This is a difficult moment, just as was the expulsion last August and the Amona Police Brutality last month.
A lot of questions need answering; Likud’s total collapse, how the Arab parties ended up with 10 mandates when all day long we were told about a remarkably low Arab turnout, the materialization of the orange vote, Hazit’s 65,000 plus “committed” voters, possible vote theft, and more.
Were our votes registered? There was at least one report of possible vote theft.
It’s difficult to come to grips with possible reality that this despicable Kadima Party and its hateful, spiteful, self-affectionated, hard-hearted leader would be in the cat-bird’s seat forming the next government.
But wait, a Rabbi friend called saying that there could be another [unlikely]scenario;
Kadima, Labor, Meretz = 52 mandates. Olmert could go to the Arabs which would put him over the top. No other government has ever encorporated Arabs parties into a governing coalition. Such a coalition is illegitimate and immoral and could bring on large scale strife. The Arabs in a coalition government; highly unlikely.
More likely, he needs Aguda plus either Shas, Yisrael Beitenu or the ‘wild-card’ Pensioners. If the “natural” right wing parties; Likud, Shas, Yisrael Beitenu and Aguda were to form a block signing a document that they would not join a coalition led by Kadima, and/or if Olmert was unable to form a government from this group within the prescribed period of time, then Labor’s Peretz is less likely to be able to. In short, if Olmert can’t form a government within 42 days, President Katsav’s next go-to is … Eli Yishai of Shas.
It’s gonna be an interesting next month and a half. Stick a fork in Likud, they’re done, but the game ain’t over ’til its over. MB
Barak and Sam of IRIS wrote the following in emails;
Barak: “I honestly don’t know if Israel can logically survive while an army of Davids, of which we are a part, builds.
I think we have one last chance: the Left is clearly in charge and will clearly make a mess of things. If we learn the lessons of our defeat, we can be poised for a ‘white knight’ takeover after the long night in the wilderness. Good policies have always led to good
results.”Sam: “IRIS was founded during (actually in reaction to) the height of the Oslo euphoria. We made our mark by being one of the few professional voices crying out in the wilderness. Other former nobodies became big stars at the time: Aaron Lerner, the Matars, Moshe Feiglin.
So the national tragedy is a personal opportunity. Let’s fight this one hard like we should.”
For concise election coverage and recap by IRIS, click here and here.