Opinion
Left did not crumble
Uri Misgav
Published: 11.02.09, 19:03
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1. Misgav where did you learn to count?
Danny   (02.11.09)
last exit polls i saw: Kadima 28, Labour 13, Meretz 3 Unless you are counting the extreme [openly] anti-zionist left that isn't more than 50, not forgetting there is a cigarette paper difference between some Likud and some Kadima.
2. not true. The left crumbled because the beilinist
Reality ,   USA   (02.11.09)
prescription for Israel is the death of Israel. No wonder the left is supported by the Arabs. The Arabs only support the left in Jewish Israel but not in the 22 Arab states.
3. in that case Rabin was not PM in 1992
Asaf Golan ,   Sugar Land   (02.11.09)
in 1992 the RIght had the most votes but those "voices" were lost to many small parties that did not pass the threshold. That also means Rabin should not have been PM, Oslo was illegally passed, and the "Oslo Criminals" should be put on trial for treason. So please stop it. Kadima is not left. And if you want to count the anti-Israel Ra'am/Ta'al and Balad and Hadash in your camp that is fine. But I doubt Labor would want to be lumped with those people. The Zionist left is 16...20 with the communists. Not 50.
4. If Livni is Left, why is she talking to Lieberman?
adam eliyahu   (02.11.09)
Redefine "left" all you want, it doesn't change the fact that the right is sitting pretty. Bibi, not as right wing as some might think, would do better forming a hard core right wing government than joining a unity (left) government. With the left wing toll collectors out of jobs, maybe Israel has a real chance at a real peace.
5. No it didn't
Yerushalmi ,   Jerusalem   (02.11.09)
Subtract from those 50 something 11 arab mandates. They never were part of the left, they are PA ambassadors. And they said that they will not support Livni for PM. And some 20 or so kadima members are ex likudniks that sold their convictions for positions. Including Livni. Livni was a Bibi protege recommended by Lieberman (another Bibi protege). Yossi sarid was right, likud 1, likud 2 and likud 3 won over 70 seats.
6. Livni says, "Lieberman is not an extremist
martin knopfman ,   tel aviv   (02.11.09)
but simply pragmatic". I am still laughing at that :-) Regardless of sour grapes in leftist mouths, Bibi will be the next PM which is a major victory for the right for which we must be truly thankful, Martin
7. On the subject of doves.
Terry ,   Eilat, Israel   (02.11.09)
Often called pigeons, in Hebrew, yonot, in Arabic - h'memat. There are a lot of excellent recipes for cooking doves. Some like them pounded flat with lots of spices & then barbequed over charcoal. Another delicious method is cooked with prunes & onions or alternately, stuffed with cous-cous & raisons. But the most appealing way of ''cooking'' doves is having them lose elections. That's my favorite.
8. It may not have 'crumbled', but it did 'crack'...
Joe ,   Ramat Gan   (02.11.09)
...and a lot has to do with how you define 'left' and how you define 'not left'. I personally wouldn't consider Kadima to be 'left', but center-left, and when it comes to Shas, they're theoretically right, but are more inclined to cast their votes for the highest bidder, making their actual position on the political spectrum moot. Engage in as much talk as you want, Mr. Misgav, the left is pretty much irrelevant now, baruch haShem, and the degree of their irrelevance pales, at the current moment, to the fact that they are irrelevant...
9. Uri Misgav and the left
m   (02.11.09)
"Despite current nadir, Israel's center-Left camp won more than 50 mandates" ... and because of that you are going fast to AVADON
10. Reality break for Leftists: Kadima is NOT the Left
Jake   (02.11.09)
In fact, Kadima was born from a realignment within the Likud. Livni is now in serious coalition talks with Lieberman. Any way you look at, the government will be center-right or right. Even if Labor joins, its leader Ehud Barak is considered "hard-line", hawkish, and is hated by Leftists everywhere. Face it. The Left is dead, done, discredited, defeated, crestfallen, vanquished, and exposed for the sham it is. It has reached an evolutionary dead end. The rest of whatever remains will be left as carrion to be pecked at by the vultures and scavengers.
11. If Livni is Left, why are the Arab Parties boycotting her?
Jake   (02.11.09)
Come to think of it, even Barak, the chairman of Labor, is attacked day and night by the Left and Arab Parties for his hardline hawkish views. Did you see the expression on the face of Jamus, the chairman of Meretz? Sorry Misgav, but the obituary section of the newspaper is on the Front Page today, and it's got the Left written all over it. Mourn, grieve, and then face reality and move on and recognize abject failure for what it is.
12. Pathetic...
Davis   (02.11.09)
13. Author trying emulate "Arab Victory" mentality
Nudnik   (02.11.09)
The Left for the moment ,is OUT. I believe the incomplete 'Cast Lead' operation is only reason why Kadima pulled in so many votes. Poor old Barak must feel cheated that he went along with it , directed it ..and yet got nothing on election day. Kadima got the credit. Kadima by launching "Cast Lead" was willing to show voters it would just do enough to sway them - rather than go all the way with Likud. If "Cast lead" had not taken place - there would be no Kadima. Also, Bibi is not remembered fondly in his last stint as PM. The exercise of removing Feighlin only reminded them and pushed more voters to Lieberman.
14. Less than 50 if you dont include the Arab parties
Besalel ,   Kew Gardens, NY   (02.11.09)
As much as I disagree with the positions of Labor, Kadima and Meretz, it cannot be denied that they are doing what they misguidedly think is best for Israel. The same is not true of the Arab parties. Hence, I do not consider the Arab parties part of the "leftist" block. They are very much, outside the discussion of what is best for Israel. Also, no leftist government will ever seat Arab parties in the coalition. Therefore, the author's assertion that there are 50 leftist mandates are untrue if you exclude the Arab 11.
15. Misgav has a rather loose interpretation of "center-Left"
Raymond in DC ,   Washington, DC USA   (02.11.09)
While some might call Kadima "opportunist left", I'll be generous and take them as center-left. But Labor, I'd term socialist left, Meretz far or delusional left, and Hadash - Israel's communist party - as ridiculously left. That adds up to only 28 in my book, not 50. Misgav must assume that anyone to the left of Likud is center-left. But he's not fooling anyone. Nor is counting those leftish votes that failed to earn mandates. Does he think no right wing votes were lost in a similar fashion?
16. Dear Uri, count again...
ezra ,   Canada   (02.11.09)
1/ Kadima is not left but center 2/ Arab parties are not left but anti-israel.
17. The mantra of Conservatives and Nationalists should be:
Alexander ,   Herzliya, Israel   (02.11.09)
"Freedom - Not Slavery!"
18. Fellow talkbackers ......
Terry ,   Eilat, Israel   (02.11.09)
You're taking this article far too seriously. This is just one of many ''spin'' political articles in the aftermath of our election, basically worth nothing, rationalizing a disappointing result (disappointing to the author, at least). It's worth about as much as all the reports of Arab opinion ...... The result of this election is clear, the country shifted right, period. Not as much as most of us hoped, but nonetheless, a shift in the Right direction. Mr Misgav is just trying to save face, perhaps even trying to deceive himself, but the real situation is clear.
19. Terry,18#, I love that Meretz only got 3 mandates!
Judah ,   Golan Heights,ISRAEL   (02.11.09)
20. #18 - Terry, Expect more of the same drivel...
Joe ,   Ramat Gan   (02.11.09)
... from Eitan Haber and/or Ali Waked. I also wouldn't discount the damage control these "spin doctors" are able to achieve- Kadima did get 28 mandates, which, in light of its abysmal record, really defies belief...
21. Israeli left like USA's Federalists or UK's Whigs
Aaron Kuperman ,   Baltimore, USA   (02.11.09)
The socialist/left used to get 70+ seats. Now they are down to a barely a dozen. Most of Kadimah were, 10 years ago, Likud. The Likud of 15 years ago, now represented by three factions (Likud, Kadimah and Lieberman) have 70 seats. Israel's left is similar to the UK's "Liberal Democrats", but at least they are stronger than the American Whigs.
22. The Centre is right,Since when was Kadima left?
S Judah ,   London   (02.11.09)
Its full of ex Likudniks - if Kadima is the Centre then the Centre has moved to the right. The left has crumbled
23. Misgav the misken
Gershon O ,   London England   (02.12.09)
He himself cant believe the "amazing phenomenon that almost a decade after the Camp David tragedy and the Intifada, with Hamastan in Gaza and ceaseless Qassam attacks on the south, members of the moderate bloc refuse to give up the struggle for the country's helm. " In other words regardless of the numerous catastrophes the "peace process" prophets have foisted on Israel - they still relentlessly rush on, lemming like, towards national suicide refusing to learn from the bitter lessons of the past. One can sum up this attitude in two words: utter insanity!
24. That's the problem with leftists
saus ,   TA / Zion   (02.12.09)
They can never see reality, even when it smacks them right in the face. This article is so pitiful and based in dreamland it is a perfect testament to the now all powerful under 20 seat left where both party chairmans openly declared on national television the disaster that has befallen them.
25. NONSENSE!!!!!
yoni ,   jerusalem   (02.12.09)
such nonsense. first of all the arab parties are not part of the left. they are against the government entirely and recently issued statements saying they woulf never sit in a government since they are opposed to the zionist state. After those 9 seats are discounted from your cout of 50, you realize that kadima claims not to be left wing. They say they are center. if that isnt true than like the rest of the left winger zigzaggers they just use the term when its convinient. if it is the case than you are left with labor and meretz. This is a faaaaaar cry from your entire story line. Plus the point you made about 100,000 votes wasted is a straight out lie and you should correct all lies in the media as soon as they are caught. the minimum votes to get into the knesset is 60,000 and no party came close to that. The biggest party that did not make it had around 26,000 votes "wasted" Ephraim sneh got only 6,000 votes as reported on galgalatz today. You pollute democracy in the name of liberalism
26. Boxing Yourself into a Corner
Jerry ,   Eilat   (02.12.09)
If the writer really wants the new banner of the left to include Israel-hating Arab parties he has that right. However, when the next election comes and his unified left list is on the ballot (in fact or in deed), it will receive 11 mandates--the Arab bloc. I think parties like Labor and perhaps even Meretz are smarter than the author. And assuming wasted votes as countable is nonsense.
27. Deception
daat y ,   jerusalem   (02.12.09)
Uri Misgav it is you who is deceiving yourself AT LEAST FROM OSLO ONWARDS. It is YOUR LEFT side of the brain that has not been functioning since then.
28. yeah...and hamas and hezbollah won the war
JL ,   israel   (02.12.09)
29. The biggest block
Ariel Ben Yochanan ,   Kfar Tapuah   (02.12.09)
B"H With nearly 40% we, the non voting public, are the real winners! We are the biggest block here, bigger than Likud, bigger than Kadima, bigger than Labor, bigger than the Left and bigger than the Right. We should open our mouths bigger than ever and shout our reasons more loudly than ever. We should voice and voice again and again our distinction between government and State, our NO CONFIDENCE in the "democratic" system, not because it is corrupt and insufficient in terms of decision-making but because it is: Hellenistic. Let's not forget that the knesset is NOT a Torah institution and as Jews our duty on the Land of Israel is to bring it down, appoint a King, the Sanhedrin, just courts in every village and provide a workplace for the cohanim. The Jews voted for Hashem under Mt. Sinai for all generations and every election shows that nearly half of the Israelis understand this basic truth. There is no way we will stop fighting for our fundamental Jewish right to have a Jewish State. Long Live The King! See www.thetorahrevolution.blogspot.com
30. Look at the "Doves," Terry, #18
chaim ,   Arad   (02.12.09)
Aren't they cute? But wait, is that a explosive belt they are wearing under their feathers? Yep, sure is.
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