2019 Israeli election

[Alessan]

@Buck_Godot

Holding election round three seems to fall under the oft misattributed definition of insanity. I see no reason that that anyone would change their vote.

“But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked.
“Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.”
“How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice.
“You must be,” said the Cat, “or you wouldn’t have come here.”*

[Alessan]

Once more down the rabbit hole.

[Shinna_Minna_Ma]

Looks like the right has regained its footing.

[iiandyiiii]

Can anyone explain what happened, and what’s going on right now? First it seemed like Netanyahu was going to win, and now it seems like he’s in dire straits, at least from what google is telling me.

[Boozahol_Squid_P.I]

@iiandyiiii

Can anyone explain what happened, and what’s going on right now? First it seemed like Netanyahu was going to win, and now it seems like he’s in dire straits, at least from what google is telling me.

Well, his party did win the most seats, retaking the lead from the Blue and White party. But his coalition only won 58 seats, not the 61 required to form a government. There’s a sort of ‘spoiler’ party in the mix, Yisrael Beiteinu, which won seven seats in the Knesset which isn’t playing ball with either side unless they form a coalition government. Netanyahu either has to find a way to entice YB into joining his government without Blue and White, which they say they won’t do, or he has to convince one of the parts of the center-left alliance to defect, which is highly unlikely with Bibi at the helm of Likud.

[Snowboarder_Bo]

Israel is now a de facto dictatorship.

In a video statement, Yair Lapid, a senior figure in Blue and White, told Israeli citizens that they “no longer live in a democracy.”

“There is no judicial branch in Israel. There is no legislative branch in Israel. There is only an unelected government that is headed by a person who lost the election. You can call that by a lot of names. It isn’t a democracy,” he said in a recorded video.

In recent days, Netanyahu and his surrogates have shut down the Israel’s court system just ahead of his trial on corruption charges, have begun using phone-surveillance technology on the public and adjourned parliament until next week.

Netanyahu has defended most of these moves as unpleasant but necessary steps to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. But opponents say he is more interested in staying in power as Netanyahu governs in a caretaker role after a third consecutive inconclusive election in under a year.

Police rejected accusations that they were carrying out Netanyahu’s bidding, saying they were following Health Ministry orders meant to curb the spread of the virus. “No one is above the law or above public health orders released by the ministry of health,” it said.

Presenting himself as the responsible adult steering the country through an unprecedented emergency, he has defended the tough steps, including the electronic surveillance, as measures he has reluctantly been forced to impose in order to save lives, while his opponents are focused on petty politics.

@Benjamin Netanyahu

The last thing I will do is harm democracy.

But critics say that is exactly what he has done by allowing Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, a member of his Likud party, to suspend parliamentary proceedings. Edelstein has cited technical reasons, but political opponents accuse him of stonewalling on behalf of the prime minister to prevent them from pushing forward with legislation that could bring Netanyahu’s time in office to an end.

Netanyahu has used a series of executive orders and other tactics to push forward his agenda while preventing parliament from convening.

The phone-surveillance plan was approved by the Cabinet in the middle of the night, without the traditional parliamentary oversight that is customary for such decisions.

Likewise, the courts shutdown also was approved in the middle of the night by Netanyahu’s hand-picked justice minister, just a day before the prime minister’s criminal trial was to begin. The decree, citing the coronavirus, postponed the trial until May.

[QuickSilver]

The irony should be profoundly troubling to every Israeli citizen, at the very least.

And if you don’t think that Trump is taking notes…

[Snowboarder_Bo]

This may complicate things for Netanyahu:

Israel’s parliament speaker abruptly resigned Wednesday, dealing a blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and deepening the country’s political turmoil as the embattled Israeli leader tries to cling to power amid a fast-spreading outbreak of the coronavirus and a looming corruption trial.

The resignation of Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein clears the way for the opposition to move forward with efforts in parliament to topple Netanyahu. But by resigning, Edelstein, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, also defied a Supreme Court order to hold a vote for his successor, throwing down a new obstacle that could delay the opposition from proceeding with its agenda for several days.

The move drew an angry reaction from the opposition Blue and White Party, which now has the backing from a slim parliamentary majority.

“The Israeli parliament belongs to Israel’s citizens, and their elected representatives will follow the laws of the state of Israel and the rulings of its courts. No one is above the law,” Blue and White leader Benny Gantz tweeted.

Edelstein suspended parliamentary activities last week, citing procedural issues and restrictions on large gatherings due to the spread of the coronavirus. But opponents accused him of blocking the vote on his replacement to shield Netanyahu from legislation that would limit his lengthy rule. Netanyahu was recently indicted on various corruption charges and faces a criminal trial.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court ordered Edelstein to hold a new vote by Wednesday, with the chief justice accusing him of “undermining the foundations of the democratic process.” While some members of Netanyahu’s Likud party urged him to defy the order, he responded that he would “not agree to an ultimatum” and resigned instead.

[str8cashhomie]

Netanyahu has now formed a government with Benny Gantz’s party. Netanyahu will be the prime minister at first under the unity government, handing it over to Gantz in September 2021. Gantz’s Blue and White alliance collapsed, with parties other than Gantz’s Israel Resilience Party rejecting the coalition with Likud.

Netanyahu and Gantz said forming unity government; Blue and White collapses

Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz is set to partner Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a unity government, serving initially as foreign minister but then taking over from Netanyahu as prime minister in September 2021, according to a reported deal taking shape amid immense political drama in Israel on Thursday afternoon.

Gantz’s decision to join forces with Netanyahu immediately led to the collapse of Blue and White, with the party’s No. 2 Yair Lapid rejecting the move and apparently heading into opposition with others from his Yesh Atid component of Blue and White. “Gantz chose Netanyahu over Lapid,” Channel 12 reported succinctly.

[QuickSilver]

@str8cashhomie

Netanyahu has now formed a government with Benny Gantz’s party. Netanyahu will be the prime minister at first under the unity government, handing it over to Gantz in September 2021. Gantz’s Blue and White alliance collapsed, with parties other than Gantz’s Israel Resilience Party rejecting the coalition with Likud.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/gantz-and-netanyahu-said-forming-unity-government-blue-and-white-collapses/

Might this be a shrewd move by Gantz? Sept 2021 is not that far away and given Netanyahu’s upcoming court date on corruption charges, Gantz may be counting on not even having to wait until 2021 to be PM.

[DPRK]

Easier to assume Gantz is merely a shameless liar, since before the elections he vowed to form a government that did not include Netanyahu. As long as it got him the votes…

[Snowboarder_Bo]

It looks like Israel may be headed for a 4th election:

Israel’s president on Sunday turned down a request from Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz for a two-week extension to form a new coalition government.

The announcement by President Reuven Rivlin means that Gantz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have a midnight deadline Monday night to reach a power-sharing deal. If they fail, the country could be forced into a fourth consecutive election in just over a year.

Gantz asked Rivlin for the extension on Saturday night, claiming he was close to a deal with Netanyahu. But in his response, Rivlin said the extension would not be possible under the “current circumstances.”

[QuickSilver]

I don’t pretend to understand why but it seems to indicate that the 4th time will be the charm for a Netanyahu victory. Fuck that scheming shvantz.

[Snowboarder_Bo]

@Snowboarder_Bo

It looks like Israel may be headed for a 4th election:

This article has been updated since it was first published; it sure looks like Gantz got played and that Netanyahu is likely to retain power. He is apparently just 2 lawmakers short of having a majority, while Gantz has squandered and lost his Blue and White coalition.

And with the courts shut down, it sure looks like Bibi is about to be able to rule as he sees fit.

[Tamerlane]

@Snowboarder_Bo

This article has been updated since it was first published; it sure looks like Gantz got played and that Netanyahu is likely to retain power. He is apparently just 2 lawmakers short of having a majority, while Gantz has squandered and lost his Blue and White coalition.

No one has ever accused Netanyahu of being bad at politics. A whole lot of other things, but not that. It brings to my mind Lalo describing Jimmy in Better Call Saul - he’s like “la cucaracha, a survivor.”

[Alessan]

Netanyahu is indeed a political genius, at least when it comes to acquiring and power and destroying rivals. He’s not great at passing legislation, he sucks at statecraft, but when it comes to survival he’s a goddamn Nobel prize winner.

[QuickSilver]

@Alessan

Netanyahu is indeed a political genius, at least when it comes to acquiring and power and destroying rivals. He’s not great at passing legislation, he sucks at statecraft, but when it comes to survival he’s a goddamn Nobel prize winner.

And he plays the Orange Chump like a cheap concertina.

[Alessan]

@QuickSilver

And he plays the Orange Chump like a cheap concertina.

You don’t need to be a genius to do that. All you need is an utter lack of self-respect.

[cmkeller]

Alessan:

he sucks at statecraft

I beg to differ. His government has managed to open some degree of relations with Oman, Bahrain, the UAE and Sudan without giving in an inch to the Palestinians. Even Saudi Arabia is making minor overtures. Of course, there’s a long way to go, but do you really think that someone who sucks could have done that?