Netanyahu confuses chutzpah with victory in Israel as hope dims for Mideast peace

February 10, 7:04 PMPolitical Issues ExaminerJudah Freed

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Political Issues Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Hard-line Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu  and ruling Kadima Party Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni have both claimed victory in Israel's parliamentary election Tuesday, which early returns suggested is still too close to call.

Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu
greets supporters at the Likud election
headquarters at the convention center
in Tel Aviv, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009.
(AP Photo/Odd Andersen)

With 67 percent of the votes counted at about 7 PM (EST), according to an Associated Press report citing Israel's Channel 1 television, Livni's centrists Kadima Party had won 29 seats in the 120-seat Knesset parliament while Netanyahu's hawkish Likud Party was right behind with 28 seats.

 A final vote count will not be knopwn until Thursday evening, when the votes are counted for soldiers  at military bases across Israel. Those results could change the tally in the Knesset by a seat or two.

Under Israel's parliamentary system, when there is no clear majority winner, the leader of the party winning the most seats automatically becomes the Prime Minister who forms the ruling government.

"Regardless of who gets the most votes," reported AP, "Netanyahu's Likud Party appeared to have the upper hand in forming a ruling coalition, thanks to strong showing by other right-wing parties."

Among these is the ultranationalist Avigdor Lieberman, who's far-right Yisrael Beitenu Party apparently has taken third place behind Kadima and Likud. Most observers agree that Lieberman captured votes that otherwise would have gone to Netanyahu.

Within the coming week, reports AP, Israel's President Shimon Peres of the Labor Party "will ask whichever leader he believes is most capable of forming a coalition to try to put together a government. If he chooses Livni, she would have to reach out to hard-liners." The elections were called after Livni failed to put together a ruling coalition when scandal-plagued Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced he was stepping down last fall.

This outcome significant dims hope for Mideast peace, in my opinion.

Netanyahu adamantly opposes the two-state solution. He will fight pressure from world leaders asking Israel to relinquish occupied territory for a Palestinian state. In fact, Netanyahu has said he wants West Bank settlements to expand, plus he's widely rumored to favor military action against Iran. Both positions counter the policies advanced by U.S. President Barack Obama.

Making matters worse, if Netanyahu does form a ruling coalition with Lieberman, the chances for piece further falter. Lieberman based his campaign on denying citizenship to 20 percent of Israel's population, the Palestinians and other Arabs whom he sweepingly calls traitorous supporters of Hamas and Hezbollah. (Note: I do not believe Avigdor Lieberma

Sadly, even if Kadmina wins the most Knesset seats, even though Livni openly favors the two-state solution, she probably could not form a coalition government without support from Netanyahu and Leiberman.

Therefore, no matter which party is declared the winner of the elections, barring a miracle, the nationalist right-wing is going to be ruling Israel for the foreseeable future.

In the past, Likud has been offset in Israel by pro-democracy and social justice groups like Peace Now (Shalom Achshav), Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP), Dor Shalom, Bat Shalom, Jewish Peace Fellowship, Meretz, Givat Haviva, Meimad and other organizations that support the Geneva Accords.

One of the results of the Gaza war in January, however, is that now most Israelis are focused on security more than peace or justice. Security now matters more in Israel than the principles of love and brotherhood and tzudakah at the heart of Judaism.

Some here in America, such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC.org) may be celebrating the apparent victory or the nationalists in Isreal. I lament that I cannot share in their rejoicing.

With sadness as deep and wide as the Jordan River, I foresee more heedless and needless bloodshed ahead. I foresee sackcloth and ashes on all sides as the ancient family feud between the children of Isaac and Ishmael continues.

An old joke within the Jewish community defines "chutzpah" as a child murdering his parents and then throwing himself upon the mercy of the court as an orphan. This joke seems to describe the chutzpah of Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies.

It's a good joke, granted, but I'm not laughing.

Take Action:

• Contact the White House
• Contact the Congress
  

Related Examiner Stories

• Israel Election Shocker
• Meretz USA hosts Israeli election returns gathering this evening at Beit Shalom
• Israel election sees higher turnout than expected
• Israeli Election - February 10, 2009
• More stories

A REQUEST: Please keep your comments relevant to the topic of the posting above.
And please practice civility in your interactions with others here. Thanks.