'Proceed with courage.' Netanyahu
Photo: AP
Nothing to fear
Hanan Porat urges Benjamin Netanyahu to do the right thing, form solid rightist coalition
Behind the smoke screen created by commentators and spinmeisters, it appears that we have seen the emergence of one conclusion, which only a stubborn or foolish person cannot see: The Israeli leftist camp collapsed, and the gap between it and the rightist camp among Israel’s Jewish population stands at more than 20 Knesset seats at this time.
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Meretz dropped from five Knesset seats to three; the Labor party dropped from 19 mandates to 13; and Kadima was spared a defeat by the skin of its teeth only because of Tzipi Livni’s successful personal and female campaign which drew many center-Right supporters.
The reason for the Left’s crash has nothing to do with a new and enthusiastic message by the National Camp or some kind of captivating election propaganda. The reason is very simple: Most of the public has sobered up from the mirage of “Peace Now” and realized, albeit by a tragic delay, where the miserable unilateral disengagement from the Gaza region brought us, and what are its bitter implications, which manifested through Hamas’ rise and Qassam barrages fired at southern Israel.
The Right did not need to repeat the correct and overused statement: “We told you so!” Reality said it better than all the politicians combined.
Therefore, for example, Meretz’ election slogan “We shall fight with no compromise…for a diplomatic compromise” elicited ridicule and pity. Meanwhile, Ehud Barak’s voluntary efforts to stop operation Cast Lead in Gaza midway through due to a desire for diplomatic compromise did not win him any more Knesset seats, to say the least. On the other hand, Avigdor Lieberman (whose political views are far from mine,) who was at least perceived to hold a firm and decisive position, won broad electoral support.
What is the conclusion that emerges from this analysis and what are its implications regarding the makeup of the next coalition? My words may not be pleasantly received by many media commentators, who have been forming and dismantling coalitions with mere words, and possibly not by Benjamin Netanyahu, who is undertaking such great effort to form a broad government with Kadima.
Pragmatic conclusion
A strictly political analysis makes it appear that a Likud-Kadima government shall make no progress diplomatically, while being dragged into adopting the political positions of the new American Administration, which demands the establishment of a Palestinian state throughout Judea and Samaria and the ostensible removal of Syria from the “axis of evil” via a bribe called the Golan Heights.
As far as I know, these views, which are held by Israel’s blatantly leftist camp, are far from the positions held by most of the Jews in Israel, and this was expressed via the latest elections.
It is possible that the general public has not yet reached the point of mentally and ideologically clinging to the land, yet in pragmatic terms it realizes that the establishment of a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria is a recipe for a Hamas terror state in the heart of the country and would constitute tangible danger for every resident of central Israel, just like a withdrawal from the Golan will in the long-term lead to a Syria threat on the entire north of the country.
Therefore, I would like to tell Netanyahu, in the spirit of the National Union’s election slogan (which is in fact taken from the words of Rabbi Nachman from Breslov):
Benjamin Netanyahu! Proceed with courage, with no fear at all, and form a national government with a solid majority of 65 mandates. We can assume that later on, other MKs will make their way into this government. This is the only way for you to do well and ultimately guarantee the Jewish character of the State, while doing the right thing for the Land of Israel, which expects us to stop trading in it as if it were a carcass in the market.
Do not be deterred by the many members of the media who wish to hinder you in any case, whether by using threats or sweet talk. I urge you to do the right thing, with the help of God, and most importantly, do not fear at all.
