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2021-03-26 Israel-Palestine-Jordan
We need to stop blaming Bibi for electoral deadlock
[Jpost] - For the past two years, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s detractors have claimed that if he would only get out of the way — resign, retire or expire — the problem of electoral impasse would instantly be solved.
Some background that I highly recommend - proportional representation, and its consequences, is not very familiar to most Americans.
...THIS BRINGS us to the current apparent stalemate, which the final vote count might break. Still, the so-called "tie" between the blocs, with question marks about Naftali Bennett’s Yamina Party and Ra’am, headed by Mansour Abbas, is a fallacy. Unlike in past elections, pollsters have not been scanning the political map from Left to Right. Instead, their charts divide the pie into pro-Netanyahu vs. anti-Netanyahu slices.

In other words, the parties’ stances on the crucial issues (i.e. vaccines, the Abraham Accords, the Iranian threat or Jerusalem-Washington relations) have taken a back seat to their view of Netanyahu personally. And since members of the anybody-but-Bibi side have nothing in common other than a shared hostility to Netanyahu, it can’t be considered a camp in any sense of the word.
If Bibi were to say "I've accomplished that no other Israeli PM could even dream off, and that's what I get - f*ck you, I'm retiring!" They won't be able to form a government
The pro-Netanyahu bloc is a different story. In the first place, Likud is still far larger than other party, including Yesh Atid, the second in line. Beyond that, those nearly certain to stick by Netanyahu — United Torah Judaism, Shas and Religious Zionism — share certain fundamentals.

If an impasse follows the final tally, it will be due not to an ideological split in the country, but to those on the Right who wish to get Netanyahu out of the way. Liberman remains so steadfast in his antipathy that his party is no longer considered any sort of potential coalition partner with Likud.

In his place is Gideon Sa’ar, a longtime Likud member who ran and lost against Netanyahu in the party primaries. Sa’ar, who formed the New Hope Party and took a few other disgruntled Likud politicians with him, says that there is no way he’ll support Netanyahu.
Gideon Sa’ar is a lifelong professional politician - IMO, the only question here is how much is his price.
Though Bennett has been clear that he wishes to replace Netanyahu rather than serve as a minister in a Likud-led government, it’s possible that he’ll be persuaded to change his mind.

In the event that he doesn’t, and if Netanyahu is unable to garner outside support from Ra’am or obtain defectors from other parties, the most likely scenario is a fifth election. The chances of an anybody-but-Bibi coalition being forged seem slim to nil at this juncture. Calling it a "government of change" doesn’t alter that reality.

WHETHER ONE accepts the premise that Israel’s longest-serving prime minister is at fault for the electoral deadlock, the assertion that his absence would make all the difference is revealing. For one thing, it is an acknowledgment of his formidability.

...There’s no doubt that he’s responsible for much of the resentment on the part of Liberman, Bennett and Sa’ar, each of whom at one point was in his inner circle. Netanyahu’s biggest flaws are his mistreatment of loyalists and refusal to cultivate an heir.

Nevertheless, he’s still standing, thanks to the public who gave the party he heads the most votes. To expect him to bow out "for the good" of the very country whose populace handed him more mandates than any of his contenders is ludicrous.

Israel’s parliamentary democracy is not based on the direct election of the prime minister; it requires the creation of a coalition. If no party is successful at the endeavor, a new election has to be held. Perhaps it’s time to start reforming the system, rather than blaming Bibi for working it to his advantage
Wrong, wrong, wrong!
(a) We tried it - it didn't work.
(b) The biggest strength of parliamentary system with proportional representation, is the need to form a coalition. And coalition negotiation prevent anyone like (name your "favorite" POTUS) becoming chief executive.
Posted by g(r)omgoru 2021-03-26 05:02|| || Front Page|| [1 views ]  Top

#1 That would never work in the US, we'd end up in a shooting war with ourselves fast. But it does seem to work well for Israel. I've always had more fear of the US abandoning Israel than Israel's own government selling out and bowing to the Jihadi's.
Posted by Silentbrick 2021-03-26 11:04||   2021-03-26 11:04|| Front Page Top

#2 IIRC, Spain had Proportional Representation and the Spanish Civil War.
Posted by magpie 2021-03-26 12:57||   2021-03-26 12:57|| Front Page Top










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