Rivals' pact in Israel blocks Netanyahu from forming coalition

[oberliner]

JERUSALEM — A new odd couple in Israeli politics has become the biggest obstacle to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's effort to form the next government.

The surprise alliance between Yair Lapid, 49, the rising star of Tel Aviv's secular elite, and Naftali Bennett, 40, the yarmulke-wearing head of a religious-nationalist party, has added an unexpected wrinkle to coalition talks.

Nearly a month after the election, Netanyahu has yet to announce a single partner, with a mid-March deadline looming.

That's largely because Lapid's center-left Yesh Atid, the Knesset's second-largest party with 19 seats, and Bennett's far-right Jewish Home, which has 12 seats, have set aside ideological differences on the Palestinian conflict and told Netanyahu that each will join the government only if the other does as well. Lapid puts a two-state solution near the top of his agenda, while Bennett bitterly opposes Palestinian statehood.

Because it may be impossible for Netanyahu to secure a majority in the parliament without at least one of those parties, the pact is making it harder for Netanyahu to play them against each other. It may also force him to make some difficult political decisions in the coming weeks about whether to draft ultra-Orthodox students into the army and how to restart Palestinian peace talks.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/middleeast/la-fg-israel-coalition-talks-20130218,0,1032211.story

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

1. From the article.

If Netanyahu is unable to find 61 seats in the 120-member Knesset, he may accept the demands of Lapid and Bennett to draft religious students into the army for the first time.

That would probably create a split between Netanyahu and the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism, which were reliable partners in Netanyahu's last government.

Without the support of the religious parties, which together have 18 seats, Netanyahu would be far more dependent upon Lapid and Bennett for his government's survival. His supporters see that as a political trap.

Seems there is a lot of "the enemy of my enemy" routine going on. So old testament.

So who will be leading who in the next government?

[oberliner]

2. Do you agree with their demands?

Do you think religious students should be required to register for the draft or should they continue to be exempt?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

3. Well, that's an internal matter.

The Amish in the USA have to register for the draft I believe, but are usually exempt from serving in a war zone. Frankly, I believe that anybody should have the same recourse to not serve if drafted. Military power is anathema to me.

What Israel wants to do within its borders is Israel's business. As long as it is legal, doesn't cause a human rights issues, doesn't discriminate against a group of its citizens and is backed by the Israeli people then it is an internal Israeli matter.

[oberliner]

4. Are there no internal Israeli matters that interest you?

What is it about this particular part of the world that attracts your attention?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

5. Let's stick with the subject instead of trying to create false drama.

You should be honest and answer the question as well.

Do you agree with their demands? Do you think religious students should be required to register for the draft or should they continue to be exempt?



Also, I'm not sure how you could miss what I wrote, but I made myself clear before. Here it is again.

What Israel wants to do within its borders is Israel's business. As long as it is legal, doesn't cause a human rights issues, doesn't discriminate against a group of its citizens and is backed by the Israeli people then it is an internal Israeli matter.

So what I was getting at for those who lack simple reading comprehension skills is that as long as Israel acts like a democracy (i.e. doesn't cause a human rights issues, doesn't discriminate against a group of its citizens and is backed by the Israeli people) then what they do should be considered internal to their own set of laws.

Not everything needs to be viewed under a microscope.

[oberliner]

6. I asked you a question about the subject of the OP and you expressed disinterest

Politics in Israel is one of the topics of this board, I would think (as well as Palestinian politics). Things can be an "internal matter" but still be of interest to the world at large. There are parties in Israel that support more progressive values and others that don't. I would be in favor of Israeli parties that are similar to the Democratic party in the US having more success than those that are similar to the Republicans. Similarly, there are Palestinian political parties that are more aligned with my values than others (Hamas being antithetical to them).

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

7. That is blatantly untrue, and I have expressed myself twice on that whereas you...

haven't answered your own question to me.

1. Do you agree with their demands?

2. Do you think religious students should be required to register for the draft or should they continue to be exempt?


This was your op. Did you have a position on it?