Do you want to know what the issues are in the Israeli election? I’m not going to pretend to present a comprehensive list of issues and candidates, but there have been a number of interesting articles that may give you a view of things that you wouldn’t get if you’re just reading American newspapers. Since my own politics go to the right, don’t expect much in terms of the parties of the Left. I’m sure others will cover those.
Here are the latest polling trends from Shmuel Rosner.
Though Daniel Pipes acknowledges that if he were an Israeli citizen he’d vote for Netanyahu,
Perhaps Netanyahu has matured as a leader but, the old adage, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me,” implies Likud might have recruited a fresh face.
However Evelyn Gordon takes a more positive view of the current favorite:
Like all Israelis, I would prefer a perfect premier. But in reality, the choices are Livni or Netanyahu. The former has an unbroken record of failure in every position she ever held. The latter, despite his flaws, has recorded substantial achievements in every position he ever held. To me, that is a no-brainer.
Yaacov Lozowick might buy the “they’ve changed” argument, but then again he might not.
What does all this tell us? That Bibi and Barak both learned from their mistakes, or that they function well only when someone else is the boss? If the second, let’s vote for Tzipi, who will be the boss of Bibi and Ehud, for a perfect government. On the other hand, if she also needs first to fail at the top before doing fantastically one slot below, she’s the last of the three we should be voting for.
Shmuel Rosner argues that Avigdor Lieberman might be the most interesting candidate.
And if this is a personality contest, it’s quite clear why Lieberman will be the big winner. Of course, he will not have enough votes to become the Prime Minister. But with his bluntness, aggressiveness, sarcasm, (and, yes, Russian accent)- he has the advantage of being the only candidate with, well, a distinct personality.
A similar thought from Shiloh Musings.
Ehud Barak has a sense of humor. Does Hamas want a government of the Right? Why West Bank Mama is voting Likud. Life in Israel runs a debate between representatives of Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu. Also, an interview with Uri Bank from the National Union party.Here’s a primer on the post election finagling.
Crossposted on Soccer Dad.
“The latter, despite his flaws, has recorded substantial achievements in every position he ever held.”
She’s kidding, right? Bibi was an abominable prime minister. He made every possible mistake. He fumbled and bumbled and couldn’t take the pressure. And under that pressure he made some truly disastrous decisions. One reason Lieberman is doing so well in the polls is that a lot of people on the right just can’t trust Bibi.
Everyone agrees he makes an excellent Foreign Minister and a lot of people are willing to accept that he would even be good again as Finance Minister (his performance as Finance Minister last time is the only reason I’m even considering him), but having him as prime minister again? More than a bit worrying.
It’s clear that Bibi wasn’t a great PM, but was he the disaster many of his critics claim? One of the reasons I reprinted Evelyn Gordon’s view, is that I don’t think that it’s that crazy.
It took 15 months from the time that Barak became PM until the “Aqsa Intifada” started. I think this suggests that under Bibi Israel’s greater security was the result of his actions.
Now his failure to handle Abu Marzook or Khaled Meshaal (and the resulting release of Sheikh Yassin) hurt a lot.
But I think the record is more mixed than abject failure.
(According to a press release in late 1998, Palestinian employment in Israel was at a 6 year high. So the Palestinians also benefited from Netanyahu’s rule materially, even if Arafat was never satisfied with his diplomatic moves. It’s ironic, but despite the resentment shown Netanyahu from the Left, he almost certainly saved the peace process.)