Netanyahu rival Benny Gantz declares victory in close Israel election

[LovingA2andMI]

Source: LA Times

JERUSALEM — Benny Gantz, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, declared victory in the nation’s close parliamentary election Thursday, two days after voters went to the polls. Gantz, 60, leader of the opposition Blue and White party, has held a steady lead over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his conservative Likud party, with 98% of the votes counted.

Official figures have not yet been released, but Gantz held two seats more than Netanyahu in the tight race. The Electoral Commission in Israel only releases voting figures, without any declarations of a winner.

On Thursday, Israel spun into political melodrama as Netanyahu attempted to grab the momentum ahead of coalition negotiations to form a government even as Gantz appeared to be cementing his slight lead.

Gantz campaigned on the promise that he would not join any government with the participation of Netanyahu, who is under a legal cloud as he confronts imminent indictment on several corruption charges.

Gantz rejected Netanyahu’s overture, saying that as head of the largest party in Israel, he planned to “lead a government of national unity and liberalism.”

Read more: https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2019-09-19/netanyahu-rival-benny-gantz-declares-victory-in-close-israel-election

---

Israel finally looks like its on the right path with the END of Netanyahu's Reign. Trump is next.

[cilla4progress]

1. Wonderful!

So happy for rational, peace-minded Israelis!

And the rest of the world!

Such a great turn!

[DENVERPOPS]

13. Someone please remind me

Didn't "Bennie" and his corrupt wife get thrown out of office several years ago for corruption.
I am getting old, but seem to distinctly that his wife was involved in some huge corruption scandal and that he also was found guilty of corruption and thrown out of office. Then all his WASP minions some got him back into office?????

I have thought for months that all of his and Trump's Mutual Admiration Society but liken' was a pretense to get Benny in the good graces of both Trump and Putin so they would insure Putin interfering in the Israel election to get him re-elected.....I'm not 100% sure that Trump and Putin won't ride in at the last minute and make that happen........

WE SHOULD WATCH THIS OUTCOME CLOSELY. IF BENNIE MIRACULOUSLY WINS, IT COULD BE A HARBINGER OF THINGS TO COME IN THE US IN NOVEMBER 2020........

[sandensea]

23. I believe you've thinking of Nutty yahoo.

Gantz, to my knowledge, has never had any credible corruption allegations against him.

Will the end of Likud's 18-year reign translate into a revival of the peace process? One can only hope - but at least now there's hope.

[DENVERPOPS]

25. You are right

My mind is old, but years and years ago I could swear he was nicknamed Benny......sorry.

With all the crooks and criminals, politicians, and players in this conflagration, it is getting harder to remember all their names.............
We need someone to do a roster of all of them and keep adding to it, so that we can reference it when we hear or see one of the myriad of names involved in this to recall which one they are talking about.

An article the other day, in point. They were constantly referring to the NIL.........I was thinking thru the entire article, okay, now who or what is the NIL and they never said. I had to go research NIL on the internet

[sandensea]

26. Isn't that the truth.

There's so much wrongdoing by Cheeto and many of his foreign toadies, it can be hard to keep up with it all - to say nothing of corruption and treason by his domestic toadies!

[Iliyah]

2. K & R!

[saidsimplesimon]

3. Dancing in the streets to follow

simkhe celebration, rejoicing, festivity, gaiety, mirth

Now, will bibi and his wife face the full force of an investigation into alleged rampant corruption?

[yaesu]

4. nutty yahoo said a few days ago that he wouldn't go quietly, look for him to pull a tRump. nt

[njhoneybadger]

7. nutty yahoo

[brooklynite]

5. Gantz has a difficult path to a coalition

Either they do it with Likud (requiring them to drop Netanyahu) or they do it with Yisrael, which won't do a coalition with Arab List.

[MBS]

8. yes, will be difficult and complicated

I wish him success in finding a way forward.

[pandr32]

6. Really good news

Now hopefully Johnson flames out.

[onetexan]

9. i hope they do prosecute Netenyahu.

[beastie boy]

10. This goes to show that anyone who blames the Jews, or the country of Israel, or

the nation of Israel, or even the Israeli Knesset for Netanyahu's policies is ill informed about what goes on in Israel.

Well over half the country opposes Netanyahu's style of leadership, and fully half the country is in opposition to his government at any given time.

[IronLionZion]

11. It's the same with half of Americans opposing Trump

and I hope he's freaking himself out worried he'll be next

[IronLionZion]

12. Hoping this is a sign for world-wide pendulums to swing left

way too many right wingers in office these days

[BigmanPigman]

28. I was thinking the same.

Another country just voted for a progressive (maybe Italy?). I forget which one but am hoping it is a new trend.

[cstanleytech]

14. Any chance he will reverse some of what Netanyahu did?

[ffr]

15. Trump is next. Make it so.

I'm with you!

[Grins]

16. So.....Bibi to Benny? NM

[DENVERPOPS]

24. years and years ago

My mind is old, but years and years ago I could swear he was nicknamed Benny......sorry.

With all the crooks and criminals, politicians, and players in this conflagration, it is getting harder to remember all their names.............
We need someone to do a roster of all of them and keep adding to it, so that we can reference it when we hear or see one of the myriad of names involved in this to recall which one they are talking about.

An article the other day, in point. They were constantly referring to the NIL.........I was thinking thru the entire article, okay, now who or what is the NIL and they never said. I had to go research NIL on the internet

[DENVERPOPS]

27. Sorry, I was thinking of DNI

Sorry, see what I mean? I was thinking of DNI, not NIL.......LOL

[rainin]

17. Sorry if wikipedia isn't an accepted source. If not, I'll delete.

From wiki:

"Gantz was the chairman of the Fifth Dimension, a computer security and law enforcement technology company, which specialized in tracking via smartphone spyware.[23] The company closed due to financial reasons after its Russian investor was sanctioned by the United States during the Special Counsel investigation into Russian attempts to interfere with the US election.[24][25]"

This sounds concerning.

[LeftInTX]

19. He won't be much better.

But Netanyahu posted huge murals of himself with Putin and with Trump as part of his campaign.

[LeftInTX]

18. Netanyahu could still be the Prime Minister

In Israel the Prime Minister is not determined by election results
Whoever can strike a deal with numerous parties will be the Prime Minister.

[EveHammond13]

22. this election is happening because Netanyahu couldn't strike a deal

[LeftInTX]

30. He will do anything to stay in power.

There is already talk of another election.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/19/middleeast/israel-election-gantz-netanyahu-intl/index.html

[rpannier]

31. That's correct, but (and it's an important one) Leiberman's support for Netanyahu would make him PM

And Leiberman has said he doesn't want another election.
Leiberman is the reason why Netanyahu's coalition collapsed last time
He doesn't like Netanyahu, but he may bite the bullet for the 'right concessions'

[ProudProgressiveNow]

20. KR NT

[EveHammond13]

21. hope this holds

[Soph0571]

29. Someone is going to prison!

Hehe. Trump beware

[Lucky Luciano]

32. Go Gantz! Bring Israel back to sanity! nt

[PhoenixDem]

33. This is wonderful

Great news!!

[RainCaster]

34. It's not over yet. Gantz will have to firm his own coalition too.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/gantz-party-rejects-netanyahu-call-form-unity-government-190919113302096.html

This article explains the details.

[Takket]

35. Israeli elections can be very confusing........

they should simplify it like we do. two parties, and the one that loses gets to be president.

[volstork]

36. Boris Johnson probably next,

then hopefully IQ45.

[Cha]

37. KR!!!!

[oasis]

38. "If it's what you say, I love it."

[MyMission]

39. Politics are complicated in Israel (and in the US, and UK, and elsewhere)

Gantz is still right wing. Blue and white party formed from many disgruntled likud members, but Gantz wants bb out due to his corruption. If our system were similar, think of 45's challengers forming a new party vs old party, but still similar. They'd put immigrants in nicer cages, not reverse much policy.

Because Israel is a Jewish state there are religious issues at the heart of negotiations. Their religious right has several large voting blocks who align with likud, and have controlled much of Israeli internal policy over the years, since it was formed. If evangelicals were ultimately in charge, as they want to be, the US would be a very different place.

Lieberman is a secular Jew who wants orthodox to serve in military, not be exempt. He will not join with others because of this. They say he's a kingmaker, but he wants his own kingdom. He wants to "eliminate" Saturday=Shabbat as their day of rest, which means providing bus service. Even here in the US, Sunday is the Sabbath and certain practices prevail, including reduced travel services, many businesses closed, but closures and reductions not mandated by govt. Can't buy alcohol before noon because you might be drunk in church or miss it because you are drunk. I think those are state laws.

Also the question of who is a Jew is relevant. The orthodox and conservative/masorti Jews follow matrilineal decent. Reform and secular Jews don't care. If one parent was Jewish and you want to call yourself a Jew (click your heels together 3 times and) you should be able to identify as such. If one converts to Judaism through reform process it's not recognized by Orthodox. They require more study and more religious practice to be considered Jewish.

Also, the Arab "list" party includes several factions. Some more militant, others less so. Most Israeli Jews still would not want to form a government with Arabs, as Arabs would not want to form one with Jews, due to mistrust on both sides.
I can't help but compare that to Dems and repugs. Some might want to work together, reach across the isle to resolve our disputes but really, we don't trust them and they don't trust us. Our agenda is not theirs, and theirs is not ours.

From the outside of any dispute, more rational and conciliatory practices make sense. But from the inside it's different. Those outside, looking at US politics, or British, or Israeli, think the parties should be able to work together, resolve differences. From the inside, those invested feel strongly, and differently. There's a lot more at stake, a lot more to consider, a lot more mistrust.

The religious right in Israel is similar to the religious right here in the US. They vote in droves, and have set the tone and policy in Israel. But Israel was formed to be a Jewish state. And some Jews feel it's just their identity or race, while others feel it is strongly connected to their religious teachings and practice.

These are some of the reasons it's extremely complicated. Gantz' victory does not automatically mean things will change. But we will see what happens. As a Jew, I am following this closely. Bb's loss demonstrates that we can also vote out our corrupt leader. As an American, I am much more invested in US politics, dumping 45 and moving on to 46.