Netanyahu's Likud sinks to new lows in Israeli polls

Why do the Israeli Arabs refuse to join forces with Labor and oust Bibi?

Its hard to be sympathetic to the Israeli Arabs when despite being the 3rd most popular political party after today, they're instead willfully ignoring the opportunity to make positive change for their community.

I don't understand that mentality at all. Also weakens the argument people have that Israeli Arabs are 2nd class citizens in Israel when they treat themselves like 2nd class citizens.

 

Sounds like you aren't actually familiar with Al-Jazeera. They are hardly anti-American.

 

Sam -- don't despair -- perhaps the CELL PHONE VOTERS will be counted at the last minute to save your candidate!

BWWWWAAAAHAHAHA 10 years later still doesn't get old #greatnewsforJohnKerry

 

I'm glad it has provided you 10 years of staying power - as of right now it appears it's going to have to give you at least 6 years more regarding GOP presidential victories to cheer about

#Leno&Landlines

 

I saw this post because it was quoted. It has been reported.

 

Not even close.

Hard-right shift delivers upset election win for Netanyahu

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu pledged on Wednesday to form a new governing coalition quickly after an upset election victory that was built on a shift to the right and is likely to worsen a troubled relationship with the White House.

In the final days of campaigning, Netanyahu abandoned a commitment to negotiate a Palestinian state - the basis of more than two decades of Middle East peacemaking - and promised to go on building settlements on occupied land. Such policies defy the core vision of a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict embraced by President Barack Obama and his Republican and Democratic predecessors.

With nearly all votes counted on Wednesday, Netanyahu's Likud had won 30 seats in the 120-member Knesset, comfortably defeating the center-left Zionist Union opposition on 24 seats. A united list of Israeli Arab parties came in third.

http://news.yahoo.com/netanyahu-claims-victory-israel-election-hard-shift-010230595.html

Northside Storm... Do you ever get tired of being wrong?

 

I've never seen such a big GOP j*zz cloud before....the "2 more years really must have made guys psychotic"...

 

That's what the white house tweeted after the election in Israel... Interesting.

 

So did Likud sink to new lows? I guess that means the Israel haters are happy now?

 

^^^Good! Maybe Canada can start sending Israel $3B a year.

 

They do send foreign aid to Israel but not the ridiculous amount that the US sends. But that dude winning the election could probably be the worst thing that could of happened to Israel... Unless he really believes that Isreal controls the US.

Because It seems to me that ISIS is galvanizing Arabs together and maybe Iran has their eyes on Iraq. But just the same once they crush ISIS... All eyes on Isreal.

 

Hmmmmm ... only $3B. I have never researched how much money we provide to Israel. After reading your post, I sent letters to both Texas Senators and my Congressman urging them to vote for $6B in appropriations for the Israelis.

 

Well aren't you just the little chickenhawk.

 

Unlike you, I don't prey. I pray.

 

Ex AIPAC Loyyist Has Had it with Israel

This is interesting as he was one of the more prominent defenders of Israel who is not a neo-con. He also used to work as a lobbyist for Israel at AIPAC and is now calling for supporting the BDS, Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement to try to pressure Israel.

I’ve Had It With Israel

March 18, 2015 mjayrosenberg 

The polls were wrong.

The election was decisive. A clear Netanyahu victory, fueled by a racist campaign–including race baiting President Obama by labeling him “Hussein Obama”–and Netanyahu’s pledge that there will never be a Palestinian state.

The only good news was that the combined Arab List did well (13 seats), a show of Palestinian electoral power that bodes well for the future although exercising that power in a government that is decidedly racist and rightist will be near impossible.

No, I correct myself. That was not the only good news. Perhaps even more significant is that given the Obama administration’s contempt for Netanyahu, it is likely that the U.S.-Israel confrontation will continue, over Iran and, now with the unambiguous rejection of two states, over the occupation.

This is good news because it is now clear that confronting Israel, essentially ending the special relationship and treating Israel like any other moderately friendly country, is the only way to save Israel from apartheid and fascism, and the Palestinians from Israel.

Unfortunately, there is no assurance that the Obama administration won’t flinch. With Congress firmly dominated by AIPAC, with candidates from both parties dependent on AIPAC-directed campaign contributions and with the GOP openly professing more loyalty to Netanyahu than to America, we could well see the United States working to get back in Israel’s good graces rather than the other way around. That is certainly what Hillary Clinton is hoping for.

What we have to hope for is that President Obama stands firm, that he achieves the agreement with Iran and then goes on to quietly (or loudly!) slow down the delivery of US aid, reduce strategic cooperation and use every lever in his power to tell the Israeli people that they cannot take our money and UN vetoes and spit in or face at the same time. Now that Netanyahu has ruled out a Palestinian state, we must stop using our veto to block it. Also, we should start talking to all Palestinian factions, including Hamas.

Why not? We are now free of the illusion that Israel will reform itself. The good Israelis can’t do it alone. They are dependent on U.S. pressure which we need to finally start using. As for the Palestinians no reason to trust us although, even if we refuse to be honest brokers, our pressure on Israel can only benefit them.

But that all requires the U.S. government breaking free of the AIPAC stranglehold. And that is hard to imagine although–given that its position on Iran exposes it not just as the “Israel lobby” but as the “loyal to Israel, not America” lobby, it is vulnerable. Younger Jews and Democrats in general (not elected officials but voters) have already turned away from Israel. This election will accelerate the process that will leave old Jews, crazy Christian rightists, and the Orthodox as Israel’s support base in America. Israel’s days as a consensus issue are over. And not just on campus.

As for individuals, we can’t do much although the BDS movement provides some leverage.

Mainly, however, it’s up to Obama. He needs to stand tough, along with our EU allies, and let Israelis feel their isolation.

Whether they in fact feel it or not, we can turn this situation around on our own. After all, we hold Israel’s mortgage. The banker can always decide what to do when the mortgage isn’t being paid. The threat of foreclosure does wonders.

Use it.

http://mjrosenberg.net/2015/03/18/ive-had-it-with-israel/

 

Netanyahu should send a thank you letter to Obama for helping him win the election by being a douche nozzle.

 

Good move - maybe you can recycle enough cans to send them a telegram via Western Union someday too.

 

It was an extremely, extremely calculated move by Bibi.

Obama is just an absolutely idiot on the Middle East, how he failed to see that Bibi was playing him like a fiddle just tells it all. Bibi knew that Obama would come off as being antagonistic to Israel by undercutting the process of inviting foreign leaders and speaking directly to Congress. And Bibi was betting on Obama disapproving of the move, betting big.

If Obama had warmly invited him to the White House and turned his visit into a formal thing, the election would have been less about security and more about domestic issues (which Israelis hate Bibi for). Instead, it became about "who is going to protect Israel". Israelis looked at the options and said, the only option is Bibi.

For all the hatred, you truly have to be in awe at how much of a political genius he truly is. He is an absolute wizard at the game of politics.