Netanyahu vows to annex "all the settlements" in West Bank in 11th-hour re-election bid

[groundloop]

Source: CBS News

Jerusalem — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Monday to annex "all the settlements" in the West Bank, including an enclave deep in the heart of the largest Palestinian city, in a last-ditch move that appeared aimed at shoring up nationalist support the day before a do-over election.

Locked in a razor tight race and with legal woes hanging over him, Netanyahu is fighting for his political survival. In the final weeks of his campaign he has been doling out hard-line promises meant to draw more voters to his Likud party and re-elect him in Tuesday's unprecedented repeat vote.

"I intend to extend sovereignty on all the settlements and the (settlement) blocs," including "sites that have security importance or are important to Israel's heritage," Netanyahu said in an interview with Israeli Army Radio, part of an eleventh-hour media blitz.

Asked if that included the hundreds of Jews who live under heavy military guard amid tens of thousands of Palestinians in the volatile city of Hebron, Netanyahu responded "of course."

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/benjamin-netanyahu-israel-annex-all-the-settlements-palestinian-west-bank-ahead-election-do-over-2019-09-16/

[Jose Garcia]

1. And Mexico will pay for it?

[Jeffersons Ghost]

5. K&R More likely US troops will eventually pay for it with their lives!

[Fan of Da Bearse]

6. Correct

1. Blame all reprisals directly on Iran.

2. Have AIPAC do its usual song and dance. The American Enterprise Institute will eagerly board the War Train.

3. Presto! Iraq II: One letter changed, but WAY more U.S. casualties!

[Dennis Donovan]

2. He's just BEGGING for reprisals...

Like Fatah or Hamas are going to be able to keep their members from hitting back (if they even try to, that is).

Dumb fucking move on Bibi's part.

[karynnj]

3. His SOLE goal in this is getting the most seats in tomorrow's elections

He has been in a very close race with the "blue and white" party led by Gantz with polls showing either of them ahead by around one seat. Israel has a Parliament. Someone needs to form a government with 61 of the 120 seats. That means each needs other party's to join them to get their 31 - 32 seats to that number or higher. The intent of comments like this is for Likud to get seats that otherwise would have gone to far right parties. The goal being to increase the number of seats for Likud.

Netanyahu's actions - similar to what he did in 2015, when he spoke of "hordes of Arabs being bused to polls" - might reflect his concern that he could lose .. and doing what he is doing worked then. However, it is important to keep in mind that Netanyahu losing would not likely lead to a center or center left government, though it might get rid of Netanyahu and all his corruption.

Unfortunately, the number of seats likely to be controlled by the orthodox parties or right wing parties is much higher than those controlled by what liberal, progressive Americans would consider the "left". (A real "left" might just be a coalition that Meretz is in with Ehud Barak and the Arab Joint list. The joint list would not be included in the government, but could vote from outside on votes of confidence.) The alternative to Likud, is a party led by former generals that on issues like Israel/Palestine is not any better. To make things more complicated, Netanyahu failed to get a government last time not because the "left" was too strong, but because Avigdor Lieberman, who is right wing, wants to eliminate Orthodox religious of the government.

Netanyahu wants a government that includes people willing to give him immunity while he is President. What some are speculating is that if the blue and white party get more seats and Lieberman recommends they form the government, they might create what Lieberman has said he wants -- a right center coalition including his right wing party, blue and white and Likud, without Netanyahu and without the two orthodox parties.

Caveat - this is based on listening to J Street's podcast and a Haaretz podcast - both of which were depressing and the discussions very very complicated. I would love to hear that I am wrong in what I wrote.

[IronLionZion]

4. RW parties go hard line to get more votes

but liberals parties always compromise and go for the moderate center to get more votes. You rarely hear of the US Democratic party going hard left to get more votes.

[Lonestarblue]

7. And where is it that Israelis think the Palestinians should go?

They have very little left that was part of the 1948 division of land apportioned between Israel and Palestine. israel has taken much of it, especially land with water supplies and the most productive farm land. Once Israel annexes the West Bank, does that mean that the Palestinians living there become Israeli citizens with the same rights as would be the case in a real democracy? Probably not, because they want to be rid of the Palestinians, not allow them to become citizens of any nation, especially theirs.

These Palestinians are descendants of people who have lived in Palestine for thousands of years. While there have certainly been Jewish people in Palestine for that same thousands of years, the vast majority of Israelis are descendants of European Jews who never lived in Palestine. It is not a religion issue to say that Palestinians have just as much right to their land as the Israelis. It is an issue of an Israeli government determined to take over as much land as possible for their own benefit by pushing the Palestinians into smaller and smaller amounts of land until they have none. Where is the fairness and democratic principles Israel claims to uphold?

Yes, both sides have attacked each other, and Palestinians have had poor leadership. But the Western world has always had its foot on the scale in favor of Israel, supporting them in preventing the two-state solution right from the beginning. I absolutely agree with an Israeli state and their desire to live in peace, but I do not support its theft of Palestinian land. Israel provokes Palestinians with their actions of bulldozing homes and moving in their own settlers. When Palestinians respond with violence, the world blames them rather than the Israeli policies that caused it.

[lunasun]

9. ++. This

[Grins]

8. "to annex "all the settlements" in the West Bank..."

Like a certain someone did with the Sudetenland...

[lindysalsagal]

10. It's universal: The greed for power.

We are a horrible species.