëì éà àììä)
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:11/01/2002 02:51:00 PM
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Nutshell Too
From the people who brought us “History in a Nutshell” now comes the sequel “Nutshell Too”. It’s a presentation that deals with the early history of the region, from Joshua’s conquests, until the 2000 Camp David summit. Check it out.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:10/31/2002 10:17:00 PM
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Joint target
Do you know who are the biggest opposers to the security fence/wall being build between Israel and the Palestinians? Yasser Arafat along with all Palestinian factions and terror groups on one side and far right Israeli extremists on the other side. Draw the conclusions yourself.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:10/30/2002 08:18:00 PM
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BODY:
That’s it
Well it turns out that I guessed wrong. Labor ministers resigned from the government today, putting an end for the national unity government. Ben Eliezer gambles that this will enable him to win the Labor party elections due in 3 weeks. I don’t think that this move will help him, not that I think he would have had a chance if stayed in the government.
So what’s next? Sharon could try to assemble a narrow government based on Right wing parties and somehow make it to the original date of the next elections in November 2003.
I don’t think that will happen. As Prime Minister Sharon was proud (or at least this is what he told the public) of the national unity government he build with the Labor party. He tried to keep away from right wing radicals and stay in the center. Overall the public was quite satisfied from the national unity government, especially considering the other options. Sharon, positioning himself in the center of the political range of views and keeping the Labor in his government, “neutralized” the Labor from showing it self as an alternative to him. Through this smart move Sharon gained a lot of popularity with center and left wing voters. If he’ll establish a narrow right wing government he is going to ruin what he is been working for almost two years. Joining hands with people like Avigdor Liberman and withstanding fierce criticism from the new head of opposition Labor party, Sharon will easily become identified as a right wing, not a center, leader thus loosing popularity. I don’t think he’ll fall for that. My guess is that we’re going to general elections very soon.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:10/30/2002 07:52:00 PM
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BODY:
Before rushing to today’s hot political news let’s not forget
Yesterday a Palestinian infiltrated Hermesh, in the West Bank 4 miles from the green line, slaughtered Linoi Saroussi and Hadas Turgeman, both 13.5, and Orna Eshel, 53.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:10/29/2002 10:48:00 PM
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BODY:
Another comic relief
Last night IDF troops arrested a would be suicide bomber in the West Bank. This time it wasn’t the Shabak who gave his name to the army, it was the Palestinians. After the suicide bombing in Ariel on Sunday both the Hamas and the Fatah claimed responsibility. Apparently it was a Hamas attack but the Fatah Tanzim, so eager to show off, claimed it was one of their men named Muhammad Shakir who blew himself up, it wasn’t. With the next suicide bomber’s name in their hands it was only a matter of time before the IDF would catch him. And so they did.
Thanks for the tip you fucking assholes. You should do it more often, your help is appreciated.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:10/29/2002 09:35:00 PM
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BODY:
Not really interesting
There were lots of police and Shabak security guards in Tel Aviv University this evening. It turns out that while I was in a boring econometry class, one building away all the security and political top levels attended a goodbye ceremony in honor of Ephraim Halevi who just finished his service as head of the Mossad. And I wasn’t invited, can you believe that!
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:10/29/2002 08:27:00 AM
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BODY:
Something stinks
According to reports former IDF Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz has agreed to replace Binyamin Ben Eliezer If Labor will realize their threat to leave the coalition.
I think this is merely a media spin by Sharon to put pressure on Ben Eliezer. Anyway I think it’s a bad idea. Theoretically according to Israeli laws there must be a “cooling” period of at least 6 month before a retired general can join politics. Mofaz doesn't’t have those 6 month yet but I heard this could be bypassed by regarding to Mofaz as a professional appointment not a political one.
I think Mofaz was a good Chief of Staff, though he had is slicks, but for god’s sake the man just recently left the army. It smells bad how ever you look at it. Iv’e read somewhere a comment by a worried Israeli asking if are some kind of banana republic that our generals move straight from the army to the government.
A lot of Israeli politicians are former officers in the IDF. If the desire to lead is in your blood in Israel it’s only natural that you’ll become an officer during your compulsory army service. So I’m not ruling out former generals but they need to breath some fresh air before jumping into politics.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:10/28/2002 11:10:00 PM
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BODY:
The end of the national unity government?
Big mess today in Israeli politics. Defense Minister Ben Eliezer threats Sharon that the Labor party will quit the coalition if Finance Minister won’t reallocate funds destined for Jewish settlements to other sectors. It looks like Ben Eliezer is worried about the recent polls showing him last in the race for the head of the Labor party. To gain some points among Labor voters he tries to show he isn’t Sharon Yes Man. So a great deal of this threat is for inner party politics. However Ben Eliezer knows he draws some popularity from being the Defense Minister, so it’s not clear what’s more important to him.
The next elections are supposed to be in a year or so, most chances are that it will take place sooner. Even if this state budget crisis will not turn in breaking the coalition there is no way the Labor party will stay in the government till Election Day. They will want to present themselves as an alternative to The Likud party.
I think both Sharon and Ben Eliezer don’t want to unpack their package just yet. It will happen but I think not this time though local media estimates that this is the end of the government. Actually I’m just gambling here, I’m not such a good of a political commentator. If you want to get dipper, and it gets very dip (all those disgusting political schemes and lies) you’ll need to check other places.
I really loathe petty politicians, and most of them are.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:10/28/2002 11:03:00 PM
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BODY:
Comic relief
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:10/27/2002 01:47:00 PM
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BODY:
Another suicide bombing
At least 3 killed and 30 injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up near a gas station outside Ariel in the West Bank. Reports: Ha’aretz, Jerusalem Post.
If some may think that this attack ridicules my previous post – It doesn’t.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:10/27/2002 12:57:00 AM
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BODY:
The Shterzer peace plan
You offered a lot of ideas, I have to say I disagree with most of them (you can guess it your self). I’m glad that they all tried to approach the issue seriously without using all kinds of faul expressions.
Before I’ll bring my idea I want to emphasize a few things: I do believe in the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state; I know the Arabs don’t “like” us; I have no illusions about heaven in the middle east in the seeable future; I do agree that Israel has legitimate claims in Judea and Samaria (West Bank); The basis to any solution that will benefit Israel must resolve with an overwhelming majority of Jews in the new defined boundaries of the state of Israel; I don’t believe Transfer is a possible option, it is morally wrong and impossible (notice for would be angry commentators - I’m not going into this discussion all over again, at least not now); I don’t like messianic views, we live here and now and should act that way. If we were still waiting for the messiah there would be no state of Israel. I also don’t see great importance to things that happened many years ago, when solving this issue we can’t overlook existing facts.
First and for most a permanent agreement with the Palestinian cannot be achieved as long as Yasser Arafat is their leader (be it the function he plays now or just a symbolic president). The man has proven not to be trusted again. He had is chances and blew it. So the first step is to kick Arafat out of power. With Arafat so should the Palestinian government and legislative council be dismissed.
After Arafat’s gone a new Palestinian leadership need to take his place and will be closely supervised by the US or the international community. The new leadership must call and force the end of Palestinian terrorism. Obviously the Fanatic Muslim terror groups won’t obey – that will be the first decisive test for the new Palestinian leadership. If it can’t control the Hamas, Islamic Jihad etc. there is no reason for Israel to do business with them. As incentives to the new leadership Israel should evacuate all the illegal outpost and withdrawal to September’s 28 2000 lines (pre violence). You know what I think about the illegal outposts, they should be taken any way, as no group should be allowed to act illegally against the government's policy. The withdrawal sounds a big thing and could be perceived as so by The Palestinians and the rest of the world. It sounds big but I reckon that the IDF can withdrawal to this lines in a matter of a few hours and vice versa, If needed to move back in less than half a day (we are talking here about a few miles after all). If the cease fire is enforced by the Palestinians over their radicals we can go on, if not the IDF goes back in.
A interim agreement will have to be reached after a few month of no terrorism. Israel will take down a few small isolated settlements. If the agreements goes well for 2-3 years then a final agreement should be negotiated.
The final solution will look similar to what Barak offered in Camp David. Most of the settlements will be dismantled. The big ones near the green line with total of around 80% of the settler’s population will be annexed and fenced out. In return the Palestinian should be given equal amount of land from Israel, my suggestions are to give the areas densely populated with Israeli Arabs near the Green line such as Umm el Fahem, Taybe, Tira and the villages around. This will reduce the number of Arabs inside the state of Israel and will help secure Israel’s future demographically.
The all border between Israel and the Palestinian state will be fenced and heavily secured, this is not Europe after all. There will be gates and inspections. If it will work there is no reason a controlled traffic shouldn’t be allowed. If it will resolve against Israel’s interests the border will be sealed the Palestinians will suffocate economically. The new Palestinian state would also have to be demilitarized and under strict international supervision for at least 20-30 years.
It will be made clear that any cheatings and lying will result in the end of the agreement and will lead to Israel recouping the Palestinian state.
The bottom line that maybe a lot of you not living in Israel are unaware off is that (as far As I believe and know) most Israelis prefer peace to land. Meaning we prefer to live peacefully without the West Bank and Gaza than to live in war with the land. We do not want and won’t agree to live without the land and without peace.
Update: I know that this plan like others have a slim chance of successes, but this is the best one I can think of now. Even if does begin okay the last phases will be very difficult to implement (removing settlements and including Israeli Arabs in the Palestinian territory, I’ll discuss it in another post). Referring to Haggai’s comment, He is right, I forgot to emphasis it and it’s very important: Going on from one phase to another will be done not only by a timetable but first of all according to the compliance of the Palestinians to every word in the agreement, no room for any compromise there.
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