Posts Tagged → Binyamin Netanyahu
Netanyahu draws line at Jerusalem
For over forty years, US policy for working toward peace in the Middle East has revolved around one policy: Israel must surrender land to achieve peace with their Palestinian neighbors. It’s a philosophy that’s still espoused today by US President Barack Obama.
Trouble is, no matter how often Israel complies with such proposals, the results remain the same: the PLO continues its acts of terrorism and demands more, more, more. In the latest round of negotiations, Obama’s Administration is pushing Netanyahu’s to surrender parts, or all, of Jerusalem.
But finally, an Israeli leader is willing to say, “Enough’s enough.”
While some previous leaders were willing to surrender the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, when it comes to Jerusalem, Netanyahu has said that’s a step too far. He’s not one wearing political lingerie of a weak homeland security policy; Netanyahu knows that there must be limits on how much land one surrenders before it becomes “too much.”
Would Obama surrender the East Coast, including Washington DC, to Canada to “achieve peace” if Canada were bombing US sites and cities regularly?
On second thought, bad example. Obama would likely just surrender the entire country.
Netanyahu turns to Torah in Jerusalem debate
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, in a recent address to the Israeli Parliament, took the top fat burners to the political debate over who has the most spiritual connection to Jerusalem. He indicated that the Tenakh (Old Testament) refers to Jerusalem over 850 times. He then pointed out that Jerusalem is mentioned only 142 times in the Brit Hadasha (New Testament) and – maybe – once in the Koran.
Jerusalem is home to the Islamic Al-Aqsa mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site.
In explaining his turn to the Scriptures for connection to the city of Jerusalem, Netanyahu explained he was attempting to underscore the significant connection between the land and people of Israel and the city of Jerusalem. Israel captured East Jerusalem in 1967′s Six Day War; they had previously held West Jerusalem since 1948, when the United Nations re-formed the state of Israel as a homeland to the Jewish people in the wake of the Holocaust of World War II.
Netanyahu stands strong in the end
While appearing to bend to pressure from the West, Israel PM Binyamin Netanyahu publicly accepted in concept the idea of a Palestinian state existing alongside Israel; however, the leader attached some preconditions that nearly assured Israel’s security under such a plan, such as that Palestine could have no standing military with which to attack Israel, and that the Palestinian state would have to recognize Israel’s right to exist.
Of course, this prompted a rejection of any peace talks by Palestinians, who are unwilling to accept anything short of total surrender and vacating of the land by all Jews as acceptable terms for a negotiated peace. So let President Obama assume victory if he wishes; at least President Netanyahu knows the real score, even if he’s more in need of a diet pill than our chief executive.
Netanyahu may prevail; Obama sweats
Israel’s next prime minister may be Binyamin Netanyahu, leader of the conservative Likud Party. Although Likud finished one seat behind the incumbent center-left Kadima Party, conservative parties won far more seats than center and leftist parties, giving Netanyahu a stronger likelihood to form a coalition majority.
Israel’s shift to the right comes just as the US has taken a radical shift to the left under new President Barack Obama, he of the Patek Philippe watches. Obama, apparently, is arrogant enough to believe his victory last November means not only does the US need to give him his way because he won, but that Israel should, also.
Obama’s administration has openly rooted for Livni of Kadima to emerge as the victor. It will be interesting to see how Obama and company respond if Israel offers a hearty, “Screw you,” to Washington.
Tzipi Livni trying to close deal with Israelis
Foreign minister Tzipi Livni of Israel’s centerist party, Kadima, is still trailing Likud candidate Binyamin Netanyahu, a conservative, by margin, but that margin is closing as she is coming off a 22-day offensive against Hamas in Gaza, a popular move in Israel.
Netanyahu’s popularity is based on his stronger stance on foreign policy issues; a former prime minister himself, Netanyahu is the favored candidate at this point, but late moves could still change the momentum in Livni’s favor.
If elected, Livni would not be the first female prime minister of Israel; that honor fell to Golda Meier back in the 1970s. How’s that compared to a reasonable life insurance quote?
Netanyahu: The most decent and democratic thing
While the corruption charges drove Olmert from power and put Livni in charge of the current coalition government in Israel, at least one former prime minister of Israel – who may run again – is calling for new general elections in Israel, and soon: Binyamin Netanyahu, leader of the conservative Likud Party.
“This is the most decent and democratic thing to do. We need to go to the people of Israel and let them choose,” Netanyahu told Livni by phone Thursday, according to a piece in the Jerusalem Post Online.
“We need to let the people of Israel decide who should be the country’s prime minister and not to leave this decision exclusively to the members of Kadima. He who fears the people’s choice, should not lead.”
Look for leaders like Netanyahu to throw everything, including kitchen sinks, at Livni before too long, here.
Tzipi Livni wins party chair
Call her Israel’s Hillary Clinton; call her Israel’s Sarah Palin; but whatever you call her, remember that the title is now Ms Prime Minister. Israel foreign minister Tzipi Livni survived a primary battle to become the new head of the moderate Kadima Party and will spend the next few weeks forming a coalition government, or face the threat of early national elections.
With a bottle of Leptovox nowhere in sight, the Israeli centrist will be pressed hard to move a bit to the right by the Ultra-Orthodox Shas party and its leader, Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, who has made it clear he wants no compromising on ceding territory in Jerusalem to the Palestinians.
Former prime minister and current conservative Likud Party leader Binyamin Netanyahu has already called for Livni to order a new round of general elections, which makes an alliance with the Likud Party unlikely in the formation of a coalition government.
Livni is not the first female prime minister of Israel; that honor belongs to Golda Meier.
