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Nir Elias / Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leaves the Likud-Yisrael Beitenu headquarters in Tel Aviv on Wednesday.
A badly weakened Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scrambled Wednesday to keep his job by extending his hand to a new centrist party that advocates a more earnest push on peacemaking with the Palestinians after Israel's parliamentary election produced a stunning deadlock.
The results defied forecasts that Israel's next government would veer sharply to the right at a time when the country faces mounting international isolation, growing economic problems and regional turbulence. While that opens the door to unexpected movement on peace efforts, a coalition joining parties with dramatically divergent views on peacemaking, the economy and the military draft could just as easily be headed for gridlock — and perhaps a short life.
Israeli media said that with nearly all votes counted, each bloc had 60 of parliament's 120 seats. Commentators said Netanyahu, who called early elections three months ago expecting easy victory, would be tapped to form the next government because the rival camp drew 12 of its 60 seats from Arab parties that traditionally are excluded from coalition building.
Ammar Awad / Reuters
Yair Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid (There is a Future) party, addresses supporters at his party's headquarters in Tel Aviv on Wednesday. The surprise star of Israel's election is a former television news anchor whose centrist party soared to second place in the balloting.
A surprising, strong showing by a political newcomer, the centrist Yesh Atid, or There is a Future, party, in Tuesday's vote turned pre-election forecasts on their heads and dealt a setback to Netanyahu. Yesh Atid's leader, Yair Lapid, has said he would join a government only if it were committed to sweeping economic changes and a serious push to resume peace talks with the Palestinians, which have languished throughout Netanyahu's four-year tenure.
The results were not official, and the final bloc breakdowns could shift before the central elections committee finishes its tally early Thursday. With the blocs so evenly divided, there remains a remote possibility that Netanyahu would not form the next government, even though both he and Lapid have called for the creation of a broad coalition.
How Israeli elections work
Under Israel's parliamentary system, voters cast ballots for parties, not individual candidates. Because no party throughout Israel's 64-year history has ever won an outright majority of parliamentary seats, the country has always been governed by coalitions.
Traditionally, the party that wins the largest number of seats is given the first chance to form a governing alliance in negotiations that center around promising Cabinet posts and policy concessions. If those negotiations are successful, the leader of that party becomes prime minister. If not, the task falls to a smaller faction. President Shimon Peres has until mid-February to set that process in motion.
Netanyahu's Likud-Yisrael Beitenu alliance polled strongest in Tuesday's election, winning 31 parliamentary seats. But that is 11 fewer than the 42 it held in the outgoing parliament and below the forecasts of 32 to 37 in recent polls. Yesh Atid had been projected to capture about a dozen seats but won 19, making it the second-largest in the legislature.
Addressing his supporters early Wednesday, when an earlier vote count gave his bloc a shaky, one-seat parliamentary margin, Netanyahu vowed to form as broad a coalition as possible. Lapid also called for the formation of a broad government.
The goal will not be an easy one, however, and will force Netanyahu to make some difficult decisions. In an interview last week with The Associated Press, Lapid said he would not be a "fig leaf" for a hard-line agenda on peacemaking.
That stance could force Netanyahu to promise overtures to get peace negotiations moving again.
But a harder line taken by traditional and future hawkish allies could present formidable obstacles to coalition building.
Tensions with the United States, Israel's most important ally, also may have factored into the shift to Lapid. President Barack Obama was quoted last week as saying that Netanyahu was undermining Israel's own interests by continuing to build Jewish settlements on occupied lands the Palestinians want for a future state.
Related:
Charismatic ex-commando pressures Netanyahu from the right as Israel prepares to vote
Avast! Israel's Pirate Party angles for 2 percent of electoral booty
Israelis head to polls as shift to right is expected
Leave a Comment:
This is disgraceful...and a horrid example of environmentalism run amok.
Bravo and God Bless Israel!!!! You are a great people. I wish the United states had the form of government you have. It truly represents the heart of the people not the political pundits, entrenched political parties, and wealthy interests who control politics. America can learn from you.
He must be anti-Israel.
Netanyahu deserved a kick. He appears to be one of the most corrupt of Israeli leaders.
He acted as a lobbyist for oil rich Sunni rulers like those of Kuwait, House of Saud, UAE and others before Iraqi wars.
He starts seventh century dances along with House of Saud and co; facilitates start of wars and then vanishes.
He is doing similar lobbying job on Iran.
Iranian WMDs are pure hoax and Iranians can get as many nukes as they want from Pakis.
Remove the sanctions on Iranian oil and crash oil/gas prices.
Netanyahu's job is not to manipulate oil/gas prices higher and higher.
RON:
You can bless Israel better by moving there with lcok, stock and barrel.
Take a leap to the paradise. Gold Bless you.
In short, far right loonies in other countries are getting flanked from their right just like here in the US. Or teabagged, as we call it here.
In the meantime, the rest of the people are rejecting right wing lunacy altogether. But they are so busy bickering amongst themselves to decide who is the biggest crazie, that they aren't even noticing nobody wants to be around them anymore.
Oh what's that noise? Oh yeah, that's the train to the future and to progress leaving the station, and right wing loonies aren't in it.
im very proud of israel! going more left is exactly what it needs to be doing. they need to stop sucking up to the orthodox communities who contribute NOTHING to society and only leach off the government. also, the economy is terrible and theres a great divide between the lower and upper class, almost eliminating the middle class completely. netanyahu did nothing after the social protests and prolonged the orthodox mandatory army enrollment voting by saying "ill deal with it in a few years." israel REALLY needs to wake up. having a majority right wing government is not helping them one bit. lets hope change is in the works after this election.
You say the economy is terrible, but the statistics say otherwise:
Israel's economy is
thriving in a global economic meltdown. The Jewish state's 2009-12 economic
growth of 14.7 percent leads all the advanced countries of the world, followed
by Australia with 10.7; Canada 4.8; United States 3.2; Germany 2.7; France 0.3;
European Union minus 1.5 percent.
You worry about the othodox communities leaching off the government, while the entire country has been leaching off the government of America for decades.
We have one problem in America, that parallels that of Israel, which is the divide between the upper class and the lower class.
You are dead right about a move to the left being good for Israel.
Lets stop aid to Israel and get them off of our welfare roles.
The most encouraging news to come out of Israel in years! The rise of the ultra-Orthodox has dismayed and frustrated supporters of the secular, progressive Israel of Ben Gurion, Meir, Dayan, Rabin, and even Sharon. It's wonderful to see that there is still some rationality, and some realism, left in the Israeli electorate.
I agree!
Netanyahu is one of the worst leaders.
He appears to be a cheap lobbyist for oil rich Sunni rulers, oil companies and lobbyists.
When Shiites and Sunnis are battling in Syria and Iran, why anyone with a little sense bother to get in between them and take sides.
The sanctions on Iranian oil is a big ploy to manipulate oil/gas prices higher and higher!
Only idiots or those sold dirt cheap will impose sanctions on Iranian oil.
Ralph:
Rich people are good at managing to get biggest welfare. It is true all over the world in all countries.
I have problem with Israel hawkish policies but either left or right or radical of one king or other I truly admire Israel for its innovative spirit, its economic growth and it enterprising spirit. It is also the best contribution of Jews in USA.
Someday there will be peace and Jews and Arabs will work hand in hand and fire up the middle east to great economic vitality. I always believed Israel and Jews future is to know that they can be Hong Kong of the middles east and more and they could be center of Middle East where entrepreneurs of many nations there congregate for better tomorrow.
IDGC - Do you think that Israel can manage to be the Hong Kong of the ME, without the continuous supply of welfare and arms, which we have been sending them for the past 60 years? The figures show Israel is doing quite well, while America is facing bankruptcy, yet they continue to lobby for more and more money and arms. Our Congress never says no to Israel. Never!
They are by light years, the most well armed country in the ME and one of the most well armed countries in the world. America has paid for most of their weapons in one way or another.
Excellent point. Many people either missed it or did not pay any attention to it. Numbers you posted are similar to what I read in different sources.
Bottom line is; Israel was having a ball financially while everybody else was struggling.
Israel says they thrived because they are "smart" in economics. Bulls*it.
The reason they thrived:
-Direct aid: $3 billion - Indirect Aid: Only God knows; Perhaps $15 billion
-Military aid: $6.5 billion direct - God knows how much indirect. Could be 9.5 billion
-US enforced/provided/recommended "contracts": 23 billion (That means Israel would not have realized these sales if it was not initiated by US).
-Israel's manipulation of US Wall Street : Its tough to gauge, but estimates range from 20 billion to 45 billion. Israel through intermediaries in US and Europe initiated and facilitated the collapse of markets, while shorting the markets, and pocketing hard cash in 2008 & 2009.
All the while we were fighting wars against some mullahs in freaking afghan mountains, iraqi deserts spending trillions and losing brave country boys. Israel not only did not waste any single man, it cashed in billions in sales to defense department.
Just a simple example: US is paying for Israel's "Iron Condom" system which they needed against palestinian rockets. Israel stated they were shooting many (Perhaps thousands) counter rockets to ensure that one of them hits the enemy rocket. Why not? US is paying for it..
These things are about to change, if it has not already. Lets see how these Israelis fare when there is no hand-out from US.
As usual, you are late to the party.
Israel was going without any help from US from 1947 to 1973, and they did great.
3 billion a year is no big part of their revenue, they could do just fine without it.
It's given to Israel not for their sake, but for US sake, because it goes straight back to USA in the form of weapons purchase and helps create jobs here. (The rest of "handout" exists only in your imagination, not that you didn't know that.)
Also, if Israel was not getting aid from USA, they would have no reason to hold back when they are attacked. If you are OK with that, good for you.
Eli - If Israel can do fine without it, why do we keep sending the money and the weapons? We have been sending them money long before 1973. Lyndon Johnson, a closet Jew on his maternal grandparents side, armed Israel to the teeth, when he was president. He sent emergency arms supplies to Israel during the 1967 war. If he hadn't, Israel would have lost.
Those jobs, which you claim Israel is creating by purchasing arms, are paid for by the American taxpayer. You talk as if Israel is doing America a favor by accepting billions in aid. Hey, I have an idea. You send me money and I will spend it in your store. Such a deal.
I would rather we spend the billions on American infrstructure and pay for something we need right here. Our construction workers can use those jobs, while Americans can benefit.
If Israel wants to make wars, let them, as long as they do it without American assistance. Israel has never waited until they are attacked. They are the ones who do the attacking. They like to call it preemptive war, when it is really, wars for land and water. If they start a war which is against our interests and which creates problems for America, we should step in and punish them.
It is time to put America first! Stop aid to Israel. We have been supporting that parasitic nation for far too long.
@#2.4
israel will never be like Hong Kong; jews are never as smart and as good entrepreneur like the Chinese.
In addition israelis are too busy in waging wars against their neigbours while Hong Kongers are busy in making money.
Indeed, von Dorf, Israel will never be like Hong Kong, see is Hong Kong is a crap-hole compared to Israel.
Ralph,
"You send me money and I will spend it in your store. Such a deal." - If I was was also revolutionizing your store with the latest technologies and providing you information about your competitors, it would indeed be an excellent deal. Although it would require you being a rational merchant and not blinded by your prejudice. Unlike you, most Americans know a good deal when they see one.
isrrael is a crap-hole compared to Hong Kong.
Those orthodox jews with dangling side-burns and long beard look so ridiculous.
Israel wants to force those orthodox cuties to serve in the army.
I am guessing "To strengthen" the force... I am sure Palestinian freedom fighters shaken and scared to death!
THIS RESULT IS GOOD FOR PEACE--and Natanyahu might at last learn that it is unwise to meddle in US politics.
Likes of Netanyahu will never learn nor have some common sense!
I'm glad that this warmonger scum Natanyahu has been given a lesson. Peace by negotiations and compromise is the only way.
I agree with you 100%. It appears that the sons and daughters of America are safe, "for now". Poor John Wayne Gacy McCain I guest the war he was hoping for isn't going to happen.
Yes, the traitor Likudniks infesting US politics got one lesson with Obama, and now another one with Natanyahu. All of these traitors need to be outed.
The only compromise the Palestinians want is Jews to die.
Bam Bam - Yet the Palestinians are the one dying at a rate of 10 to 1. Keep dreaming tool.
Well, if Palestinians were not attacking Israel, they would not be dying at rate 10 to 1.
That would be a dream indeed.
Israel can realize the dream. just give the Palestinians their land back and go back to the original borders. They only fight to get back that which was stolen at the point of a gun.
"If I were an Arab leader, I would never sign an agreement with Israel.
It is normal; we have taken their country. It is true God promised it to us,
but how could that interest them? Our God is not theirs. There has been Anti -
Semitism, the Nazis, Hitler, Auschwitz, but was that their fault ? They see but
one thing: we have come and we have stolen their country. Why would they accept
that?"
David Ben Gurion (first Israeli PM, quoted by Nahum Goldmann
in Le Paraddoxe Juif (The Jewish Paradox), pp121.
. "We must use terror, assassination, intimidation, land confiscation, and
the cutting of all social services to rid the Galilee of its Arab
population."
Israel Koenig, "The Koenig Memorandum"
Israel already tried giving land to Palestinians and they were always thanked with more attacks, which were already in full progress when Israel had "the original borders" and before any of those statements you posted were made.
Peace now. Stop beating your chest and threatening your neighbors. Work towards peace, always.
Which nation has Israel threatened? Oh by the way see the story above on how gay in Eqypt are worried about being killed. Of course you didnt, because muslims killing gays doesnt bother the twsited warped western liberal. Only Christians kills gays according to the demented liberal
Iran
Well, if Iran does not like being threatened by Israel, all they have to do is not threaten Israel, but then their government would have no promises left for their people. Tough break.
It's nice to see that Israelis are not all nuts.
Yes, the question is how much leverage the "sound" Israelis will have on the far-right dikheads currently running the show.
Plenty.
Just a guess on my part, but perhaps the Israeli electorate is getting tired of the saber-rattling coming from the current administration. There is only so much war and talk of war an electorate can take before it gets tired of it and seeks a change...
Very good, Exactly! what was needed,..this is going to get real interesting,,
Looks like another generation of Israelis have to learn the lessons of appeasement.
Translation: Procrustes is cheesed off that more and more Israelis are tired of fighting "them-thur rag-hedded Moozlums" for him. Maybe you ought to go sign up, Procrustes...
Sorry Conjuring Cat, but Procrustes is too busy playing "Medal of Honor" on his XBOX. At this very moment he is invading Iran and wiping everybody out by himself. Exactly what this country needs "real men" like him.
Cat--the evacuation of Gaza sure brought them a lot of peace, didn't it? As long as the Arabs teach their children in school that all of Israel is occupied Palestine, there can be no peace. They teach them that "from the river (Jordan) to the sea (Mediterranean), all is Palestine--Haifa, Tel Aviv--everything. There are no borders within which they would recognize Israel as legitimate.
Maybe you ought to wise up, Cat.
Procrustes - "they" is quite vague. Which is probably why you used it. Your take on Palestinian teachings might be the view of some fanatics, but there are fanatics in every nation. What you espouse as Palestinian teachings comes with no references or official actions by the Palestinians to support your opinion.
I suppose "they'refers to Hamas, who are in fact fanatics, and who are in charge of Gaza, and have plenty of influence in West Bank.
With them in charge fanaticism is in fact the official position of Palestinians, and opinion of the rest of Palestinians does not really matter because anyone who disagrees with Hamas gets thrown of a roof.
Wow, I was a little disheartened yesterday to read how the government was going to be shifting to the hard right but it appears that the poll takers in Israel have been taking their cues from Karl Rove and Dick Morris, lol.
Right? This was a great read after yesterday's doom and gloom about them becoming more conservative/warmomngerish. The people want peace, not ideology.
The Iranian problem may solve itself, as their economy continues to hurtle toward the brink . This factor is not lost upon the voters in Israel, many of whom would rather see a trend away from the constant conflict and fear.
The Iranian problem is all in the minds of the paranoid fools that make up the Israeli right. In 1992, Netanyahu declared Iran was 3 - 5 years away from having nuclear weapons. It is more than 20 years later and still no nukes in Iran.
It is immoral to keep sanctioning Iran, because Iran has done nothing to warrant the sanctions. They haven't started a war with another country in almost 200 years. According to all 16 US intelligence agencies, Iran does not have a nuclear weapons program. In addition, their nuclear energy enrichment is being monitored by the IAEA, because Iran was honest enough to sign the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty, something Israel has not done and will not do.
As with other countries near and far, the leadership does not always represent the mood of their citizens.
Netanyahu was " Marching to War " , just like W. used to like to say. It appears that the Israeli people aren't quite ready for war, however. Good for them. Maybe we can learn something here.
Nice, the decade-old spread of the virus known as conservativism is, hopefully, finally reaching its limit and being stopped by reasoned, intelligent voters.
Decade old? Where have you been. Conservatism's main stream march started in the 60's with a clown named Goldwater in this country. They've been trying to destroy the country since then. But you're correct, the country is now moving center left and their heads are exploding because of it.
Goldwater despised the religious right, people like Farwell and Robertson. So he wouldn't be welcome in today's Goofy Old Party.
How is "Conservatism" a virus? If there's a virus here it's you....
"rival camp drew 12 of its 60 seats from Arab parties that traditionally are excluded from coalition building" a quote from this article.
traditionally excluded should be racially excluded like apartheid regimes are known to do .How long we will remain accomplice to Zionist Israeli regime in Triggering and perpetuating genocide, putting at peril the whole WORLD polarizing us against rest of the world that includes Muslims . Even their future party of GOOD JEWS is saying enough is enough and "serious peace efforts should be done" instead of wolf in sheep clothing tactics ..
They are excluded because they support the destruction of the State of Israel. You liberal morons think maybe the Tea Party should be included as part of the US govt??? of course not.
The Tea Party is included in the Gov't (via the GOP House of Representatives). One more time, the last true friend of the Apartheid Gov't of South Africa (aka Nazi Jr.) was Israel. It appears that the learned their lessons well.
I've been fortunate to spend some time in Israel and saw with my own two eyes the daily interactions between Palestinians and Israelis: gathering together to watch sports, hanging out at the same spots, talking to one another, laughing, enjoying life, working, playing and even dating and marrying.
What we see are the extremes. The reality is that most of the people want to live in peace. The election results demonstrate that most people are tired of extremism on both sides and want to figure out a way to live peacefully, not because it is a dream, but because it does and can happen.
Prime Minister can always request a million hard line American Jews to immigrate to Israel and get larger support to continue his old policies. American Jews will have chance to live in the world God promised and joined the army and improve that fat ass to manageable level and live what they preach.
They can also turn on New York Jews and Congressional delegation (who are more patriot of Israel than America anyway) to make Obama's life difficult unless he is nicer to Israel.
So true, last year Vice Pres Biden goes to Israel and they spit in his face (announcing more settlements as soon as his plane lands). Two weeks later before Nut-tan-yahoo arrives 300+ members sign a letter telling the Prez to be nice to Nut-tan-yahoo. Not a single one said anything to Nut-tan-yahoo about dissing Biden. Not a single freaking one, traitorous bastards.
It's not betrayal to build on your own land. You and Biden will just have to accept it.
Eli- If it's their own land then why go to Balfour and ask for a "national home" in Palestine?
Because in this unfair world people are sometimes forced to ask for what's rightfully theirs, and they are not even guaranteed to get it.
To Jews it has been happening a bit more often than to other nations.
Netanyahu reaching for the left? He'd better reach towards his own pockets because "we" Americans are tired of supporting that 60 yr. old country who can't get along with their neighbors and bring us into their problems. CNN's exposé called "God's Warriors" found on youtube (video 3&4) sums it up the BEST. When Amanpour from CNN asks Israel "What does Israel give the U.S. in return for the annual $3 billion they get"? There was no answer. The truth is they give us nothing in return except headaches and "words" of solidarity, friendship and cheap unsolicited pins placed on our President's lapel. When a Prime Minister, draws pictures of a bomb at the UN, that's the most offensive and condescending thing that could be done. He obviously thinks that the audience isn't capable of understand just words. If Israel makes the mistake of attacking Iran, let them go on their own. Israel has nuclear weapons and I don't remember the IAEA inspecting their facilities, WHY? Another first world country like Israel should NOT be our #1 recipient of foreign aid as they are. A 3rd world deserving country should or our own people. We're tapped out and instead of spending $3 billion a year for free on Israel, help Haiti or Cuba in our backyard. Don't bother writing back to me, go to youtube and watch the abovementioned videos and draw your own opinions of this one-sideded and selfish relationship. Israel needs to pull themselves together or risk losing their few friends.
oh yeah Amnapour the Jew hating Iranian. The US should stop aiding Israel I agree. US Aid is only 1.5% of Israel's GDP. Israel doesnt need it. And it would shut up the Jew haters,
bang bang
US actually supports about 50% of Israeli GDP.
$3 billion is the official direct cash. You look at other deals US make with Israel and will realize who is being dinged.
Israel is nothing w/out US cash & military support. israeli far-right f*cks will painfully realize where Israel stands when we cut the aid.
Sure, look for the other deals made in Sikkie's imaginary universe.
Eli - This is your best argument?
Against the kind of nonsense that Sikkie posts, there is no need for better argument.
At most, this is a shift to the center, for Israel. Many people, Muslim and Jew, thought the two state solution was dead. With this election, it's been put on a respirator!
While it may still be a little early to say, it's looking more and more like ordinary people around the world are finally saying enough. Enough with the sabre rattling, enough with the World Banking system with the huge disparity in wealth, enough with the fear mongering.
Is this indeed a trend, a movement?
Man, I sure hope so.
Judging from that picture, it appears he did let the screen door hit him.
A lot of wishful reporting here by NBC
It looks like there is hope for Israel.
At least some Israelis appear to "punish" famous liar and his cheat sidekick. It is really hard to vote for people drenched in lies and fraud.
So, its time now for Israelis to show the World that they are indeed human beings and not bunch of racist, land grabbing murderers.
Anyone who wants to think about why so many of President Obama's agenda items did not get carried out in the first term.... think tanked economy, Japanese tsunami (further tanking the economy), BP Gulf disaster, and...election of Netanyahu. There will be no chance for a peace process as long as this war-monger is in office. His peace plans consists of...Can I nuke em now, huh, can I? can I?
Note to Right everywhere--solutions to difficult problems are found in the center.
More specifically, I have often written on these message boards that a negotiated two-state solution done now will result in a better deal for Israel than at some future point. As the article states, Israel is increasingly being isolated and this will only get worse as the Arab Spring takes route in the next 10-15 years. I know, most of you Boomers don't want to believe it but the younger generation of Arabs, Israelis, Americans, Germans, Chinese (you get my drift) have more in common with each other than they do with their parents and grand parents. Moreover they don't harbor the guilt of the Holocaust that the older generation does.
The Middle East sits at the cross roads of two powerhouse economic regions- Europe and Asia (just like it did in Marco Polo's time). This will bring significant non-oil prosperity to the region over the next 20 years. It will also tie the fate of these three regions to each other. Young Israelis will find that it is in their best economic interest to tie into this market and the only way they will be able to do this is solve the Palestinian issue. Longer term, American cultural shifts will dilute the historic Western/Christian/Judeo ties that have traditionally been relied upon to offer unquestioned support to Israel. If anyone questions these trends you may want to direct your inquiry to the Republican Party which has been caught flatfooted on demographic changes in this country. That does not mean that we will abandon Israel. It only means that our support will not be unquestioned.
If Israel negotiates a lasting peace now, it will also weaken the Iran's position. Because they too, have a younger generation ready to throw off the shackles of their parents 20th century political burdens. The time is coming for Israel to take the lead and negotiate peace. This election is the first step.
It takes two sides to negotiate peace, you know.
What do Palestinians do to show that they want peace?
"What do Palestinians do to show that they want peace?"
They are still responding to Israel's aggression. You don't respond to violence and a myriad of injustices with flowers and doves. The Palestinians are still fighting for basic human rights. The Israelis have to back off their land grabbing before the Palestinians back off their basic need for their farmland, water, etc. This is what they are fighting for.
"You don't respond to violence and a myriad of injustices with flowers and doves." -and yet that's what Israel is always asked to do, and sometimes they actually do it.
They once responded to highway attacks by giving Palestinians West Bank, Palestinians responded with suicidal bombings. Israel responded to that by giving Palestinians Gaza, Palestinians responded with rocket attacks.
Palestinians would not need to worry about any of their basic needs if they took all the resources and efforts that they put into this war and applied it toward improving their lives in Gaza and West Bank. Both areas would be paradise by now.
Wow, it sounds like most people hate Israel! What is so bad about Israel keeping a strong stance against Palestinians and Middle Eastern nations that hate them? Imagine if Mexico started trying to claim US land near the southwestern US border, say in Texas? How do you think Texans, and the U.S. as a whole, would respond? I bet US border security with Mexico would get a whole lot tighter, and Americans would be ready to go to war if Mexico pushed harder. Isn't it a similar situation with Israel, except they are SURROUNDED by relatively hostile nations? Iran has stated they want to wipe Israel off the map completely, other Arab nations feel similarly.
Actually, Mexico would have every right to do just that. The Mexicans were there first.
In 1900 there were 25,000 Jews in Palestine (the area that is now called Israel) and 700,000 Palestinians. The area was controlled by the English who, wanting to carry favor with wealthy Jewish interests in England and the U.S. to support England's defense of the Suez Canal, offered to designate Palestine as the homeland for both Palestinians and Jews. (I think its called the Balfour Declaration.) How did the English come to be there? They got the area from the Ottoman Empire which was an alley to Germany in WW2.
There was some migration by European Jews to Palestine back then, but it was only after the Holocaust that the West, feeling guilty for centuries of anti-semitism, got the UN to form Israel. The new Jewish immigrants had the support of the West while the poor Palestinians had no one with funds or management systems to help them set up and/or defend their historic right to the place. The English were broke and gone. The Ottoman Empire was gone and the wealthy Arab world was not yet wealthy.
By what right did the British or the UN give Palestine essentially to surviving European Jews? The Palestinians did not cause the Holocaust neither were they responsible for centuries of European anti-semitism (aka Catholic Church).
So, put yourself in the Palestinians position--wouldn't you be pissed? Make believe it is Texas and someone felt bad about the poor Mexicans and wanted them to have your house in Houston. Wouldn't you be hostile and fight? Don't believe me? Read the history beyond the Bible.
1) British did not give Jews anything that Jews were not holding already. Every inch of the land that was given to Jews was either bough by them (usually at triple value) or won in the process of defending themselves form the Arabs who were attacking their settlements (built on the land the same Arabs sold the day before) either for extortion or out of simple bigotry.
2) Palestinians did not cause the Holocaust, but they did try to close the doors on the refugees fleeing form the Holocaust, which is the next best thing to participating in Holocaust.
3) If Mexicans started actively buying apartments in Huston, and some KKK wannabes started attacking them, and in process of defending themselves Mexicans had turned the district where they were in the majority into a fortress intended to protect Mexicans from the racist violence, my support would be fully with the Mexicans.
Early Jewish settlers did buy land holdings in Palestine but emigres after WW2 essentially took the land. That is why there is is an on-going refugee. You will say that those refugees fled and vacated the property. Well, they want it back now. The current settlements in occupied territories are illegal if not outfight amoral.
To your second point, the Palestinians had no obligations to accept Jewish holocaust survivors. Perhaps the Jews should have been re-settled in Germany as part of a reparation plan. Anyway, the Europeans have a history of anti-semitism so why not dump the problem on a region unable to stand up for itself.
Finally, I don't think you can compare the KKK with all Palestinians. Moreover the issue is not with those that bought the property but with those that took the property.
Anyway, the issue is not how "we" got here but where to from here. The trends are not in Israel's favor. As I mentioned in my earlier post, the Arab Spring (fits and starts notwithstanding) will bring democracy and prosperity to the region. (Yes the Mullahs and Syria will fall--its just a matter of time.) The world will become more secular and more tolerant. Trade between Asia and Europe will position the Middle East as a key player in the global economy. Population trends will make Muslims the dominate religion on earth by mid century. Just like the U.S attracts Latin American immigrants, Europe is the destination of many Muslims. European politics will increasingly reflect this trend. Don't believe me? Ask Hispanics in this country why Romney lost.
Palestinian population growth in both Israel and in the Occupied Territories will overtake the Jew population in the area in only a few short years. Global sympathies other than the U.S increasingly, favor the Palestinians. U.S. influence in the region is waning for both political and economic reasons. Guilt from the Holocaust which was easily leveraged by Israel over the past 7 decades is also waning. Guys like me who had friends who summered in a Kibutz are slowly dying off.
My advice to the Palestinians is don't settle just yet. You will get a better deal 10-20 years from now. Pursue a Mandela-style peace approach. Put pressure on Israel through the UN.
Israel reminds me of that old Humphrey Bogart movie, the Petrified Forest where he holds several hostages at gunpoint. He is the only one with a weapon but as the day goes on, he tires and begins to fall asleep. He can't keep going. No one can hold a situation at gun point forever. It's too exhausting. Israel is finding out how exhausting its position really is.
Indeed! While we are talking about Balfour, let's not forget the Brtis' promises to the Arabs for revolting against the Ottoman empire. These promises are far more specific to control over the region in question. The Balfour promises is simply a "national home" within Palestine. None of this debate would be possible had the Arabs not revolted against the Turks.
B707320c,
1) "Early Jewish settlers did buy land holdings in Palestine but emigres after WW2 essentially took the land." - indeed, because by then Jews would not get a chance even to buy. They would be attacked the moment they arrived. The war was going on by then, and once a war starts, the ground could be gained or lost. Palestinians should have thought of all this before they started the war. "They want it back now." - they will have to either buy it or win it, just like Jews did.
2) "Palestinians had no obligations to accept Jewish holocaust survivors." - you are forgetting that they issue was already in action while Holocaust was still in progress. Arabs and British were tossing refugees back into the Nazi Germany, knowing full well that they are dooming them to die. Do you consider that a descent thing to do?
3) "I don't think you can compare the KKK with all Palestinians." - not all Palestinians, only the islamists among them, like Hamas, and I do stand by that comparison. Many Palestinians did accept Jews. The families of those are now Arab-Israelis, and they are doing just fine.
4) "Palestinian population growth in both Israel and in the Occupied Territories will overtake the Jew population in the area in only a few short years." -this sounds incredibly similar to the statements made when Israel was re-created. Everyone expected Jews to be pushed into the ocean in just a few short years, but 65 years passed and Israel is not only still stronger but a powerful and successful country.
"Global sympathies other than the U.S increasingly, favor the Palestinians. U.S. influence in the region is waning for both political and economic reasons. Guilt from the Holocaust which was easily leveraged by Israel over the past 7 decades is also waning." - I see just the opposite. I spent my childhood in Russia and throughout that childhood I was listening to accounts of WWII that did not even mention the Holocaust and kept seeing Russian news that was 100% pro-Palestinian. Lately, however, I've been keeping track of Russian news from USA, and actually saw a bit of pro-Israeli sentiment.
USA, was not always pro-Israel either, they were pushed into supporting Israel by Cold War, see as USSR was supporting Egypt. They were not exactly happy about it, but by now they concluded that it was not so bad after all.
The world never was set in Israel's favor, antisemitism is a millenia-old tradition after all, but lately, thanks to all the latest stunts of good Muslims, the rest is actually considering the impossible option of siding with Jews.
"Guys like me who had friends who summered in a Kibutz are slowly dying off." - I know that all the anti-Israel activist now days feel the need to claim a little Jewishness, just to deflect accusations of antisemitism, but when you express that kind of contempt for yourself, that does not make you sound very convincing.
"No one can hold a situation at gun point forever. It's too exhausting. Israel is finding out how exhausting its position really is." - It can not be more exhausting than being kept at gun-point, which is how Jews were living for 2000 years. Of all the countries that exist today, each and every one started as a settlement on a hostile territory, and they all made it because they had to.
Joe,
You make it sound like Arabs rebelled against Turks as a favor to Europe. The people who benefited most form that rebellion were Arabs, and they should've benefited even more. That was their chance to build a proper civilization. Instead, they started fighting among themselves and ended up with several states at each other's throats instead.
Yes, there originally was an idea that Arabs and Jews would share a state, that could've worked, but Arabs refused to share and declared open season on Jewish settlements instead.
It all went downhill form there.