Bibi Netanyahu called for early elections. If he’s truly serious about it, we’ll see a no-confidence vote in the near future.
Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu called for early elections on Wednesday, claiming that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s government had no public support.
“We need to hold elections. Most of the public feels a loss of confidence in the government, and now the time has come for justice,” the Likud leader said.
“The government failed in the war and the people want a new leadership,” he added, referring to the mishandling of last summer’s war with Hizbullah .
Netanyahu accused Olmert of obstructing a state comptroller investigation into the handling of the home front by the army and the government during the war.
“How can the government draw lessons if it is refusing to hear about them? We need to change this government,” he told reporters in the Knesset.
State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss this week accused the prime minister of failing to cooperate with his inquiry into the government’s handling of northern communities during the war.
He has some points there. But if all he’s doing is making speeches, he’s not ready to make his move yet, what with his making speeches like this since before Olmert was Prime Minister.
He certainly mentions wanting to lead the country every chance he gets. But let us not forget that Netanyahu was also investigated for corruption. I’m wondering if there is such a thing as an honest Israeli politician.
The initial charge of corruption against Netanyahu had to do with his choice of Likud party guy (now Kadima party guy) Ron Bar On to be AG. The accusation was that Bar On would get the job of AG and take it easy on Arye Deri. Funny thing, though. Bar On was never questioned under warning. If there was such a deal in the works, Bar On would have had to have known about it.
After he retired he was again accused of corruption of getting a lot of work done by a contractor for little money; or something like that. Nothing came of that either.
I suspect that he’s no squeaky clean; and that no Israeli politician is. But I’m not convinced that it’s as bad as his detractors say.
“From Bibi’s lips to G-d’s ears”
Israel does not go to elections based on popularity polls, which are often fickle and notably manipulated.
If Bibi thought he had the votes for a no-confidence motion to pass, he’d go for it. But the supposedly hapless Olmert has a politically stable coalition, so Bibi is left to whine outside the restaurant while Olmert eats his lunch.
I don’t know which up & coming politicians are best for the job, but has-beens like Barak and Netanyahu can do their parties and the country more good by developing successors than pushing for the chance to fail again themselves.
I’m wondering if there is such a thing as an honest Israeli politician.
Yes, I’m going to quote Heinlein like the goober I am.
In Stranger in a Strange Land Jubal Harshaw says, “Well he’s an honest politician. He stays bought”.
I first read that book in 4th grade and learned a lot about people in it that has helped me to understand people. It made pretty cynical and understanding people is not very comforting, but it’s useful.
Anyway, that is my benchmark for an honest politician, he stays bought.
That’s why I like the GOP more than the Dems (actually, dislike them less), because the GOP used to stay bought while the Dems rarely did. (They are beholden to unions and the Chinese, teacher’s unions and inner city blacks, low-wage minorities and now, illegal aliens, all pairs whose interests are anti-thetical).
The GOP hasn’t been staying bought too much lately, but they’re still better.
So does Netanyahu stay bought? That’s the question to ask.
Just about anyone is better then the hapless evil duo of Olmert and Peretz.
Olmert’s popularity is down to 3% but Israeli polticis is so corrupt that his coalition wants him to stay because they fear for losing their jobs, as if jobs will matter in 4 years when Israel is nuked by the Persian Nazis.
By the way his name is Benjamin not Bibi. I always thought that Bibi was an absurd nickname.