Few Peacemakers in Israel's Knesset

[Idealism]

Israelis have had their say at the polls, and now it is up to the world, and particularly the Obama administration, to respond.

Thirty-three parties ran for the Knesset (the Israeli parliament), ranging from the well-known Kadima, Likud and Labor to a variety of lesser known parties that ran on an array of platforms from the rights of the disabled to legalizing cannabis. However, only twelve parties managed to garner enough votes to secure seats in the Knesset.

The incoming Knesset will have a solid right-wing bloc, made up of Likud with twenty-seven seats, Yisrael Beiteinu with fifteen seats, two ultra-Orthodox parties with sixteen seats and two smaller nationalist parties with seven seats. This bloc has four more than the sixty-one-seat threshold needed to form a coalition.

The center bloc was able to muster forty-one seats. This bloc consists of Kadima with twenty-eight seats and Labor with thirteen seats. The remaining fourteen seats were won by liberal, leftist and Arab national parties.

The results clearly testify to the fact that a large majority of the elected politicians are against an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement based on the two-state solution. Moreover, some parties have blatant neo-fascist tendencies. Yisrael Beiteinu, for example, ran under the banner of "no citizenship without loyalty," and would like to strip any person who is critical of Israeli policies towards the Palestinians of their citizenship. People like me.


Link: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090223/gordon?rel=hp_currently
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Lists the breakdowns of parties and seats, worth the read.

[GoesTo11]

1. If only Israel wanted peace as much as its Arab neighbors do

[IndianaGreen]

2. Israel doesn't want peace.

All Israel wants is Palestinian lands and water, which is why settlement construction and expansion on Occupied Palestine has gone unabated for 41 years.

[GoesTo11]

3. "Netanyahu offers new peace vision"

Interesting article showing how even the Israeli right wants peace.

http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3619204,00.html

[Idealism]

4. Got anything more recent?

I don't believe politicians, especially when they are about to have elections.

Keep in mind though, Bibi signed the Wye agreement- he just didn't follow them. He is definitely capable of saying one thing and doing another.

[IndianaGreen]

5. Yeah, right! We've heard that sales pitch before!

Bibi the snake oil salesman!

:rofl:

Netanyahu: The leader who struts like a superpower

It was Bill Clinton who drily observed after meeting the newly elected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that "he thinks he is the superpower and we are here to do whatever he requires."

If Mr Netanyahu emerges as victor in next Tuesday's election and in the process of government formation that will follow, he is unlikely to treat President Barack Obama to a repeat of what Mr Clinton's key Middle East aide, Dennis Ross, would later recall as that "nearly insufferable" performance in the White House in 1996.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/netanyahu-the-leader-who-struts-like-a-superpower-1570710.html

[GoesTo11]

11. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't

At least he is talking about and thinking about how peace might be achieved.

He even wrote a book called A Durable Peace: Israel and Its Place Among the Nations

[Alamuti Lotus]

7. Or maybe it just displays the widespread bastardization of words like "peace"

The mutilation surrounding that ranks right up there with other euphemisms "moderate" and "bipartisan".

[Scurrilous]

6. Far rightists coming to Knesset

Baruch Marzel, Itamar Ben Gvir to serve as aides of new National Union Knesset member

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3670568,00.html

<snip>

"Look who's coming: Far Right activists Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben Gvir will soon become regular visitors to the Knesset – one as new National Union Knesset Member Michael Ben Ari's advisor, and the other as his parliamentarian assistant.

Dr. Ben Ari, who was placed in the fourth spot on National Union's list, is expected to attract great attention at the Knesset, both because of his aides and his views.

Marzel, a Hebron resident who in the past served as an assistant for Kach movement founder Rabbi Meir Kahane, will serve as Mk Ben Ari's advisor. Meanwhile, Ben-Gvir, who is about to complete his law degree, will serve as Ben Ari's assistant for legal and media affairs."

[azurnoir]

8. Well at least it's up front

I am "beginning" to think that the major difference between the "far right" and "centrist" in the Israeli government at least in regard to the Palestinians is the political foot they put forward neither side has any intention of ever allowing a viable Palestinian state but one side will make the pretense of wanting it.

[shira]

9. sigh.

RW Israeli peacemakers brought the Egypt/Israel peace accords in the late 70's and a return of most territory taken in the 1967 war.

RW Israeli peacemakers brought an end to Gazan occupation and settlements in 2005.

What's funny is that there are some here at DU who think RW Hamas leadership is dedicated to, or capable of making, peace and are in most ways less radical, intolerant, and hateful than the RW of Israel.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

10. Good point. Israel's violent military occupation has been the project of EVERY Israeli gov't since

1967. Settlements have expanded under EVERY party's leadership.