Most of Israel voted right-wing last time also, but there was a personal animus against Netanyahu on behalf of much of the political class and a significant portion of the electorate, which took enough votes away from Likud to make him unable to form a coalition…though even then he was close. After seeing that there was no forming a right-wing coalition without Likud, the right-wingers who defected to Bennett (or at least enough of them) decided to put aside their anti-Bibi feelings and vote Likud despite him.
Don’t think that just because Bibi was briefly ousted, that the Israeli electorate turned left.
My dismay is much more about the personal corruption and dishonesty of Netanyahu - far beyond most politicians, IMO - than Israel’s obvious rightward preference.
Exactly. Plus mutual admiration societies that cross national lines (e.g. current Republican and FoxNews adoration of Putin and Hungary’s Viktor Orban).
"Put simply, Israelis finally sobered up and realized that Netanyahu is the best candidate to steward the Jewish state on issues pertaining to law and order, public safety, national security, and even Israel’s international diplomacy. Israelis should be applauded for this decision. The so-called international community will undoubtedly blanch at the inclusion of Smotrich and Ben-Gvir in Netanyahu’s governing coalition, but, frankly: Who the hell cares? The Israeli people, and only the Israeli people, can deem what is best for them and their country. The Biden administration, and other Western actors, should respect their judgment."
So what’s the point of this thread? If you think this thread is inappropriate, then I recommend reporting it. I think it’s fine for people to express their opinion on any topic they choose, including the politics of other countries.
To be fair, that’s exactly what you posted when Hugo Chavez kept getting re-elected, despite many folks considering him to be corrupt and dangerous, so I respect your consistency.
As an Israeli, I am pretty bummed that Netanyahu is back. I also thank you in behalf of all Israelis for White Knighting our nation, but I’m here to let you know we’ve got it from here - your watch has ended.
Modnote: That is not arguing the content of a post but going after the poster. This is not the Pit. If you can’t participate in a reasonable matter, you will be ejected from the thread.
And yet many of us pay attention to, care and have opinions about who leads other nations, be it by vote or otherwise. Xi’s shake up of the Chinese Central Committee is fair game to discuss, Tory machinations too, Lula’s win in Brazil. I’m not a signator to the deal in Ethiopia but I am interested in opinions about it. Who might be next for Russia if Putin was somehow removed, and what impacts it would have? What I think is irrelevant to what happens, and yet I still care.
As an American citizen I often have specific interests in leadership results in countries that are key players in a region, especially if my country is closely tied to them.
Is it your position that we should ignore the fact that results elsewhere do often impact American interests?
They are colorful ways of expressing the opinion but it concisely expresses the poster’s surprise at a result and concern for potential impacts.
I personally share the concerns albeit not the surprise. I also have self interest for the impact on American politics. Some policies likely to be implemented as part of satisfying small religious and hardest line members of his needed coalition will drive wedges between those who feel Israel deserves support anyway, those who believe some support should be pulled back akin to giving a drunk friend keys to a car, and those who use anti-Zionism as cover for broad anti-Semitic brush strokes.
