Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party won a clear and decisive
victory in Israel’s parliamentary elections. Netanyahu will now serve a
record-breaking fourth term as prime minister.
“Against
all odds, we achieved a great victory,” Netanyahu said during his victory
speech in Tel Aviv. “Now we have to form a strong and stable government.”
Netanyahu’s
new term as prime minister will likely be characterized by confrontation with
Iran and the U.S. over Iranian nuclear program, if a nuclear deal is struck, or more
serious conflict with Iran if an agreement is not reached. Netanyahu will also
confront the international community over the rights of the Palestinians to establish their
own state.
Photo credit: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after his stunning victory in Israel’s parliamentary elections. (WashPost)
Photo credit: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after his stunning victory in Israel’s parliamentary elections. (WashPost)
A popular and charismatic leader - high protector of Israel.
ReplyDeleteYes indeed, by opposing the very creation of a Palestinian state and preferring continued conflict and aggression against the Palestinians, and by undermining any hope he can of a negotiated settlement with Iran, obviously opting for the military option instead he spits monthly, if not daily sometimes. Finally, ice on the cake but a logical implication of these policies, eating up every penny of the budget for the military apparatus and leaving a record-breaking 35% of Israeli children out of consequently unaffordable healthcare and education. That for sure, is certain to pave the way for a better future of the country he swore to protect anew even further. I wish Israelis a lot of bright days ahead with such a charismatic and caring leader. A lot of hardliners including but not exclusive to Iran are celebrating behind the curtain today - indeed a sworn enemy of peace and detente just got the keys to power handed to him via successful manipulation of the masses through the good old fear element, and will inflate the chances of apocalyptic wackos winning the day with their wicked cause ! Bring me a glass of champagne...
DeletePrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's full speech to Congress
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pOs99OZN1g
I was waiting that someone on this web site will take an interest in the Netanyahu's speech before the us congress as well as his despicable words.
ReplyDeleteAmong his other hate words, he compared the Islamic Republic to an entity which only competes with the isis for the world terrorist crown.
he also compared Iran to a Persian merchant which, at a bazaar (in negotiations) will always refuse to negotiate (a price) at first, and if one walks away, he (merchant) will (chase you) and beg for a deal.
A-F
This could work wonderfully for Iran. An openly hostile Israeli government, lead by someone like the likes of Bibi who has sowed considerable discord among the US administration (particularly Democrats) and Israel, coupled with a more pragmatic and less bombastic Iranian administration is great news.
ReplyDeleteJust like how Bibi and his party were ecstatic when Ahmadinejad won the elections, so too is Rouhani and Zarif now that Bibi has won the elections.
The Israelis have spoken and Netanyahu has won decisively, irrespective of what any of us or any foreign government would have thought of him. It seems that among the Israelis there are genuine concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear program and the country’s growing influence and military involvement in the region. And it’s not just Bibi, but the majority of the Israeli citizens. Recognizing this fact, one of the questions that need to be answered is what kind of a nuclear deal could be struck that could alleviate at least some of these concerns.
ReplyDeleteI wish you could show the same degree of understanding and apply the same rationale towards Iranians who by contrast this time opted for a President open for dialog instead of perpetual confrontation like Ahmadinejad. And considering they have spoken too, no matter what Israelis may or may not think of the Iranian prpgramme, I think we can disregard what they fear with their own existing 400-strong nuclear arsenal. They are indeed free to perceive whatever threat they might like but Iran remains a sovereign nation they have zero authority on, same for the countries of the P5+1 and these days even the US. All elected governments as well and having entirely different views on the current level of threat posed by Iran and the way forward to resolve pending issues, along with every poll conducted in that regard in their respective populations. Netanhyahu time and again stated that he refuses ANY deal with Iran. This is unacceptable to everyone except him, and Israel not even being a pary of the negotiation regime despite every desperate effort at interfering with their Republican accomplices breaching protocol in the US, I'll simply say let them talk. Since chances for a unilateral strike are close to none considering the balance of power and geopolitical repercussions at this point. I do not agree with the idea of trying to alleviate specific Israeli concerns while they have no official recognized presence in current negotiations and a acknowledged hate from their elected prime minister spitring his hate of Iranians dating back all the way to ancient times. And being wrong with history on top of it. So they can choose him on top of their countrybfor whatever reason it is indeed their soverein right. The same way we can choose to ignore him, being dependent on anotjer political systzm to govern us. As Americans, Russians, Chinese, Germans, British or French.
DeleteMaybe the Israelis have genuine concern about nuclear annihulation... or they may have fallen victim to Likud propaganda on top of realities on the ground. Just like the American people had genuine fears about WMDs in Iraq about to gas them at home while it was a carefully undertaken media propganda scheme led by a warmongering, criminal government ? Is it a valid hypothesis in your opinion Mr. Uskowi , or do we have to believe that Bibi is absolutely legitimate in every of its stances and actions so far concerning the nuclear case and what he tells his people in public ? Do we have to take for granted his political honnesty in that regard just because a majority of Israelis have chosen to do so? Do Iranians and Americans have to just follow suit now, shut up and do every to prove themselves to Israelis regardless of their own rights and concerns about their probable actions ?
DeleteI personally supported Rouhani's election as I believed his victory would bring moderation in foreign and domestic policies and would lessen the tensions in the region, necessary for bringing back badly needed peace and prosperity to the area. For precisely those reasons I opposed Netanyahu's reelection. But the point is that the people in Iran and Israel during these two elections which were not marred by cheating at the polls elected Rouhani and Netanyahu, and we should accept the results as the manifestations of the peoples' wishes and concern, which need to be addressed by the actors involved in order to bring peace to the region.
DeleteIt wouldnt matter what deal was struck it would be unacceptable to israel one only has to look at israels past efforts to ensure that it had a virtual nuclear monopoly on weapons and technology,as far as the israelis are concerned any deal that recognizes irans nuclear rights is a bad deal of course unlike osirak this time theres virtually nothing the israelis can do about it
DeletePrecisely my point Anon 11:51,
DeleteThe Israeli narrative about the nuclear deal is basically that "no deal is better than any deal". His recent speech in congress showed the world the unrestrained apex of his deeply rooted anti-Iranian/Persian rhetoric and ideology. For whatever obscure reasons pertaining to political agendas and/or personal hate harbored over the years, the man does NOT recognize the right for Iran to have even the slightest piece of know-how or infrastructure left standing on its soil. We are talking about a party actively trying to disrupt, interfere, undermine, challenge and if possible at all, ultimately kill the prospect of any kind of diplomatic settlement of a longstanding feud. Expert at fear mongering and state-sponsored propaganda on par with the Ahmadinejad administration, he now has a relative majority of Israelis on his side (and a quite virulently hostile minority on the other, for reminders).
Hence, I would allow myself to say that their concern is not genuine at any level and is entirely dependent on geopolitical considerations, with his own intelligence service being at odds with his vision. In the end it all comes down to a very simple equation : A nuclear-threshold Iran constitutes a never seen before, direct challenge to Israel's own nuclear monopoly and actual capability from a hostile regional neighbor it is itself hostile to, and this, would it be on the short , medium, long or very long term. Considering the core policies of "Eretz Israel" still being at the forefront of his coalition's ideology in 2015, such a rationale could only be expected.
Therefore, I do not see the legitimacy of exercising any degree of specific realignment on the part of any member-state of the P5+1 group, let alone Iran itself for that matter (after all since when do we listen and bend to a regional enemy, hate it or like it they're currently at war on multiple proxy fronts...)
And in the real world, that is exactly what has been going on : populations in every poll and governments in their public statements and actions alike support a diplomatic solution based on 18 month of intense, painstaking, but nonetheless progressing negotiations towards an ultimate and historic compromise that will satisfy everyone and put aside the military option once and for all, at least on that sticking point, and have been moving forth totally unheeded by Mr. Netanhyahu's repeated calls for an abrupt end, the White House being first in line.
Furthermore, considering yet another destructive crazy hard line opted right before election day basically suggesting that the US-supported and fledgling Peace Process with the Palestinian is dead in the water, the prime minister has made clear that he is not counting on being constructive whatsoever on any of the hot issues depending directly or indirectly on his authority, that certainly doesn't help any of its traditional allies follow suit on its calls for violence and confrontation instead of diplomacy now, and doesn't leave much room for empathy in his favor now, does it ?
If Israel had special reservations within the framework of the deal while accepting the very notion of negotiations, then we could debate and discuss at what level they could morally participate to the very least, and Iran would hardly find valid ground to disregard it entirely. But a party technically excluded from the negotiating sides and hell-bent on destroying the ongoing exchanges from the outside using all of the levers at its disposal, and so in total defiance of an otherwise very friendly administration, cannot be answered in any other way than being ignored, and this is being fair.
We can say that Israel under Bibi pretty much behaves like a rogue state based on the very same standards used to call Iran the same : bent on excluding any form of dialogue where such process is possible, rejecting peace wherever it can choose war, and attacking foreign countries where the balance of power allows it (which Iran does through proxy militias)
Well, Uskowi see that majority of israelis support netanyahu.
DeleteDoes he and his staff supports too, because I am NOT.
A-F, Dissident from usa
A-F,
DeleteNo offense, but I didn't understand what you meant, or what was your question. Please clarify.