Steven Shamrak
Many observers were surprised by the high voter turnout during the last election in Israel, 65.2 percent. After decades of hopeless political games played by both major political players, corruption and absence of choice (in spite of enormous number of parties for a small country like Israel), Israelis have become disillusioned and developed a strong political apathy toward the election process in Israel. Who would ever believe that Jews would become politically indifferent? Turnout since 1949 had generally been above 75 percent until there was a sharp drop in 1999 to 62.3 percent. It seems the Oslo agreement destroyed the confidence of Israelis in the viability of Israel's political system and self-serving politicians of all political spectrum.
The results of the election are interesting, disturbing and quite common for Israel. Kadima narrowly won with 28 seats but is not able to form a majority government with its natural partners of the left-wing parties. Therefore, Tzipi Livni started courting Likud and a fake extremist, Liberman of the Israel Beiteinu party, to fake another unity government.
On the other hand, Likud received 27 seats in the Knesset and in good position to form a majority Jewish national coalition. Although it was predicted before the election that Likud may win up to 30 seats, but Likud's position became weaker after Netanyahu's political games backfired when he marginalised Moshe Feiglin, leader of the Manhigut Yehudit faction, by moving him to an unwinnable 36th position on the Likud election list, and when a few days before the election he suggested the possibility of a coalition with the Kadima and Labor parties.
People were looking for a new direction but realised that Likud under the leadership of Netanyahu will change nothing! Votes for the Israel Beiteinu party, which received 15 seats, were mainly protest votes, not support for Liberman's ideas of swapping land in Israel for Jewish land in Judea to accommodate the creation of another Muslim terrorist state, or easing the conversion process for those non-Jews who came to Israel in violation of the Law of Return!
The only winner from this bogus election is the current 'lame duck' Prime Minister of Israel, Olmert, who will be able to stay in power and avoid corruption charges for a bit longer while this charade of forming a new Israeli government progresses.
Israel desperately needs to change the political process, starting with rationalising the number of political parties and making sure that they are based on clearly defined political and national platform, not on the origins or religious affiliations of the voters. Then people will have a clear-cut picture of what each party is about and whom they want to be represented by. Otherwise there will be endless elections that will only bring Israel closer to an existential abyss!
So Much for Intention of Truce! Over 40 rockets and mortar shells have been launched from Gaza onto Southern Israel since the end of operation Cast Lead. An Israeli soldier was killed and three others were wounded last Tuesday when Hamas terrorists attacked an IDF patrol near the Kissufim Junction. (That is what happens when a job is only half done. )
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Food for Thought. by Steven Shamrak
Although Likud was winning, according to the polls before the election, it lost many voters to the smaller Zionist parties and many stayed with Kadima because Likud was not offering a true alternative and change in direction. Likud would have has an even more convincing victory and support from voters if it had clearly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state on Jewish land. Only by reinstating its original political objective of creating Eretz-Israel will Likud be able to assume the national leadership!
Vatican Trivialising Holocaust Denial. Mexican Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, who is president of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Health, dismissed allegations that Vatican decision-making is failing in the wake of a scandal involving Holocaust denier Bishop Richard Williamson: "Any one of us can say a stupidity, and are we going to be excommunicated for that?" (Isn't it "a stupidity" to excommunicate someone for Holocaust Denial and then reinstate Richard Williamson without his repentance?)
Another 'Escape' from PA Prison. A total of 15 PA prisoners escaped the prison in the West Bank city of Jericho on Friday. The majority of the escaped prisoners were part of the Fatah military wing, al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. The Fatah terrorists had been imprisoned at the West Bank facility as per an amnesty agreement between PA and Israeli officials.
Nanotechnology Conference in Israel. The first International Nanotechnology Conference held in Israel will open on March 30, 2009. The purpose of this two-day conference is to showcase Israeli research and innovation in nanotechnology and to bring together a group of world-class experts who are working on the "hottest" technologies in the field. (A few years ago it was biotechnology now Israel is a world leader in Nanotechnology!)
Twisted Logic of Islamic Goons. In a recent speech, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged the Obama administration to end US support for Israel and to apologize to Iran for past misdeeds. (Shouldn't Iran apologize for its siege of the US embassy? Isn't the US, by its inaction and tying the hands of the US's best friend, helping the enemy of Israel build the Atomic bomb, which is a threat to all?)
Quote of the Week: " By linking his Likud to Labor, Netanyahu will reach his second term as prime minister from a position of weakness rather than the strength" - debka.com, before election. - Another opportunity to change the ugly reality and end terror in Israel is being squandered!
PA Rejects Possibility of Peace. Neither Binyamin Netanyahu nor Tzipi Livni will be able to make peace with the Palestinian Authority, PA negotiator Saeb Erakat said on Tuesday, after exit polls indicated that Kadima has lead over Likud: "Regardless of the coalition formed by any Israeli prime minister, the next Israeli government will be unable to deliver the requirements of peace." (The PA's "requirements of peace" is the non-existence of Israel!)
'Friendly' Meddling Again. President Barak Obama is reportedly putting on the pressure on the sidelines for the forming of a national unity government in Israel. According to the Daily Telegraph in London, Obama believes that only a Likud-Kadima-based government will be able to continue peace negotiations with the Palestinians.
Brotherly Love. Informed sources say 32 members of Fatah have been killed by the Hamas in Gaza in the past several weeks and more than 100 have been shot and wounded, notably in the knees.
Shut up Peanut-Brain, Self-Promoting Idiot! Former President Jimmy Carter told the Free Press that Israel was responsible for last month's fighting in Gaza. He also urged the United States to negotiate with Hamas. "Hamas' popularity has increased in the last few weeks since Israel attacked Hamas and its people in Gaza," Carter said. "So you got to deal with them." (The increase of Hamas popularity only indicates how deeply terrorism is entrenched in the enemy population of Israel, so-called Palestinians.)
Hamas Used Aid as Weapons. Hamas terrorists used medicine bottles provided by Israel as humanitarian aid to attack Israeli troops. Terrorists stuffed empty pill bottles with explosives and used them as grenades. Syringes provided in humanitarian shipments were also used to assemble weapons.
Archaic Marriage Tradition is Endorsed. Saudi Arabia's most senior cleric Sheikh Abdul-Aziz Al Sheikh has come out and stated that not allowing 10 or 12 year-old girls to marry is "unfair" to the girls. He has also stated that Islamic law has not done any "injustice to women". (Just for the record: the last wife of the Prophet Mohamed was 9 years old.)
Turkish Hotels are Missing Israelis. Hotel managers in Turkey have called on Israelis not to cancel their vacations in the country based on recent anti-Israel statements made by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Often anti-Semites hate Jews but love our money. But like in most cases, it is not people of Turkey but Islamic leadership which is promoting hate toward Israel.)
Israel did not Violate War Laws.
Jpost.com
Israel did not violate the laws of war and made marked improvements in its fighting capability during the recent military operation against Hamas in Gaza, yet the gains from the conflict in the long term remain uncertain, a US study concludes. The analysis of the 22-day conflict in Gaza by Anthony H. Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies finds "impressive improvements in the readiness and capability" of the Israeli Defense Forces since the war against Hizbullah in Lebanon in 2006, and unequivocally states that Israel did not violate the laws of war despite the large number of civilian casualties among the Palestinians.
"[Israel] did deliberately use decisive force to enhance regional deterrence and demonstrate that it had restored its military edge," the report states. "These, however, are legitimate military objectives in spite of their very real humanitarian costs." The analysis finds that the IDF did not succeed in deterring Hamas from new rocket strikes on Israel or make "definitive changes in the political and military situation in Gaza," noting that the post-conflict situation looks strikingly like the situation before the fighting began. (Unfortunately this report will not prevent the International anti-Semites from making 'smoke without fire' in the anti-Israel propaganda war.)
"The end result is that it is far from certain that Israel's tactical successes achieved significant strategic and grand strategic benefits," the report concludes. (Only when the objectives are clearly defined can the "strategic benefits" be achieved! The 'wishy washy' Kadima/Labor government has never had the Jewish national interests in mind.)
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