Netanyahu Lieberman Right Wing Government Misgivings

 

Anybody following the adjustment made strengthening the coalition by adding the Russian Israel Beiteinu Party and replacing Moshe Ya’alon with Avigdor Lieberman as Defense Minister after some ugly disagreements between Ya’alon and Prime Minister Netanyahu over some ill-conceived comments made by a series of command level military officers, might be alarmed or hopeful pending their political proclivities. The announcement of the changes and the addition to the coalition were met by denunciations and acrimony from Ya’alon, many opposition Knesset members, leftist media within Israel both print and electronic as well as roundly being accused of bending towards fascism, anti-democratic (despite these all being elected Ministers in the last elections), racist and overly nationalist (if only). These comments were simply boilerplate condemnations so absolutely predictable as the exact same words were uttered, printed, communicated and authored after the election when Netanyahu and the Likud Party roundly defeated the Labor Party despite the wishful polling showing Labor leading Likud the morning of the election as they had for the weeks prior. These accusations have been sprayed around the world ever since the first Likud victory over Labor with Prime Minister Menachem Begin as media and leftists worldwide entered a catatonic state followed by seizures and nervous panics. What probably really escaped their abilities was understanding how this considered impossible and extremist coalition made peace with Egypt, something previous Labor Party coalitions could not even come within possible reach of attaining. Which is the first of a string of unexplainable moves so coveted by the leftist are only realized by these extreme right-wing governments such as the Gaza withdrawal performed by Ariel Sharon who, like Begin, was considered a monster with cartoons showing Sharon as a demonic vampire, eating babies and occasionally one closer to the truth (see below). So, one might believe that the current coalition is beyond any chance of making concessions or potentially establishing a Palestinian State in Judea and Samaria with East Jerusalem as its capital city giving up access to the Temple Mount and Western Wall. Not so fast as we need to look back at past performance and statements. Avigdor Lieberman presented a plan where not only would a Palestinian State be formed in Judea and Samaria but a large area of mostly Arab towns in the Galilee would be thrown in for extra measure as well as Jerusalem. We need to remember that Bibi Netanyahu had to be shamed into finally leaving the Sharon government while he was making the arrangements for gifting Gaza to the Palestinian Authority (PA) which was soon replaced by Hamas in a coup leading to rockets raining on Israeli towns and kibbutzim. Netanyahu had shown a great willingness to remain comfortably in the Sharon government despite obvious intent to surrender to foreign pressures predominantly from the United States government where for a piece of paper from President George W. Bush and sweet talking promises from Condoleezza Rice that the Gaza would remain disarmed and be the first step to a peaceful future under the two states for two peoples pipe dream which has no foundations in reality, period.

 

Ariel Sharon and a Little Truth
About Gaza Withdrawal

 

Ariel Sharon as Demonic Vampire

 

The historical realities make what we can actually expect to be diametrically opposites to what the hyperventilating media is decrying so vociferously. The leftist media is claiming that this revitalized and more secure right-wing extremist government will be killing any hopes for peace and likely killing far more than just peace and will be the end of democracy in Israel. The interesting thing is when there is just as far leftist governance as this coalition is right-wing there are no caterwauling about the death of democracy in Israel, quite the contrary, as then the claim is how well democracy is working in Israel. With such an obvious slant in reporting and commentary one cannot take such news sources seriously as they are more political opportunists completely sold-out to one side of the political spectrum. The reality is that this government is probably more leftist than the majority of the Israeli people and the sole reason the left-wing parties managed in the last election was partly packaging themselves as the “Zionist Union” when their version of Zionism is more defeatist calling for surrendering everything that the Europeans demand of Israel in a near complete surrender. Further, the most Zionist Party committed political suicide when the party leader, Naftali Bennett, announced that he did not feel he was prepared or had sufficient experience to be Prime Minister. The sad reality is that almost anybody when first, and potentially reelected, is actually sufficiently experienced to be Prime Minister as the only experience which could possibly prepare one to be Prime Minister is being Prime Minister. One cannot have such experience when first elected to the position. This sad admonition very likely sent large numbers of Israeli voters to vote for Likud and Netanyahu rather than take a chance on a candidate who confessed lack of faith in their own ability to hold the office of Prime Minister. This also likely was partly responsible for the definitive victory won by Likud. There were some who theorized that Bennett’s announcement was done as a measure to assure Likud of a definitive win chasing his own party’s support to vote instead for Likud as the best alternative to Bennett.

 

Now with Netanyahu presumably leading a far right government, we can expect the worst and most rejectionist government towards the two state peace or any other concessions for peace. How short the memory of the media or perhaps selective memory. Netanyahu had released over a thousand terror prisoners in exchange for one Israeli soldier held by Hamas, Gilad Shalit, the largest single release of terror prisoners in Israeli history for a single soldier or citizen. As Prime Minister in the last government Netanyahu agreed to release one-hundred-four Palestinian prisoners, fourteen of whom are Arab-Israelis and all of whom had been in Israeli jails since before the 1993 Oslo I Accord. The prisoners were responsible for killing, in all, fifty-five Israeli civilians, fifteen Israeli security forces personnel, one French tourist and dozens of suspected Palestinian collaborators. The record over the years compiled by Bibi Netanyahu has been remarkably moderate and some might even claim leftist and far too willing to take dangerous risks and make severe concessions just for the slightest of approvals from the United States, United Nations and/or Europeans. Most agree that when it comes to making speeches and expressing nationalist, Zionist and truthful representations of the situation, especially when it came to the Iran nuclear deal, a position and representation which has since been proven completely valid as per the confessions of Ben Rhodes on the deceits and outright lying by the Obama administration using the media as their tools to amplify their fictions. But when it comes to governing and actual actions, unfortunately Bibi Netanyahu proves to be a far stronger speech maker than Prime Minister. Granted, there are many complications, situations, realities and real life limitations to what can be done realistically and no such limitations on position speeches. One can make all the demands and claims for the Palestinian leadership to make concessions for peace and take steps to end the incitement to terrorism which is almost unceasing in every possible form from school lessons to the media to entertainment and throughout the entirety of Palestinian society including calls for violence by Abbas himself (see below).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The reality is that all too many of the political leadership in Israel are afraid of their own shadows and fear the opinions against them from all corners of the world and especially by political opinions and media spokespeople in the United States, United Nations, European Union and individual European governments. The truth is well known in all the quarters that the Palestinian leadership can and will only accept the peace of founding their state on the grave of the state of Israel and the graves of millions of Israeli Jews. The governments and media all know that the claims that Israeli Arabs are denied equal rights is a lie and that the Arab citizens of Israel have had full rights from the first election right through to today and can work, live, study, shop, worship and anything else just the same as the Jews and that any security the Israeli Arabs must pass are the same security checks every Israeli, Jew, Arab, European tourist, anybody entering security checks at malls, restaurants, trains and other places and that there is no singling out of any one group for additional special treatment. They also know that Israel had made concession after concession until they have concessioned themselves out of any room for additional concessions and that those calling for additional concessions simply want Israel to cease to exist and would gladly welcome such an eventuality. The governments have taken steps to limit the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction movement (BDS) as they are aware that this is simply the extension of the Arab boycott and refusal to deal with Israel being spread with funding from the PA and Arab governments as another front to pressure Israel out of existence. What they also realize is that even the Arabs, including Palestinians even Hamas leaders’ relatives use Israeli hospitals for treatment and Israel treats them free with the Israeli public picking up the costs ( see here, here, here, here, here, here , here, and here. These are the truths well known and ignored as it is better to hate the Jew nation just as throughout history there are legions of places and times where it was best to blame the Jew. The difference is that now anti-Semitism is against the six plus million Jews in a small nation around the size of New Jersey. Below are some maps showing the relative size of the nation foremost on almost every list of who to blame first.

 

Exactly How Small is Israel
A Comparison Against Four
Well Known Countries

 

Display of the Muslim Nations of the World in the Middle East, Asia and Northern Africa in Green with Israel depicted in Red

 

What would be a blessing for the world and for Israel would be for a truly independent Zionist leader to be elected Prime Minister with a solid government where even should the second largest party in the coalition resign there would still be a sufficient majority that the coalition would not feel expressly threatened. A Zionist leader who would forge the borders presumably promised as secure by the British crown, the League of Nations and, by its Charter, the United Nations. One who would take the world of the British and United States who forged a treaty that the two nations would enforce the security of the Jewish state in the remaining twenty-two percent of the British Mandate which remained after the formation of Transjordan (now Jordan). A proud and fierce Zionist who would have the wisdom to offer the Arabs currently residing beyond the Green Line the choice of a generous purchase and resettlement allowance payment if they choose to leave and reside elsewhere including air travel and delivery of their personal effects to wherever they decide to resettle or to allow them to remain as legal resident aliens or they may take a path to become citizens of Israel but the idea of their being granted a failed state in Judea and Samaria or their dreams of destroying Israel will not be realized ever. Israel would be taking control and incorporating, annexing, returning to Israeli control the areas promised from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. Any who desire to resettle in Gaza would receive the same offers as those resettling elsewhere in the world except they would be driven and not flown. As far as the refugees, the time has come for the world to face the facts, they need to be absorbed by the nations in which they currently reside, and that would allow those in Judea and Samaria to have the same choices as the other Arabs residing there as Israel would not recognize their presumed refugee status and treat them as former PA citizens which is more than the PA was ever willing to do for them. This would signal an end to the long overdue and overly drawn out fiasco of attempting to form another launching point for a future attempt to destroy Israel from the east in addition to the hostile entity in Gaza, the terror Hamas failed state. Further, Israel would no longer allow for dual use materials to pass into Gaza and should Gaza and Hamas again launch a terror and rocket war on Israel, the blockade would be made complete and permanent only allowing aid from governments or the United Nations after their being checked for banned items. A true and determined Zionist could start the end of the determined world effort to destroy Israel by removing their false flag attempt to establish a beachhead from which Israel could eventually be mortally wounded. After this had been established there would be no apologies and with time the Arabs who remained with Israel would have the better lives the world claims they desire for them, something that would never have come to pass with any PA future. This would be a present to the world even if it would be denounced and condemned from all quarters, the world would get over it or they could continue and not share in the medical, agricultural, scientific, information technology and other discoveries made in Israel. At least the former PA Arabs would benefit from these discoveries even if the world preferred to throw a permanent hissy fit. If only such would come to pass in our lifetime.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Netanyahu Coalition is Ungovernable

 

Prime Minister Netanyahu was able to form a government, but with just a bare bones, slim and minimum sixty-one Ministers. The numbers break down as such; Likud is the predominant party by a mile with their thirty Ministers followed by Kulanu, a new party with ten Ministers along with Shas with seven Ministers and United Torah Judaism with six Ministers and the last party joining at the eleventh hour, Jewish Home with their eight Ministers. Tallied up that is

30 + 10 + 7 + 6 + 8 = 61

The minimum number necessary to hold a majority of the one-hundred-twenty seat Knesset. Having the minimum numbers Netanyahu will likely make some deals to secure three or four additional Ministers who will agree to bolster the coalition though unspoken as their Party did not accept joining the coalition for whatever reasons, some strictly political and others purely tactical and still others a combination of reasons including posturing. There are some still waiting for Yisrael Beiteinu headed by Avigdor Lieberman to potentially join or offer to be the saving cushion with its six Ministers able to make-up for some wayward coalition members on certain votes thus threatening the coalition. Needless to point out, Prime Minister Netanyahu has cobbled together a coalition which as it stands cannot govern for very long before any single party or even an internal faction within Likud could force a crisis and bring down the government. Should the coalition fail then President Reuven Rivlin could call for snap elections to be held again giving an even shorter campaign cycle bringing Israelis back to the polls yet another time so quickly. The turnout for another government would likely have a lower turnout potentially changing the mix of parties as Israelis would measure their votes against the results of the recently past elections where many Israelis were less than thrilled with the results.

 

Still, do not expect overt changes but rather a refining of the vote with the potential for increases in the portions for Jewish Home, Kulanu and Yisrael Beiteinu. On the other hand, the protestations and self-important tantrums thrown by Yair Lapid could affect the numbers received by his Yesh Atid Party placing some of his eleven Ministers vulnerable to lost support. New elections might bring into play the joint parties of Yachad and Otzma Yehudit which missed making Knesset by the slimmest of margins. New elections could produce a far stronger Jewish Home which was on the mend in the final days of the election but never did quite make it all the way back to the high-points it had hit earlier in many polls. Additionally, one might expect to see Yachad and Otzma Yehudit make it past threshold which would bring a change in the end total results as Yachad and Otzma Yehudit would easily reach four and potentially higher as they would be able to prevent some of the rumored destruction of their ballots and also such simple things as swapping out their ballots with others and other such tricks and deceptions. It could also be predicted that the Zionist Union Party would split back to their two parties, the Labor Party and Tzipi Livni’s Hatnuah Party. While Hatnuah Party would likely not come even remotely close to breaking the minimum and would not make the Knesset, the split might make the Labor Party cleaner and without Tzipi Livni it would potentially garner two or three additional seats. Meretz and the Joint Arab List would each remain the same of gain or lose a single seat.

 

The question of the hour is how long the slender coalition can hold together when all it would take is a protest by the single Minister protesting to bring down the coalition. There have already been some rumblings of discontent within Likud by some of the Ministers who had their hearts set on gaining some of the Ministerships which ended up being given to the joining coalition members as they demanded those Ministerial positions from which they could wield the power of the department which would have the greatest and most direct influence in addressing their promises from the elections. The coalition coming out of the gate will likely be tested potentially by opposition members. Yair Lapid has already threatened to take the current coalition to court as it has more Ministerial positions which is one item which always seems to grow and is fortunately cut back every so often; after all, do we really want these politicians thinking they are more important than they actually are? This government is inherently unstable which will make for a wild ride while watching for what will be the defining moment when it becomes obviously impossible to hold the coalition together any longer. Sometimes it is the most fragile of coalitions which end up holding together for the longest amount of time as the members realize exactly how fragile their rule is and treat it as the vital but fragile thing as it really is. Still, there are going to be a good number of members of the opposition who see this tight race where the Prime Minister was only capable forming the most delicate of beast of a coalition.

 

The one item such a coalition, constantly under threat of collapsing, gives the Prime Minister a perfect reason to state that this is not the time to rock the boat and press through any peace initiatives from the outside world. All it would take to shoot down any demands for Israel to make additional sacrifices for peace is a single person threatening to leave the coalition should such a proposition even be introduced, let alone actually forced through the Knesset. This is already understood by even the most ignorant and blind fool, yet I might bet that such a proposition will not prevent the Europeans and President Obama from making just such demands as it does not cost them any lost sleep if the Israeli government should collapse as the sole purpose there is an Israeli government, according to too many people both within and outside of Israel, is to make sacrifices before the Arab Palestinian Authority as such sacrifices are the sole item expected from Israel and thus from her government no matter the size or opposition to such demands. The simple and obvious fact that there are members of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s own Likud Party who have threatened to vote against or resign from their positions, not to mention the entirety of the Jewish Home delegation would hopefully bolt from the coalition if such a vote in favor of such were demanded from them.

 

Hopefully this slim coalition can hold its own against all assaults from the entire spectrum starting from within the government and reaching as far as Turtle Bay in New York where the United Nations is located, and is just barely further than Washington D. C. and the White House. Perhaps the knowledge that the coalition is so fragile will force the Ministers within the majority to work together for the betterment of Israel. May such a government prove fortified against Israel making any sacrifices to entice the Arab representatives to come and grace us with their presence for as long as they are comfortable and then bolt from any further meetings where it is again demanded of Israel to sweeten the pot to get the Arab representatives to grace us with their presence for as long as they are comfortable and then bolt from any further meetings where it is again … No more climbing aboard the flight to the destruction of Israel and time for a new approach, annexing lands until Arabs honestly decide to enter into talks designed to end the conflict and make an agreement satisfactory with Israel otherwise Israel is satisfied with the terms and accepts granting the Arabs some adequate areas for them to have semiautonomous controls while remaining under Israeli security control and remain an integral part of Israel. There is no need or necessity which requires Israel to surrender any of the lands promised her in the San Remo Agreement and the fact Israel will permit a semi-autonomous defined region within the whole State of Israel living with in and with peace with Israel should be accepted and satisfy the world which can then go address real problems in the world. That is a stance for which this narrow coalition can unify and stand united demanding that their aspirations be included as integral to any final agreements.

 

Beyond the Cusp

Could a Real Zionist Leader Please Step Forward

 

Yesterday the Israeli public received a surprise as Avigdor Liberman resigned as Foreign Minister and announced that his Yisrael Beytenu Party would sit in the opposition rather than sit in a centrist government which does not represent a strong right wing and nationalist governance. Whether this was a political ploy to try and gain additional positions despite Yisrael Beytenu’s less than overwhelming show in the elections or an attempt to cast himself and his Yisrael Beytenu Party as the real leader willing to stand apart, if that is what is necessary to force a real nationalist coalition with real nationalist goals and directives forming the coalition agreement; Avigdor Liberman may mean exactly what he claims or this may be a restructuring while performing a facelift for what appears to be an ailing Yisrael Beytenu Party. Whatever Avigdor Liberman may have in mind, it remains to be seen whether his prediction of an ill functioning coalition will spend much of its time plugging holes and cracks in the coalition attempting to hold a governing coalition of merely sixty-one Ministers, as slim a majority as one might ever hope to make a working ruling coalition. Avigdor Liberman has struck the heart of the problem and probably knows exactly what he is doing by pointing out that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not only not a proven nationalist but actually a reluctant nationalist. I hope Avigdor Liberman is not expecting to be awarded a Zionist achievement medallion with which he can claim to be the nationalist answer to Benyamin Netanyahu and find himself being chosen to form the next ruling coalition after the next election. But the best bet is that Avigdor Liberman is simply jostling the electorate and rattling everybody’s cage both within the coalition and in the opposition basically claiming he is willing to go it alone rather than enter a coalition which ignores or even opposes what he sees as some of the most vital of nationalist and Zionist principles which he is claiming as the core beliefs of the Yisrael Beytenu Party. Whether this move is just a ploy to gain advantage for his joining of the coalition between now and the deadline this week for forming a coalition remains for us to see.

 

Whatever the result of the Liberman gambit and the Netanyahu coalition cobbling, the realities are that there may not be an actual Zionist or nationalist leader whose political party is capable of garnering sufficient support to warrant being tapped to form the coalition after the next elections. That begs the question of what is the most likely alternative and how can any alternative to another Netanyahu coalition be formulated as the best possibility for those who might offer a more positive governing coalition leadership. That is where the crux of the problem lies. Prime Minister Netanyahu speaks probably one of the best Zionist and nationalist arguments one could ever imagine but when it comes to putting action to those wonderful sounding worlds it appears that Prime Minister Netanyahu has an application problem which he is unable to get past. The chance that anybody might have come by having the religious Zionists and nationalist camp combine together and promise that if given the necessary representation as a combined group that a new form of government would be installed where the Ministerial department positions would be awarded experts from industry, academia and wherever else they may be found is possibly too much to expect happen by chance. The promise is that the ministers on your party list are intending to be members of the Knesset but not be rewarded with positions for which they have little if any expertise. There would be two completely separate lists of candidates, one would contain close to or over seventy names taken from the several parties and a secondary list of proposed cabinet positions as Ministers of the Cabinet who were chosen for their expertise and not as bribes to patch together a ruling coalition. This would be a fresh new concept where the Prime Minister was not using the myriad of Ministerships which make up his cabinet as rewards for those choosing to join the coalition and instead offer a coalition of parties who have agreed upon a purely Zionist grounds to become part of a new governance where the coalition is formed purely on principles and the Ministers in the Knesset would be responsible for addressing the matters of law and regulations. A few examples might be in order, Foreign Minister could be held by Benyamin Netanyahu where he could use his special powers of persuasion; Professor Stanley Fischer would make an outstanding Minister of the Economics Portfolio as he is unrivaled in his abilities in the field of economics, a military leader such as General Ganz could be charged with Defense Minister and other similar such discerning selections could be made to fill the other Ministerships which would make up the Cabinet Ministries.

 

The problem with this idea is getting the members of the political class to agree to forgo their egos and simply do what would in the long run be best for Israel. I am sure that every Minister who manages to land some prestigious Cabinet Ministership would feel they are exquisitely qualified to address anything required by the position and they are so brilliant that they would not even gain by the advice of an actual expert. This has usually been most evidenced by those tasked as Minister of Finance, Minister of Defense, Minister of Public Security, Minister of Housing and Construction and we could simply go down the list until we had all of them listed for one reason or another. Part of the problem with the current system is that the separate ministers are also using the power of their particular ministerial position to gain leverage over other Ministers who also can use their ministerial powers to take revenge and in the end the Israeli public pays the price as government ends up being grossly mismanaged. If at the top of the whole government is a Prime Minister who is having difficulties threading the needle while walking a tightrope over a river swarming with crocodiles because he is attempting not to upset the leaders of the rest of the world while keeping a lid on a cabinet filled with egomaniacs all vying to undo the other’s position while ignoring their own responsibilities and still run a nation, well, that is a recipe for a disaster. The biggest problem is the lack of a positive and strongly led group which knows what the end result that is desired and they all can actually agree on that desired result. Such leadership has to be resolute and determined and must be sufficiently sure of their position thus capable of taking command of any situation and continue to move towards that goal while solving every problem actually of any consequence along the way. The problem is there has been no such leader who has come forward and declared such a vision and painted a picture for the Israeli people to also see that vision and be supportive, or at least fifty-five percent voting public behind this vision.

 

There was such a vision and slogan that could have made that difference when Naftali Bennett hit on the no apology for desires to keep that which belongs to Israel according to International Law. He was on target with this idea and could have built upon this base structure by giving the explanation why we no longer need to say we are sorry for living on our own homeland and we have had enough with the demands for the dividing of our lands, of our Jerusalem, of all that is ours forevermore. But then Naftali Bennett made a cardinal error even if he believed that which he stated when he stated that he was not yet ready to be Prime Minister. Mr. Bennett, let me let you in on a little secret, nobody who is honest with themselves is ever ready to be Prime Minister but that does not mean that they should come out and say so. Once you lost faith in your ability to lead, on that moment your entire no apology campaign apologized and died. The really sorry thing is that honestly we the people of Israel should never forgive you for stealing out opportunity to follow an idea whose time had come and had a vibrant and energetic leader saying what we needed and wanted to hear and then he balked and stole from us our opportunity. Naftali, if I may be so casual, it was not your place to decide if you were ready to be Prime Minister; that decision belonged to us, the Israeli public. If we decided you were ready then it was up to us to give you whatever you needed to lead and do so with vigor and confidence grown by the faith of the people you lead. The secret is that anyone can lead providing they have drawn a clear picture for the future, defined how they plan to take us to that future, tasked the people with their role in this plan and then step forward and let the wave of the supporters assisting and pushing you on ahead as the leader. You see, the people choose a leader and when there is no true and real leader with an idea and a picture they can draw for everyone of what they aim to accomplish and the people agree and ask again for the initial steps they should take that lead to your future and then get ready to run. If as the leader you falter, then the people will have to carry you until you regain your footing; but if we detect that your faith has wavered and the dream has dimmed in your eyes and deserted your hearing, then the people will seek a new leader as you will have left them stuck half way, but the people will live on and find their next leader as that is how it works. Read about Winston Churchill’s life. He was ridiculed and chased from public life, called a warmongering old man who never left the big war. Yet when Hitler was knocking on Britain’s door who did they call? Winston Churchill, and almost as soon as that war ended they unceremoniously punted him from office and into retirement until a few years later they once again needed a leader as they were facing dire problems. Winston Churchill may not have been the leader they needed then, but during World War II there could not have been a better leader than Winston Churchill and the Queen steadied the ship and even joined the crews working in the wreckage that was south London. She assisted in stacking the whole bricks and the broken bricks each according to size and reusability and her assistance did little in the theme of things but few did more. The Queen, Churchill, and the Royal Air Force (RAF) saved Britain to fight another day, and fight on she did. Great times will make great leaders more often than great leaders will make great times.

 

When the situation is dire and the enemies are closing on all quarters leaving nothing on which to hope than one last charge into the breach, then that is when a great leader is required. Israel is in just such a position. The friend who gave promise after promise barely keeping a one of them but still a friend is all one can hope for when the stormy winds do blow. The winds are blowing and swirling all about Israel yet thus far she has held her ground and not been swept into the mire quite yet. It is just these winds which are blowing everywhere just outside our borders and beyond does not bode well as these items have a way of dragging us down and into the fray. Israel needs a great leader with a cool hand and a mind capable of nimble calculations made on the fly yet critically accurate. The rules for judging human beings and their often emotional outbreaks are not as well defined as a game of chess or checkers. Israel’s main problem lies at a distance but is also being permitted to enrich uranium and plutonium such they will be a virtual nuclear armed nation, whatever that means. United States President Obama may have misspoken when answering a question about Iranian breakout point when he answered that their breakout time would be zero. The media pretended that he had not made any odd or worrisome statement and the interview continued without returning to that question or making any note when summing up the interview. A breakout time of zero means that the Iranians after a decade will have the ability to make an advanced nuclear weapon in as little as six weeks, possibly less. Additionally, should the Houthis in Yemen conquer the entirety of their nation, something which appears to be all but guaranteed, then indirectly Iran will have control over the two most strategic chokepoints for shipping in the world. Additionally, this will add Yemen to the list of nations directly or indirectly which include Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and their foothold in South America in the Tri-Border Region. Iran has ties with the Cuban government as well as loose alliances with the Mexican drug cartels through Hezballah and by whom they gain access into the United States. Saudi Arabia and Egypt are getting rather edgy with Yemen being their immediate concern. The Saudis have even gone so far as to seek a possible alliance which would include Turkey, the wildcard which nobody knows where they will appear but one can bet that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan which will make Egypt more than a little edgy as Turkey and especially Recep Tayyip Erdogan have direct and deep relations with the Muslim Brotherhood. One item which everyone can rely on from Turkey sometime this summer they will again launch the Mavi Marmara on another attempt at breaking the Gaza Embargo blockade. Thus far there is no solid data on how many ships and activists they plan in sending along with the Mavi Marmara on this summer’s little stunt which the leaders of IHH have planned with the finest Islamist blessing from Recep Tayyip Erdogan. As one can see from just this sampling of the realities, pressures, problems, challenges and other calamities waiting for those who choose to desire to lead the state of Israel, it is no wonder that Naftali Bennett and others would think themselves not ready to take on the challenges any Israeli Prime Minister must face even briefly, let alone for four years should he also manage to keep all the disparate groups making up his coalition happy, and this would prove difficult even if one was blessed with a coalition with only three or four parties giving the Prime Minister the comfort of a seemingly stable coalition to oversee. In all honesty, no sane person could ever truly be ready to hold the office of Prime Minister and anybody saying different has not considered the challenges or the threats they would face when holding the position. The Prime Minister would have those detractors who would sit comfortably challenging every decision made by the Prime Minister simply playing devil’s advocate and that are just the media. Even from within his own party the Prime Minister would receive criticisms both from those further to the right and from those further to the left and would soon realize that a Prime Minister can find themselves truly alone even in a meeting of his inner cabinet. Facing these challenges and the other daunting difficulties which every Prime Minister is required to face would chill the nerves of even the best amongst us and would be such that no rational individual would desire such office, yet should the head of even the smallest party claim they are not willing to put their shoulder against the wheel and push it with all their might, then that party needs to choose a new leader who is composed of sterner material. Still, leading a party and potentially having to face the burdens of the office of the Prime Minister would be the challenge of one’s lifetime and truly exhausting taking every last morsel of energy you could give and then demand just that little bit more as the office will force you to give your best effort or it will overwhelm one; so yes Mr. Bennett, you are like every other person who would be facing this before you, but still whether the people desire you to take on that mantle is who decides whether you are ready for such position and you as a party leader do not have the right to take that choice from us, the electorate. That is how the system works and that is what we are left with currently and for the foreseeable future and it is up to us to make this system work and to make changes as we are able and prove to have been capable to meet the challenge just as the electorate chose, the electorate chose and not the party leadership necessarily making such a choice. May the electorate find that leader capable of withstanding the pressures and still stand ready and capable of staring down any external influences who will try to manipulate the leaders of the nation of Israel as, for reasons too perplexing to go into here, the whole rest of the world seems to believe that they are the deciders of what direction Israel must take, yet they are gathered around the Israeli leadership waiting with the patience of vultures desiring to feast on the last remnants of Israel after the world powers have chopped sufficient sections off to grant to any and every claimant against the Jewish nation and then waiting for the last bit to die a very unnatural death. This is why we must have a leader who will stand up and say, ‘no more’ and ‘never again’ and lastly, ‘that which was promised us by man and by a higher power will be ours to cherish and you with your axes desirous of cleaving piece after piece knowing that your angry actions will destroy would kill the victim Israel must know we will not go quietly into that darkness you wish to silence us with, we will not go into the night without a fight, we will win and retain our lands and the Zionist spirit which built her out of the swamps and rocks and boulders and against every challenge we did and will continue to prevail.’

 

Beyond the Cusp