A few nights ago there was a large rally in Tel Aviv (certainly in the tens of thousands, but estimates vary widely depending on your political bent) to advocate for a change of government in the upcoming elections. This rally, in my opinion, reflects a deeply held belief among much of Israel that it's time to move on. The complaints are numerous. Bibi only offers fear, never hope. He's promoted economic policies that favor the rich and increase inequality. He and his wife live an extravagant lifestyle on the state's dime (or shekel, as the case may be). He can't get along with President Obama, leader of the world's premier superpower. I could easily continue. Before we get carried away I should mention that his party, the Likud, is likely to get the second most votes (something like 20% of the votes), and because the right wing block seems like it will be larger than the left wing block, he's likely to be Prime Minister again. But that leaves 80% of the population that's not voting for him, many of whom deeply dislike him. I'd like to examine the reasons people feel so strongly against him, why I don't necessarily agree, and why, even though I don't agree with many of his critics, I'm not voting for him.
Before I talk about how Israelis feel about Bibi, I want to talk about how American Jews feel about him. My impression (and feel free to correct me all you American Jews out there) is that he's much more popular in the US than he is in Israel. There are a few reasons for this. First of all, he's a dynamic, charismatic speaker, who speaks English like a native (he spent much of his childhood in Boston). However you felt about his recent speech in Congress, it was eloquently written and forcefully delivered. Second, I think that American Jews often (very reasonably) care more about Israel's existential issues than our day-to-day problems. Bibi's strength is that he's "tough on security". In his election propaganda he paints himself as a trustworthy leader, the only serious adult among a crowd of children (or, in the case of the left wing parties, sniveling wusses). The sorts of existential issues he campaigns on (Iranian nukes, Islamist terrorism, etc.) are more interesting and important for American Jews. A story about the Mossad's attempt to thwart Iran's path toward a bomb is better reading than the Department of the Interior's attempt to lower housing prices. But it's also in American Jews' self interest. Many American Jews think of Israel as a safety net (even subconsciously) and so Israel's existence is important. By definition American Jews live in America, and so the day-to-day struggles of trying to live life here is less important.
In Israel, while we obviously fret the existential stuff, we also have to go about living our lives. The state has been in jeopardy since before it even existed, and it will probably continue to be (unfortunately). We're used to it, and our leadership, from the left and the right, has always dealt with it. We're not interested in hearing about it every second of every day. Like people around the world and throughout history, on most days we care more about how much our groceries cost than whether we're going to have a bomb dropped on us. And the feeling among many Israelis is that Bibi can't empathize with that struggle, and therefore doesn't try and do anything about it. That's why all of the stories about Bibi and his wife Sarah's lifestyle (the exorbitant amount they spend on ice cream or wine each month, the way they treat their staff, etc.) strike such a chord. Two college educated adults in Israel can't buy an apartment without significant financial help from their parents. Bibi and Sarah spend $2700 a year of taxpayer money on ice cream.
Bibi also takes flak for, essentially, being a politician. One of his most vocal critics (and a major speaker at the rally a few nights ago), ex-Mossad head Meir Dagan, says that "we have a leader who fights only one campaign--the campaign for his political survival." This criticism echoes the point above, that Bibi only cares about Bibi.
Even Netanyahu's go-to issue, security, is open for attack. His critics point out that we've had three wars with Hamas (the terrorist organization running the Gaza Strip) in the last six years with nothing to show for it. Hamas is still in charge, building tunnels and amassing rockets, just waiting for the next round of violence. In this last war Hamas was able to fire rockets at Tel Aviv (and the whole coastal plain area, where ~75% of Israel's population lives) and shut down Ben Gurion airport. On our northern border we know that Hezbollah has massively re-armed and is likely digging tunnels as well. And Iran, who Netanyahu talks (or screams) about non-stop is still moving toward a nuclear bomb and seems to be gaining ground regionally, both in the Syrian civil war and in Yemen, where Iran's allies, the Houthis, are now the de facto rulers. If this is a Prime Minister who's strong on security, what would a weak one look like?
I acknowledge all these criticisms, and even agree with some of them. I've heard them often from people I respect, most importantly my fiance Noy, who is actively involved in V15 (link in Hebrew), an organization dedicated to bringing about a change in government in 2015. I'm not voting for him, but I also think he's not getting a fair shake.
First of all, I don't much care what he does in his personal life. I've often said that I would be happy for Bill Clinton to be President of the US forever, but I wouldn't want to introduce him to my sister. Whether or not someone is a sleazeball is (and I tend to think most politicians are), in my opinion, one of the least important qualifications for whether or not he/she can effectively run a country. I take more seriously the criticism that his lifestyle shows his lack of empathy with the rest of us commoners, and his lack of a serious plan to try and improve the economic circumstances of the average Israeli is one of the main reasons I'm not voting for him. As for Dagan's complaint that Bibi is only concerned about winning the next election, I think there's probably a modicum of truth to it, but if we're only allowing candidates that don't act like politicians, we're going to have a pretty small slate of candidates.
I also think that, again, it undersells Bibi. In his recent speech in front of Congress, for example, I have no doubt that he had his own political interests at heart. He thought standing up to the American President over Israel's security would help woo the Israeli right (where he's in a fierce competition with Naftali Bennett, the charismatic leader of the Jewish Home party--here's some of his propaganda). He knows that he's an excellent speaker, and that giving a speech like that, in that setting, makes him look very Prime Minister-ish. He wanted to distract us from the cost of living issues that have become so important in this campaign. But that doesn't mean it's the ONLY reason he gave the speech. My impression is that he deeply believes what he says about Iran. Smart people can disagree with him--President Obama clearly does--but that doesn't mean it was only political theater.
When Obama came to Israel he eschewed the opportunity to speak to the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) and instead spoke to a group of Israeli students. He told them "political leaders will never take risks if the people do not push them to take some risks. You must create the change that you want to see." I think Bibi saw his own speech to Congress as an attempt to do the same thing, to speak directly to Americans and tell them that their leadership is wrong. Obama's the leader of the free world. Bibi's the leader of a small, embattled country (that I love dearly). American support for Israel matters more than Israeli support for America (though Israel managed to survive our first twenty years with no American support, and I believe we still could if we had to). I don't think they get to act the same and I don't think Bibi served his purpose. But I do think he's a smart, strategic thinker, who believed making his speech the way he made it was important, even if it served his political goals as well.
As for his economic policies, I acknowledge many of the criticisms leveled against him. It's frustrating to have to buy a pair of shoes online, have them sent to my parents in the US and then have them bring them to Israel because it costs half the price. Paul Krugman (NYTimes economist) just wrote about the staggering growth in inequality in Israel (an excellent read). But I also think this is a large, complicated, long-standing issue, and to put all the blame on Bibi is unfair. And if we're going to blame him for the economic problems here then it only seems fair that he get credit for the successes. The whole world went through a major economic crisis over the last several years. In much of Europe the outlook is still quite dire. In Israel, it was merely a hiccup. There were no massive layoffs, no dramatic fall in real estate prices. Israel's GDP growth is better than virtually any other advanced economy in the world. If Bibi takes the blame for the economic problems, then he gets the credit for successfully managing the economic crisis.
I also think that there's a case to be made for his security policies. There's no doubt that he's put Iran firmly on the international agenda. I'm not sure Obama would even be working so hard to sign a deal with Iran if not for Bibi's constant yelling about them (which is ironic given that Bibi is against the proposed deal). He's also worked to retard Iran's nuclear progress, for example with the stuxnet computer virus. He's overseen the rapid and wildly successful expansion of our missile defense system. The sad truth is there's a limit to what we can do about the Iran problem, and I think Bibi's more or less done what he can (with the exception of how he handled his speech in the US).
The same can be said for how he's dealt with Hamas. It seems quite unlikely that toppling Hamas would lead to a friendlier leadership in the Gaza Strip, and if it were friendlier (like the Palestinian Authority, who governs the West Bank, might be) they would be seen as Israeli puppets and have no legitimacy. And, as sad as it is, I don't think we can afford not to shoot back when they provoke us. This is the Middle East and if we don't shoot back they simply shoot more. This depressing set of circumstances basically means that when Hamas shoots we have to shoot back, but there's nothing to gain by shooting so much that we destroy them. This summer I actually think Bibi was particularly shrewd and made an important, and successful, gamble. He knew we had to deal with Hamas's tunnels, and yet he accepted cease fire after cease fire--betting that Hamas wouldn't accept in return--and was able to establish as much legitimacy as possible (for my full thoughts on the war this summer and Bib's handling of it check out the blog I wrote). There is no good solution to the Hamas problem, and Bibi handled it as well as anyone could.
So why aren't I voting for him? For one, I don't think he can deal with the rising inequality. Like any politician who's been in power too long he's lost touch with what it means to be a regular citizen. He's been in power six years and the problem is getting worse, not better. He doesn't deserve all of the blame, but he deserves some of it. And while I give Bibi credit for Israel's economic growth, I think that he has lost sight of the balance necessary between overall growth and growth for the majority. That's not just my personal opinion on what I think is just, I think that the growing inequality is like to prevent sustainable economic growth.
On security issues, I don't have a particular problem with the things he's done. But there's a near universal consensus in Israel (a huge shock for anyone who's ever met an Israeli) that the Palestinians aren't going to play nice, even if we negotiate a state for them. And even hardcore right-wingers acknowledge that the status quo is unsustainable in the long term. The range of possibilities is extremely narrow and I can't believe that a Labor-led government would, in practical terms, do virtually anything differently.
What I do think the left would do differently is to present a better picture to the rest of the world. When Bibi announces that there won't be a Palestinian state on his watch (as he did last night), or clearly and intentionally insults President Obama, I think he's doing Israel a huge disservice. I believe the vast majority of the world is anti-Israel and that much of it is anti-Semitic. I believe that no matter how we act we are likely to be condemned. I believe that we can survive without the US if we need to (though I definitely don't want to). But none of that is a reason to thumb your nose at the rest of the world. In today's day and age international opinion matters, and the fact that we're fighting an unfair, uphill battle doesn't mean we should ignore it.
But most importantly I'm not voting for Bibi because he doesn't give me any hope. The state of Israel is an impossible dream. The return of Am Yisrael (the Jewish People) to our ancestral homeland, the revival of the Hebrew language, the transformation of barren deserts into luscious greenery is all one big miracle. A miracle I moved across the world to be a part of and that gives meaning to my life every day. The founders of the state of Israel had a vision. They believed we could create a brighter future for Am Yisrael and then went out and did it. I don't know if Bibi ever had dreams for the future of Am Yisrael, but it sure doesn't seem like he has one now. I acknowledge that change in our neighborhood of the world can be scary. We pulled out of Gaza and got a whole bunch of rockets in return. As far as I know we're the only state in the world that actively worries that our neighbors are developing a nuclear weapon to wipe us from the face of the earth. I understand that there are positives to the status quo. But Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, famously said "If you will it, it is no dream." As far as I can tell, Bibi lost (or never had) the ability to dream. It may be dangerous, but I want a leader who dares to try something new, to move Am Yisrael forward. I don't think Bibi can do that, so I'm voting for change.
Before I talk about how Israelis feel about Bibi, I want to talk about how American Jews feel about him. My impression (and feel free to correct me all you American Jews out there) is that he's much more popular in the US than he is in Israel. There are a few reasons for this. First of all, he's a dynamic, charismatic speaker, who speaks English like a native (he spent much of his childhood in Boston). However you felt about his recent speech in Congress, it was eloquently written and forcefully delivered. Second, I think that American Jews often (very reasonably) care more about Israel's existential issues than our day-to-day problems. Bibi's strength is that he's "tough on security". In his election propaganda he paints himself as a trustworthy leader, the only serious adult among a crowd of children (or, in the case of the left wing parties, sniveling wusses). The sorts of existential issues he campaigns on (Iranian nukes, Islamist terrorism, etc.) are more interesting and important for American Jews. A story about the Mossad's attempt to thwart Iran's path toward a bomb is better reading than the Department of the Interior's attempt to lower housing prices. But it's also in American Jews' self interest. Many American Jews think of Israel as a safety net (even subconsciously) and so Israel's existence is important. By definition American Jews live in America, and so the day-to-day struggles of trying to live life here is less important.
In Israel, while we obviously fret the existential stuff, we also have to go about living our lives. The state has been in jeopardy since before it even existed, and it will probably continue to be (unfortunately). We're used to it, and our leadership, from the left and the right, has always dealt with it. We're not interested in hearing about it every second of every day. Like people around the world and throughout history, on most days we care more about how much our groceries cost than whether we're going to have a bomb dropped on us. And the feeling among many Israelis is that Bibi can't empathize with that struggle, and therefore doesn't try and do anything about it. That's why all of the stories about Bibi and his wife Sarah's lifestyle (the exorbitant amount they spend on ice cream or wine each month, the way they treat their staff, etc.) strike such a chord. Two college educated adults in Israel can't buy an apartment without significant financial help from their parents. Bibi and Sarah spend $2700 a year of taxpayer money on ice cream.
Bibi also takes flak for, essentially, being a politician. One of his most vocal critics (and a major speaker at the rally a few nights ago), ex-Mossad head Meir Dagan, says that "we have a leader who fights only one campaign--the campaign for his political survival." This criticism echoes the point above, that Bibi only cares about Bibi.
Even Netanyahu's go-to issue, security, is open for attack. His critics point out that we've had three wars with Hamas (the terrorist organization running the Gaza Strip) in the last six years with nothing to show for it. Hamas is still in charge, building tunnels and amassing rockets, just waiting for the next round of violence. In this last war Hamas was able to fire rockets at Tel Aviv (and the whole coastal plain area, where ~75% of Israel's population lives) and shut down Ben Gurion airport. On our northern border we know that Hezbollah has massively re-armed and is likely digging tunnels as well. And Iran, who Netanyahu talks (or screams) about non-stop is still moving toward a nuclear bomb and seems to be gaining ground regionally, both in the Syrian civil war and in Yemen, where Iran's allies, the Houthis, are now the de facto rulers. If this is a Prime Minister who's strong on security, what would a weak one look like?
I acknowledge all these criticisms, and even agree with some of them. I've heard them often from people I respect, most importantly my fiance Noy, who is actively involved in V15 (link in Hebrew), an organization dedicated to bringing about a change in government in 2015. I'm not voting for him, but I also think he's not getting a fair shake.
First of all, I don't much care what he does in his personal life. I've often said that I would be happy for Bill Clinton to be President of the US forever, but I wouldn't want to introduce him to my sister. Whether or not someone is a sleazeball is (and I tend to think most politicians are), in my opinion, one of the least important qualifications for whether or not he/she can effectively run a country. I take more seriously the criticism that his lifestyle shows his lack of empathy with the rest of us commoners, and his lack of a serious plan to try and improve the economic circumstances of the average Israeli is one of the main reasons I'm not voting for him. As for Dagan's complaint that Bibi is only concerned about winning the next election, I think there's probably a modicum of truth to it, but if we're only allowing candidates that don't act like politicians, we're going to have a pretty small slate of candidates.
I also think that, again, it undersells Bibi. In his recent speech in front of Congress, for example, I have no doubt that he had his own political interests at heart. He thought standing up to the American President over Israel's security would help woo the Israeli right (where he's in a fierce competition with Naftali Bennett, the charismatic leader of the Jewish Home party--here's some of his propaganda). He knows that he's an excellent speaker, and that giving a speech like that, in that setting, makes him look very Prime Minister-ish. He wanted to distract us from the cost of living issues that have become so important in this campaign. But that doesn't mean it's the ONLY reason he gave the speech. My impression is that he deeply believes what he says about Iran. Smart people can disagree with him--President Obama clearly does--but that doesn't mean it was only political theater.
When Obama came to Israel he eschewed the opportunity to speak to the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) and instead spoke to a group of Israeli students. He told them "political leaders will never take risks if the people do not push them to take some risks. You must create the change that you want to see." I think Bibi saw his own speech to Congress as an attempt to do the same thing, to speak directly to Americans and tell them that their leadership is wrong. Obama's the leader of the free world. Bibi's the leader of a small, embattled country (that I love dearly). American support for Israel matters more than Israeli support for America (though Israel managed to survive our first twenty years with no American support, and I believe we still could if we had to). I don't think they get to act the same and I don't think Bibi served his purpose. But I do think he's a smart, strategic thinker, who believed making his speech the way he made it was important, even if it served his political goals as well.
As for his economic policies, I acknowledge many of the criticisms leveled against him. It's frustrating to have to buy a pair of shoes online, have them sent to my parents in the US and then have them bring them to Israel because it costs half the price. Paul Krugman (NYTimes economist) just wrote about the staggering growth in inequality in Israel (an excellent read). But I also think this is a large, complicated, long-standing issue, and to put all the blame on Bibi is unfair. And if we're going to blame him for the economic problems here then it only seems fair that he get credit for the successes. The whole world went through a major economic crisis over the last several years. In much of Europe the outlook is still quite dire. In Israel, it was merely a hiccup. There were no massive layoffs, no dramatic fall in real estate prices. Israel's GDP growth is better than virtually any other advanced economy in the world. If Bibi takes the blame for the economic problems, then he gets the credit for successfully managing the economic crisis.
I also think that there's a case to be made for his security policies. There's no doubt that he's put Iran firmly on the international agenda. I'm not sure Obama would even be working so hard to sign a deal with Iran if not for Bibi's constant yelling about them (which is ironic given that Bibi is against the proposed deal). He's also worked to retard Iran's nuclear progress, for example with the stuxnet computer virus. He's overseen the rapid and wildly successful expansion of our missile defense system. The sad truth is there's a limit to what we can do about the Iran problem, and I think Bibi's more or less done what he can (with the exception of how he handled his speech in the US).
The same can be said for how he's dealt with Hamas. It seems quite unlikely that toppling Hamas would lead to a friendlier leadership in the Gaza Strip, and if it were friendlier (like the Palestinian Authority, who governs the West Bank, might be) they would be seen as Israeli puppets and have no legitimacy. And, as sad as it is, I don't think we can afford not to shoot back when they provoke us. This is the Middle East and if we don't shoot back they simply shoot more. This depressing set of circumstances basically means that when Hamas shoots we have to shoot back, but there's nothing to gain by shooting so much that we destroy them. This summer I actually think Bibi was particularly shrewd and made an important, and successful, gamble. He knew we had to deal with Hamas's tunnels, and yet he accepted cease fire after cease fire--betting that Hamas wouldn't accept in return--and was able to establish as much legitimacy as possible (for my full thoughts on the war this summer and Bib's handling of it check out the blog I wrote). There is no good solution to the Hamas problem, and Bibi handled it as well as anyone could.
So why aren't I voting for him? For one, I don't think he can deal with the rising inequality. Like any politician who's been in power too long he's lost touch with what it means to be a regular citizen. He's been in power six years and the problem is getting worse, not better. He doesn't deserve all of the blame, but he deserves some of it. And while I give Bibi credit for Israel's economic growth, I think that he has lost sight of the balance necessary between overall growth and growth for the majority. That's not just my personal opinion on what I think is just, I think that the growing inequality is like to prevent sustainable economic growth.
On security issues, I don't have a particular problem with the things he's done. But there's a near universal consensus in Israel (a huge shock for anyone who's ever met an Israeli) that the Palestinians aren't going to play nice, even if we negotiate a state for them. And even hardcore right-wingers acknowledge that the status quo is unsustainable in the long term. The range of possibilities is extremely narrow and I can't believe that a Labor-led government would, in practical terms, do virtually anything differently.
What I do think the left would do differently is to present a better picture to the rest of the world. When Bibi announces that there won't be a Palestinian state on his watch (as he did last night), or clearly and intentionally insults President Obama, I think he's doing Israel a huge disservice. I believe the vast majority of the world is anti-Israel and that much of it is anti-Semitic. I believe that no matter how we act we are likely to be condemned. I believe that we can survive without the US if we need to (though I definitely don't want to). But none of that is a reason to thumb your nose at the rest of the world. In today's day and age international opinion matters, and the fact that we're fighting an unfair, uphill battle doesn't mean we should ignore it.
But most importantly I'm not voting for Bibi because he doesn't give me any hope. The state of Israel is an impossible dream. The return of Am Yisrael (the Jewish People) to our ancestral homeland, the revival of the Hebrew language, the transformation of barren deserts into luscious greenery is all one big miracle. A miracle I moved across the world to be a part of and that gives meaning to my life every day. The founders of the state of Israel had a vision. They believed we could create a brighter future for Am Yisrael and then went out and did it. I don't know if Bibi ever had dreams for the future of Am Yisrael, but it sure doesn't seem like he has one now. I acknowledge that change in our neighborhood of the world can be scary. We pulled out of Gaza and got a whole bunch of rockets in return. As far as I know we're the only state in the world that actively worries that our neighbors are developing a nuclear weapon to wipe us from the face of the earth. I understand that there are positives to the status quo. But Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, famously said "If you will it, it is no dream." As far as I can tell, Bibi lost (or never had) the ability to dream. It may be dangerous, but I want a leader who dares to try something new, to move Am Yisrael forward. I don't think Bibi can do that, so I'm voting for change.
I agree that American Jews are more likely to find Netanyahu as a more popular and respected leader than those in Israel. Before I came to Israel, I really liked and agreed with Bibi because all I knew about him was what was on the news and how Israel hasn't been completely demolished by its haters in the middle east. So basically anyone who could uphold Israel as a Jewish state, was a person I could agree with. However, now living in a country where politics is always a common discussion topic, I notice a lot of Bibi's failures and the aspects about him that I don't like. There's so much more to a country then just its security. Who are you protecting if the people can barely sustain themselves? With the costs of living people can't afford homes which surely doesn't help people feel secure. People all around the world see Netanyahu for what he is: a brilliant speaker and figure head, but do we actually see anything else?
ReplyDeleteI would not vote for Netanyahu, but I think we also need to give him a little more credit. I wanted to vote for Isaac Hertzog even though he does not have a set plan for security. The same thing goes for Bibi with not putting an emphasis on the social issues. As the election results have given more insight on what the new government coalition may be, I'm really concerned that the government might be too right wing and focus more on security than social issues. I hope that Bibi will not be able to form a coalition without Labor, but I hope that if he does, that Kachlon will be a part of it to help lower the price of living and the economic issues for Israelis.
ReplyDeleteI am not a Netanyahu supporter. I think it is time for Israel to try something new, because for me it seems as though he doesn't care and has accomplished very little for the average Israeli. However, before I came to Israel I would not have thought of any of that. Having only an out of country perspective, I would probably have respected Bibi and how he fought for Israel when going to speak at congress in contrast to my current, more negative thoughts on him. It is easy to not consider all of the other aspects that go into a country. When living in the USA I thought of Israeli political issues only in terms of international affairs, but now that I am here it is clear that there is a lot more work that needs to be done within the country itself.
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ReplyDeleteAlthough I believe that Netanyahu is defending the state of Israel, I also believe that he is not looking forward into the future. In order for Israel to have a future to look to, we must solve the Arab-Israeli conflict as tensions rise. Of course the conflict is even more complicated than anyone could imagine, but Bibi should at least try to resolve it instead of not acknowledging the possibility of a two state solution. He is a great politician, however I do not believe that he will be the leader who guides Israel out of being a constant potential war zone.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I am not Bibi's biggest fan. He has been in power in Israel for so long, and I really don't think that he's done anything worthy of staying there. Although he has helped Israel and it's safety, there is still so much more that needs to be done. It's concerning to me that he can so rapidly change his political views and policies, just to accumulate votes. I think it's time that Israel tries something new, with a new Prime Minister and political party in charge. As we found out a few days ago, Bibi overwhelmingly received that largest amount of votes, meaning that he will likely be the next Prime Minister of Israel. I am truly interested to see what he will do during his upcoming years of power, and how Israel will react.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I feel as though Bibi ran this election like a good politician would and the good politician that he is would. I am not sure about elections in the past, but from what I saw in this past election with him making statements at the last second to pull over right wing voters was a genius idea and as we saw, paid off. Although it was a good idea to get elected, I think that by him making these statements, he put himself in a bad position. Bibi forced himself to look bad to the rest of the world just in order to win the election. He risked more conflict and foreign relationships, just for his own sake. This is why I too think that we needed a change that we unfortunately did not achieve. Hopefully next election the rest of the country will come to realize that it is time for a change and use their vote to create this change.
ReplyDeleteI am very disappointed in the outcome of the elections. From the outsider's perspective, Bibi is is a great leader and is very good for Israel. Before this trip, I did not realize how terrible of a job he is doing for the residents of Israel. I think that he isn't even doing that great of a job for Israel's security. When I heard that he won the elections, I was shocked. I thought that Avodah was going to win for sure, and I wish that I was old enough to vote so that could have happened. I think that while Israel's security is very important, the price of living needs to be reduced, or else there will not be any residents of Israel left to protect. People will also move away so that they are able to be married and have it be considered valid in the place that they live. Bibi is only helping himself, and I do not understand why so many people voted for him and think that he is helping Israel in any way, shape, or form. Bibi has terrible relationships with foreign countries, which will be very problematic during (unfortunately and G-d forbid) Israel's next war. I hope that this next coalition will be very beneficial to Israel and that Bibi can have the fame he desperately needs, while allowing people who actually care about Israel to improve the country. If he does this, its a win-win for him, and I think he would miss a great opportunity if he doesn't improve Israel's domestic issues.
ReplyDeleteAaron I completely agree with you on this. For me a big problem with Bibi is that he acts like he is the only one who can do this job, which is not true. He also keeps saying that he speaks for all of the Jewish people across the world. He does not speak for me and I know he doesn't speak for most Jews. Bibi is not fit to be our Prime Minister anymore. He has been in power for to long and has not made enough progress. A new change in Israel needs to made if there is to be any progress. The change needs to be Bibi being removed from power.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you especially in the sense that Bibi provides no hope! I think he can still improve the economy based on what people say. He needs to look inwards and focus on creating reasonable prices for housing, groceries, and daily life. The existential threat is a huge problem but we certainly need change (as you said) instead of letting the world hate Israel even more.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you think and what a lot of others have been commenting. I don't support Bibi and I don't think he is doing what is best for Israel in the slightest. It's really hard for me to think my opinions through because I don't live here and it is so easy for me to say that Israel needs change and needs to take risks to work towards some long term solutions. However, I will be returning to America in a few months, and if the change I believe should happen caused a war, I wouldn't be forced into the army or watch my friends and family leave to go fight for change that they may or may not have wanted. But, I can't pretend to be Israeli, and I still stand by the fact that I am disappointed by the outcome of the elections. I don't think a right wing government will be good for Israel at all, and I am worried about the average Israeli not being able to afford to live in their country. Hopefully Bibi and the new government will consider Israel's internal problems and not solely focus on security.
ReplyDeleteI very much agree with you on the topics regarding Bibi. Coming into this country as an American liberal I tend to find myself more inclined to agree with social issues and focusing inward on the economy such as affordable housing. We need change and Bibi has not proven that he is capable of accomplishing vital issues regarding the state of Israel. There is no doubt that Bibi has focused intently on the security of Israel which is obviously an important aspect to society, but I think that to solve the issues present at this time, Israel needs to turn inwards and approach the societal factors that keep a nation together.
ReplyDeleteI think that it definitely should have been the end of Bibi's authority as prime minister of Israel. I think that Israel's relationship with America and how Israel is perceived by outside countries is a vital for the safety and continuation of a Jewish state, and Bibi has nearly ruined both of these things for Israel. Personally, I feel that it is time for Israel to turn inward and start dealing with their internal problems, as it is evident that not much progress is being made with the Palestinians. I hope that Bibi doesn't neglect Israel's internal problems, and finds a balance between Israel's security, religious, and social problems.
ReplyDeleteI personally would have liked it if Bibi did not get elected again, but because I cannot actually vote, there is not much I can do about it. I think Bibi is a good politician and will lead Israel in hopefully the right direction, but that direction may not necessarily be the one that I want him to lead Israel in. The worst part of this round of elections is that the Ultra-Orthodox will most likely be in the coalition and that is very bad
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ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with what you said about Bibi and American Jews. Americans do tend to support Netanyahu more than Israelis, and I think that's really interesting. As you said, Israel doesn't worry as much about its outside threats as America does (not that Israel doesn't focus on security, because it absolutely does). And that's why I think it was time for a new leader, and specifically, I liked Moshe Kachlon. I think that while Israel's security issues and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict are of the utmost importance, it's likely that no real progress will be made in the very near future. So it may be better for the people of Israel if the government shifts it's focus to internal improvements, such as the cost of living, marriage, etc. Unfortunately, with Bibi likely to end up in the Prime Minister's office again, that doesn't seem likely. Someone like Kachlon, however, would've been able to make some crucial changes. Well, there's the next election when this coalition inevitably fails, too.
This blog brought up many interesting points about the Israeli election. Within in Israel there is a general discontent with the prime minister however, many feel that there is no better option. For this reason it is important that someone arises who the public feels can bring about a change.
ReplyDeleteThere are many things in this blog that were just not right. Netanyahu not looking long term? There is no long term solution. He knows this which is why he explains that there will not be a two state solution under his term. You said his main concern is defending Israel, and later stated that everyone wants to kill us. So what is he doing wrong? He shows Israel's strength while trying to protect the people and look good to the world. It's an impossible task.
ReplyDeleteEconomically, Israel is a start up nation because of its capitalistic economy that Netanyahu supports.
I think it is very interesting that (about) a year after you expressed your opinion about Netanyahu, your view probably has not changed. This proves that B.B has not done anything to try to change people's perspectives on him. From being in Israel, my eyes have been opened to his negative actions that are effecting Israel greatly. If I had the chance to vote in Israel, I would not be voting for him. Even though he has improved safety, he has not done much else.
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