Tuesday, March 24, 2009
3/24/2009 08:53:00 PM | 
Posted by
JoeSettler
Sorry, but the argument that more people should have voted Likud and we wouldn't be in this boat just doesn't hold water.
The argument goes that a stronger Likud would not have been forced to give such key positions to the Left-wing parties.
And their mistake in the argument is exactly in that answer.
From the beginning, Bibi said he will not form a Right-Wing government, and he wanted to bring the Left in.
So bigger or not, Bibi planned on setting up a Left-leaning government. And if he was bigger than Kadima, then Kadima would have joined him in the end as they wouldn't have the whole "I'm bigger than you" issue to deal with.
And Bibi still would have had to give them key positions.
And like I said in the beginning, if only more people had voted Right, then Bibi would not have had a choice but to include Right-wing parties in the coalition and offered them key seats.
Unfortunately Feiglin and others convinced far too many people to vote Likud and now we are all paying for it.
I sleep well at night knowing I voted the right way, and in the coalition or not my representatives will be fighting for what I believe in.
But I'm sure Feiglin also sleeps well at night, because he still doesn't understand that he made a mistake pushing his fellow settlers and right-wingers to vote for a party that simply won't represent or implement their views.
No matter how many Likud MKs Bibi has spurned and insulted, as Bibi forms his government, Feiglin's call for Bibi to quit (for not bringing in more seats) just sound like sour grapes.
The argument goes that a stronger Likud would not have been forced to give such key positions to the Left-wing parties.
And their mistake in the argument is exactly in that answer.
From the beginning, Bibi said he will not form a Right-Wing government, and he wanted to bring the Left in.
So bigger or not, Bibi planned on setting up a Left-leaning government. And if he was bigger than Kadima, then Kadima would have joined him in the end as they wouldn't have the whole "I'm bigger than you" issue to deal with.
And Bibi still would have had to give them key positions.
And like I said in the beginning, if only more people had voted Right, then Bibi would not have had a choice but to include Right-wing parties in the coalition and offered them key seats.
Unfortunately Feiglin and others convinced far too many people to vote Likud and now we are all paying for it.
I sleep well at night knowing I voted the right way, and in the coalition or not my representatives will be fighting for what I believe in.
But I'm sure Feiglin also sleeps well at night, because he still doesn't understand that he made a mistake pushing his fellow settlers and right-wingers to vote for a party that simply won't represent or implement their views.
No matter how many Likud MKs Bibi has spurned and insulted, as Bibi forms his government, Feiglin's call for Bibi to quit (for not bringing in more seats) just sound like sour grapes.
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12 comments:
Well said, I agree with you completely.
Overheard in the Likud corridors: In order to be a government minister, one needs to join Labor.
Lot's of anger at Bibi's treatment of his own party.
FROM CAROL HERMAN
Bibi did it! And, what he did is very interesting, in that the larger party, Kadima, gets its wish and sits outside of government.
While from the inside, Bibi built the Likud back. (From it's 12 chairs.) And, now, with Labor, can out-do Kadima.
This is no mean trick! He's managed to be a real player; on the global stage. And, he can thrust with Lieberman towards russia. So that russia also gets a few cards to play.
Out of luck? If we're lucky, the saud's and the kuwaiti's. Who have no love to shed on Israel. But have a weak hand. SInce they're so expensive for the Americans to "date." After 9/11,absolutely, Dubya spent more capital than he had.
And, Obama inherited this dreck. Do I believe Obama intends to throw away Florida? And, New York? I beg your pardon. But there's a need for things that can be accomplished. (While Obama's picks for lightweights? How many more get tossed under the bus, I do not know.)
But times ahead will get interesting. While europe slides down into the dumps.
Oh, and it's not Labor that will split. Not before Kadima splits!
I understand the anger, and I too am angry about it. But what are the other options? Vote for a party that will have no influence and will do nothing? what for?
had everyone on the right voted for likud instead of small and ineffective parties, all the rightwingers in the likud would have gotten in and would have had the influence that the rightwingers int he small parties that did get in will never have.
I still see no alternative to voting likud.
Rafi: The Likud MKs are proving completely ineffectual in standing up against Bibi.
Most are afraid to speak up and be put on his black list.
More Likud MKs afraid of (and dependent on) Bibi wouldn't change that. But more right-wing MKs not afraid of Bibi would.
But why are you ignoring Lieberman? People voted for him - a small party - because they thought he was RW. You can see he has a lot of influence.
Everyone voting Likud would just mean more power to Bibi, not the Likud.
If the votes had gone to a real RW party, not one with (sometimes) RW slogans the picture would have been different.
There is no choice but to vote for a real RW/religious party and grow it larger.
so what you are really is saying is that people should have voted for the real right wing parties like NU instead of the iffy ones like Lieberman. That I can accept.
rafig: Not exactly what I'm saying. Lieberman is a Left-winger in RW clothing, so it goes without saying that people shouldn't have voted for him.
The problem is the votes for the Likud. First Sharon, and now Bibi are moving the Likud left instead of trying to produce and implement RW solutions to the problems we face.
People listened to Feiglin (and others) and voted Likud - the Likud won the most votes in Yesh(a).
That was a mistake.
http://jewishleadership.blogspot.com/2009/03/only-opposition-to-bibi.html
The Only Opposition to Bibi
By Shmuel Sackett
Hypocrisy is a funny thing, and I love pointing it out every time it occurs. Consider the following: Many people in the national camp screamed at Moshe Feiglin for telling his constituents to vote Likud. They claimed that under no circumstances could one support Bibi Netanyahu. Most of these people voted for National Union. They were pure, uncompromising and 100% honest to their ideals. Sounds good but…
After the elections were over, President Shimon Peres met with all parties in the Knesset and asked them who they recommended to build the next coalition. National Union recommended Bibi. President Peres followed their suggestion and gave Bibi the green light to form the government, which he will do in the coming days.
As you can see, on one hand the National Union voters said “no” to Bibi (by not voting Likud) but on the other hand, the National Union leadership said “yes” to Bibi (by choosing him to become the next Prime Minister). And you thought only leftists are hypocritical?
Thanks to National Union, Bibi is now Prime Minister with ZERO opposition. These “holy” and “pure” guys can now scream, wave their orange flags and march all day through Umm-el-Fahm. Bibi is laughing his head off. The four mandates they have mean absolutely nothing. They have no influence, no say and mount no opposition.
Of course, Bibi cannot ignore them totally. He must send them a “thank you” card for recommending him as Israel’s next prime minister. If I was writing the card, here is what it would say:
“Dear Ketzale, Dr Eldad, Uri Ariel, Rabbi Dr Ben-Ari and the 100,000 people who voted for National Union: Thank you for making me Israel’s Prime Minister. I could have never done it without you. I want to especially thank you for not joining Likud where your 100,000 votes would have meant total disaster for me. You probably would have elected a much stronger, prouder Jew than me who is connected to G-d and who would never have made a deal with Ehud Barak and his Labor party. Thank you for staying outside of Likud, for keeping your voters away from Feiglin, for not offering me any opposition and for recommending me to President Peres as Israel’s next Prime Minister. You are very special people. I love your orange bracelets, your orange flags and your orange kippot.
The only bad part about my new Government is that I will not be seeing you around. You are not part of the coalition, not active in my party and not even leading the opposition. I wish you luck in your march through Umm-el-Fahm and hope you keep fighting against that hostile city. This is a very noble cause. Please email me your progress. In the meantime, I will be setting up a Palestinian State, releasing terrorists from jail, removing 20-30 outposts throughout the West Bank and do whatever President Obama asks of me. Thanks to you, I have no opposition and all of my plans should move very quickly. Let’s drink a L’Chaim at the upcoming Knesset Pesach party. I could have never done it without you. Sincerely, Benjamin Netanyahu.”
The only one that Bibi will NOT send a “thank you” card to is Moshe Feiglin. Bibi understands that Feiglin is his ONLY opposition. That is why he worked day and night in his attempts to push Feiglin off the Likud list. When Bibi lost his case in the Tel Aviv Court of Appeals, he went to “Big Brother” in the Supreme Court and succeeded in pushing Feiglin to spot 36. When Likud received only 27 seats in the Knesset, Bibi felt relieved because Feiglin did not make it in. The only problem, however, is that Feiglin is far from throwing in the towel. The TKO that Bibi was looking for is not going to happen. Moshe Feiglin is mounting serious internal opposition to Netanyahu. He is gathering MK’s from Likud, key Central Committee members and leaders of Likud branches around the country to oppose the hijacking of the Likud party - by Bibi - away from the will of people. He will be fighting and challenging Bibi every chance he can and will pressure him in ways that will make it difficult for Bibi to carry out his plans of national suicide for Israel.
Only Feiglin can – and will – oppose Bibi. This does not mean he will succeed at stopping every one of Bibi’s destructive actions but Feiglin – and ONLY – Feiglin will organize Likud members into a solid bloc of opposition. He will mobilize thousands and will be at the center of a major campaign targeted at Likud voters to demand that their 27 MK’s represent them and not the views of Labor. While the “right wing” fades into oblivion and their Knesset members wage silly and ineffective battles, Moshe Feiglin will continue to fight for a strong and proud Jewish State. Go Feiglin!
Dear Moshe,
I know I tried to kick you out of the party and prevented you from entering the Knesset, but I owe you a much bigger thank you than I do the National Union.
You see, even after I kicked you out, you still worked tirelessly and naively to increase the size of the Likud party for me at the expense of the National Union and Bayit Yehudi.
In fact, the majority of votes in Judea and Samaria went to me, the Likud - all because of you and your efforts.
You gift-wrapped those religious and right-wing voters for me. What better present could I ask for from anybody?
You prevented me from having to negotiate with a strong right wing and having to consider their positions.
I know you think you oppose me, but all you did is strengthen me to be in the position to do what I wanted to do. Which is amusing, because all I continue to do is spit on you.
So thank you Moshe for working so tirelessly in pulling away votes from the right wing parties and giving them to me, Bibi Netanyahu, oh, and to the Likud party.
Thanks to you, I have no opposition and all of my plans should move very quickly. Let’s drink a L’Chaim at the upcoming Knesset Pesach party. I could have never done it without you.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Netanyahu.
By the way, considering how scared most of the other Likud MKs are of Bibi, I don't see them putting up much of a fight.
How many Likud MKs were not afraid to show their face with Moshe before (or after) the elections? At best 2 or 3.
They are certainly doing a great job getting key ministerial positions from Bibi that instead are going to Labor and Lieberman.
Moshe has it right that people need to join the Likud and vote in Likud primaries, but he has it wrong that they must do so in the general elections.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3692243,00.html
Joe: I have heard that there is a lot of inner rumblings as well.
My big issue is why the religious right ever thought anything different would happen. You, as I, and as many others have stated before, the biggest wasted vote is one for Likud.
With Likud, we get a party who says they love us, but do everything they can to dismantle settlements.
At least with Kadima, they say that they want to evict Jews, and that's what they do.
What's worse? A foe who honestly tells you he despises you or a "friend" who tells you that he loves you and then tries to destroy you from behind the scenes.
There was a movie that I saw once that had a quote that was something like, "I prefer to look my enemies straight in the eye".
The problem with the right it seems is that we do not learn from mistakes very well.
Nevermind the fact that Bibi said prior to the elections that he intended to go through with the "road map" obligations--what about the fact that he always does this?
I love Feiglin to death, I really do--but he and those whom follow his leadership need to come to terms with the fact that the Likud will never be transformed into the true right-wing party.
It's another centrist party that pretends to be hawkish. Bibi is no different than Arik.
It's time to pack up the 1/3 of Likud who believe in the promise that is Eretz Yisrael and defect over to Ichud Leumi, or just form Manhigut Yehudit as its own independent party.
This defeatist policy that Feiglin subscribes to that suggests that we "need" the Likud to legitimize nationalist goals has been proven a failure.
Likud, as with Labor & Kadima will always be run by those whom are quick to turn tail and run in the face of American pressure.
That's my rant :-)
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