Opuscula Separate PM, Knesset vote When convenient

THE HEADLINE READS

Netanyahu facing political headwinds, makes plea for direct prime ministerial elections
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Israel tried (in 1996, 1999, and 2001) to separate the election for prime minister (PM) and members of Knesset, but the politicians got scared and canceled the idea.

Let the people decide? That’s not a politician’s way.

The same politician who today seems to call to separate the voting also is the politician who, before becoming prime minister, promoted term limits for that post.

Flip and flop.

According to the World Israel News,

“Netanyahu called for direct elections for prime minister and blamed Naftali Bennett of the Yemina party for preventing it.”

Naftali Bennett (l) and Benjamin Netanyahu (r) (Credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Bennett is perhaps the Number One contender from the political right to be PM.

Netanyahu is facing a fifth plebiscite if he is once again unable to form a government.

In Israel, with more than 15 squabbling political parties, including far left, far right, religious, and anti-Israel (Ra’am, mostly), forming a coalition of 62 agreeing Knesset members is difficult; lately it has been impossible.

Electing a PM on his — or her — own would not quiet the political warfare, but it would mean the PM is secure — for the duration.

Currently, the PM usually is head of the political party garnering the most votes. For many years the leftist held control of the position, but since Menachem Begin, Israel's 6th PM, led the old Likud party to victory, the PM has been in right-wing hands. The Likud of Begin’s day is not the Likud of 2021. (Blogger’s opinion.)

England’s “gift”

Israel, fortunately or not, inherited many things from the English.

The political system of the tiny island off Europe’s coast is one of the legacies.

England, for all its problems, is not burdened by an over-abundance of political parties.

Plus it has a figurehead monarch that has more respect than Israel’s powerless president, usually a washed up politician with few political enemies.

The English PM almost always is from one of the two major parties on the island.

While if may be no better, the U.S. (usual) two-party system at least limits the number of candidates and members of each party sort out, via primary elections, who they want to represent them in the various levels of government. It does make voter fraud easier. This may change during the Harris administration when Washington intends to override state voting laws; a packed Supreme Court will uphold this attack on states rights. Again, blogger’s opinion.

Another U.S. idea that Israel could, but won’t, implement is a requirement that politicians reside in and represent a voting district. Again, this requirement is missing from the English model.

 

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Opuscula For whom Do Arab MKs Really work?

ISRAEL, UNLIKE MOST COUNTRIES, allows men and women to sit in its parliament (Knesset) whose primary goal is the destruction of Israel.

That would be similar to allowing Communists to be members of the U.S. Senate. (There are members of the U.S. House of Representatives who openly profess support for the government’s over throw.)

The question: If these Members of Knesset (MKs) oppose Israel, who DO they support?

 

NOT ISRAELI ARABS.

Not the people who live in “Palestine” or Gaza.

Who do they represent?

They represent the despots who control “Palestine” and Gaza: the “leaders” of the PLO/PFLP and Hamas/Islamic Jihad.

According to Israel Today, the ways in which Arab-Israeli Knesset members are failing to work to realize the interests of the Arab citizens of Israel who elected them and whom they are meant to represent. Rather, they are working for the interests of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Arab Knesset members are taking advantage of their position to advance the Palestinian issue—an issue in which most Arab countries have lost interest—at their own constituents’ expense. (Cited by BESA Center, https://tinyurl.com/y4dnfscp)

Arab List candidates, 2015

Israel has normalization — not exactly peace — agreements with (thanks to U.S. ex-President Trump) with several Muslim countries in the region: United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan. It also has shaky peace agreements with Egypt (thanks to Anwar Sadat and Likud’s Menachem Begin ) and Jordan (King Hussein bin Talal and the leftist Israeli PM du jour).

Hopefully, even with an Obama throwback government the treaties will remain in force.

The fact that traveling to either Egypt or Jordan is difficult and Israelis are not welcomed by the general populace so far has not caused the peace agreements to collapse.

Abu Mazen had even offered to meet with Israeli negotiators, seeing as he did, Muslim countries normalizing relations with Israel. That offer, now that Bida^cq and soon-to-be president Kamala Harris-Emhoff are in office probably will be withdrawn.

It’s interesting. Abu Mazen prevents the average “Palestinian” from going to Israel for medical care, but cabinet members and their kin, specifically Chief Palestinian Propaganda Minister Saeb Erekat, is (was) being treated at Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem … along with an unnamed Jordanian general.

Abu Mazen recently reluctantly agreed to accept tax money Israel collects for the PLO, apparently realizing he has lost millions in aid from Muslim countries that are weary of his unwillingness to realize the reality that is — or at least was — on the ground. Europe’s leftists continue to line his pockets (as they did for his predecessor, the Egyptian Arafat).

The Arab Knesset members are angry that the Abraham Accords do not address the issue of Palestinian statehood and do not contain any real concessions for the Palestinians. One member, Sami Abu Shehadeh, hurried to be interviewed by Aljazeera on the day of the vote. In his interview, he repeatedly stated that he considers himself a Palestinian and that he opposes the whole agreement, which he deems no more than “a weapons deal.”

This is an MK ! Anti-Israel, but an MK.

He also is anti-”Palestinian” man in the street, but he is pro “slay for pay.”

Israeli Arabs or Palestinians in Israel?

Amnesty International, the organization that ignores the PLO’s rights abuses in “Palestine,” set up a special web site. The Israeli branch of the human rights organization established the website due to its perception that Arab Israelis, or "Palestinian citizens of Israel" as the organization refers to them, are undergoing a "severe attack" and need to operate in an organized and collective manner to fight for their rights as a minority in Israel.

Are they “Palestinians” in Israel or are they Israeli Muslims who prefer Israeli citizenship to life under Abu Mazen? Certainly there are no Jewish citizens of “Palestine; Jews are not allowed to live in Abu Mazen’s heaven-on-earth. (Unlike Muslims from “Palestine” who come into Israel to work, to shop, and to receive medial treatment, Jews are injured or killed for venturing into Abu Mazen’s utopia.)

Either way, the Arab List lends more support to Abu Mazen et al than to Israeli Muslims.

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

 

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Opuscula Asad wants Golan, PLO/PFLP deal, But offers nothing

SYRIAN DICTATOR BASHAR AL-ASSAD SAID THE ONLY WAY HIS COUNTRY WOULD MAKE PEACE with Israel is if Israel gives him the strategic Golan Heights.

PLUS, Israel must cave to its enemies.

Some people never learn.

 

A far better man than Bashar Al-Assad made a peace deal with Israel following which the man — Anwar El Sadat — got back the Sinai (but “stuck” Israel with Gaza). El Sadat and his partner for peace, Menachem Begin, were two old terrorists who had suffered personal losses in the wars between the two countries.

Al-Asad is no El Sadat and there is no one in power in Israel with Begin’s good sense.

January 8th, 1980, after first El Al flight to Egypt
Dan Hadani Archive, National Library of Israel @ https://tinyurl.com/yy87wm2x)

Iranian proxy

Al-Asad is in bed with the Iranians (Persians).

The Iranians continually promise to wipe Israel off the map.

Given the close relation with Iran, it is difficult to see how Israel would give up a militarily strategic position. It cost too many Israeli lives, both civilian — due to Syrian shelling Israeli civilian settlements — and military to claim the heights following Syria’s attacks on Israel.

Unlike a growing number of Muslim-dominated countries, Al-Asad fails to realize there are more economic and other benefits to “normalization of relations” with Israel.

Continuing to demand that Israel cave to the PLO/PFLP and Hamas/Islamic Jihad is a pipe dream. Perhaps if the Democrats recapture the White House in Washington, the U.S. will once again cater to the Palestinians, but if the Republicans prevail, Ramallah can expect less support from the U.S., Europe, and even other Muslim-dominated countries.

Impossible dream

Al-Asad’s problem festers in Ramallah.

It is impossible for Israel to make peace with an enemy that refuses to negotiate.

In the past, leftist (Labor) governments caved to every demand the PLO/PFLP even BEFORE negotiations commenced.

Actually, had the PLO et al agreed to the 1947 partition plan, it would HAVE a state much larger than Israel of 1948.

The PLO/PFLP never kept any agreements with Israel.

Egypt has.

Jordan has.

Both Egypt and Jordan have benefited from the agreements, as has Israel.

The normalization with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) already is showing signs of benefit to all concerned.

But Al-Asad?

Al-Asad has nothing to offer Israel in return for the Heights.

Israel could have, and still can, take Damascus militarily. That would be foolish and a waste of men, but it could be done. Syria cannot take Jerusalem, even with Fifth Column support.

(The same can be said for Beirut.)

If Al-Asad is serious about reclaiming the Heights, the first things (plural) he should do — but probably cannot and will not even if he could —

Get rid of Hezbollah
Settle the civil war in Syria
Disassociate Syria from Iran
Encourage the PLO/PFLP and Hamas/Islamist Jihad to (a) stop attacking Israel and (b) seriously negotiate with Israel before it looses everything.

Al-Asad and Ali Khamenei (Yousef Alhelou @ https://tinyurl.com/y2t7a2sq)

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PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

 

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Opuscula Native Americans Had war chiefs To lead warriors

AS MOST BOYS GROWING UP in the U.S., I was fascinated by Indians, a/k/a “Native Americans” in PC-speak.

Many Indian tribes had a special chief — leader — who was skilled in dealing with threats from outside the tribe.

The only time a war chief had authority was when the tribe was threatened. Otherwise, the war chief was just another member of the tribe.

ISRAEL HAS HAD “war chiefs.” Menachem Begin was a war chief, which is how he, and Egypt’s war chief, Anwar Sadat, managed to make a so-far long-lasting peace.

Benjamin Netanyahu is NOT a war chief.

In fact, he seems to have worked against the men who could serve Israel as a war chief.

Netanyahu kowtowed to Hamas several times. The last time, this week, he obliged Hamas and Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman resigned.

According to Liberman, “I have tried to remain a faithful member of the cabinet and to make heard another view, even at a great electoral and political price,” Liberman said. However, Tuesday’s ceasefire with Hamas “cannot be interpreted in any way other than a capitulation to terrorism." ¹

Netanyahu claimed he had “secret” information; apparently so secret he could not, or would not, share it with his war chief. Granted, Liberman is not a Likudnik; he heads the Yisrael Beitenu (Israel [is] our home) party.

Liberman is a “hawk,” a man who was frustrated by Netanyahu’s constant flip-flopping on Gaza and the “settlements” and many other issues.

Another “hawk,” Naftali Bennnett, also of Yisrael Beitanu, wants Liberman’s old job.

Bennett’s demand for the defense minister position is opposed by fellow cabinet ministers Moshe Kahlon of the Kulanu (All of us) party and Aryeh Deri of Shas (the late R. Ovadia Yosef’s party). Deri was convicted of corruption before being named to Netanyahu’s cabinet.

Bennett told Netanyahu "There is something to do. I told the prime minister yesterday to appoint me defense minister so Israel can back to winning."¹ Bennett has long criticized the Netanyahu government’s reluctance to respond more forcefully to Gaza rocket attacks, and has advocated ground incursions into the Gaza Strip.²

Both Bennett and Kahlon threaten to pull their parties out of Netanyahu’s coalition; Bennett and Yisrael Bietnu if Netanyahu refuses to appoint Bennett as Defense Minister and Kahlon if Netanyahu appoints Bennett to the post.

Either way, the current government is on shaky ground.

Meanwhile, there is, or was, a bill in the Knesset that would allow Israel’s president, a largely ceremonial position, to appoint whomever the president wished to form a new government. Currently, the president is obliged to ask the leader of the party with the most seats in the Knesset to try to form a government. All governments, from Ben Gurion on, are formed as a coalition, usually by blackmailing the person named to head the new government.

Sources

1. http://tinyurl.com/yafx7j7y

2. http://tinyurl.com/ycwcs59p

3. https://www.haaretz.com/1.4705992

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Comments on War Chiefs

Egypt attacks Daesh in Libya This Sisi Is no sissy

 

IN MY LIFETIME I HAVE KNOWN OF TWO TRUE EGYPTIAN LEADERS.

The first was a real hero, Anwar Sadat who came to Jerusalem to have tea with his former foe, Menachem Begin. I watched from my balcony in Holon as his plane - alone in the night sky - came to land at Lod, and I watched, via tv, as the motorcade made its way to Jerusalem.

Unfortunately, he was not long back in Egypt when he was assonated.

The second is the incumbent, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.

According to an article in the UK's Guardian heded Libya and Egypt launch air strikes against Isis after militants post beheadings video,

President Sisi had vowed to ‘avenge the criminal killings’ after release of video purporting to show killing of 21 Christians, believed to be kidnapped Egyptians

The article continued

Egypt reported that its war planes had struck Isis targets in Libya, shortly after President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi vowed revenge for the release by Isis-affiliated militants of a video of a mass killing of Christians.

The statement said the warplanes targeted weapons caches and training camps before returning safely. It said the strikes were “to avenge the bloodshed and to seek retribution from the killers”.

“Let those far and near know that Egyptians have a shield that protects them,” it said.

Libya’s air force meanwhile announced it had launched strikes in the eastern city of Darna, which was taken over by an Isis affiliate last year. The announcement, on the Facebook page of the air force chief of staff, did not provide further details.

The only problem with the Al-Sisi-ordered air strike was that it came too late.

Egyptians in Libya have for some time been targets of Islamists. This time, ISIS martyred only non-Muslims.

Although late in coming, the air strike DID happen, however there was no report of causalities on the ground.

So far, neither the U.S. president nor the UN has condemned the Egyptian air raid into neighboring Libya (but then neither criticizes Egypt for its dealings with Hamas in Gaza - all condemnation is focused on Israel).

For all that, Al-Sisi is to be commended for taking an appropriate action against Daesh (a/k/a ISIS/ISIL) sending the air force of a Muslim state to seek retribution against Muslims in a neighboring Muslim state for the deaths of non-Muslims.

Al-Sisi has been at war with Daesh for months, primarily in the Sinai, but this is the first time Egypt has blatantly taken the battle to the Islamist radicals outside of Egypt's borders.

 

It's an Israeli plot - of course

Posts by Anonymous Coward User ID: 68078755 on the Godlike Productions web site naturally blame Israel for all the fighting in the region. And people like Anonymous Coward - an apt name - are allowed out of the asylums; gives one pause.

Hamas guards border

While Egypt clears Sinai

When Hosni Mubarak fell and Mohammed Morsi, with his Muslim Brotherhood associates, rose to power, Israelis had to wonder if the quiet along the Egyptian-Israeli border would remain or if the sound of gunfire would once again resound.

It’s hard to believe, but with Morsi at the helm, things actually are getting better for Israelis in Israel. At least for now.

Even attacks from Aza are down.

Morsi did what Mubarak never did: he sent in troops to clear some of the terrorists out of the Sinai after first working with Israel to modify cease fire terms on the number of troops allowed in the desert.

I still think the Sinai should be cleared of terrorists by a joint Egyptian-Israeli force; to my mind it would be a win-win situation for Egypt and Israel; only the terrorists would lose, and that’s a good thing.

The real surprise, though, is Morsi’s action toward Aza.

One of his first acts as president was to start destroying the tunnels from Egypt into Aza. The tunnels were the primary way weapons were smuggled into Aza, weapons used against Israel. The tunnels also were used to smuggle in people and consumer goods, avoiding Hamas’ import duties.

Now Morsi has gone beyond tunnel destruction.

He successfully pressured Hamas to cease attacks on Israel and charged it with preventing attacks by splinter groups such as the Salafists.

IT’S WORKING!

According to a Times of Israel article (http://tinyurl.com/lb8v4vm) :

Hamas established a special force of about 600 men to “safeguard public order;” it operates mostly along the Aza-Israeli border.

There has been a dramatic decline in the number of rockets fired at Israel. According to Israeli figures, since the end of Operation Pillar of Defense in November (2012), some 20 rockets or mortar shells have been fired into Israel, compared to about 150 over the same the previous year.

Egypt still has a long way to go get its own house in order, but from Israel’s perspective, the Morsi regime has to be a welcome surprise, even though Egypt currently is not a recommended tourist destination for Israelis. Currently there are no flights between Lod (TLV) and Cairo (CAI). El Al canceled its flights allegedly due to the high cost of security vs. the number of empty seats. A PalAir flight from Aza to Lod also is no more, probably more because of lack of passengers than the chance a terrorist missile bound for Israel might down a commercial flight. (You can fly from Lod to Cairo via Amman, but it’s pricy.)

No one ever expected two terrorists – Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin – to manage a peace agreement after years of war between their two countries, but they did, and while it cost Sadat his life, after Sadat and Begin inked the agreement, the greatest danger for Israelis visiting Egypt was traffic accidents. Perhaps, with Morsi in control, it will be that way again. (Too bad Israel lacks a man of Begin’s stature.)

 

Planning a long flight? Take heed.
Flying to TLV? Did you make your reservations via an on-line service? Take the following advice to heart. CALL THE AIRLINE AT LEAST 72 HOURS (3 days) BEFORE THE DEPARTURE DAY to assure you have kosher meals and the seat location you ordered online. We have a situation where the airline and the booking service are pointing their fingers at each other saying “It’s not our fault you didn’t get your meal and it’s not our fault that you were stuck in a middle seat instead of the window you arranged online.