Opinion
Time to go to the ballots
Yoel Esteron
Published: 10.08.11, 00:16
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31. STUPID!! go to the ballots then what?
Talula ,   Israel   (08.10.11)
No-one will vote. Or have a new group of super Knesset ministers been formed from another planet with super human abilities? No! it's the same old suspects - we have to choose between. They are all a complete and utter waste of time, but still, better the devil you know.
32. 2 Jews=3 opinions; 2 Jewish protestors=12 opinions
Paqid Yirmeyahu ,   Ra'anana, Israel   (08.10.11)
None can formulate an intelligent, i.e., working and effective, schema to achieve "social justice." It's just today's counterpart of Woodstock, a big summer block party of sophomores (which also subsumes the entire Left of all ages and educational levels) affording a "high-falutin'" cause. Now, they can go home and brag for the rest of their life what a great contribution they made to a better Israel. Sure beats working for years to build a strong and lasting economy in which has a higher standard of living than before, huh? ~ What--tangibly--have they achieved? I wish such protests could be organized to prevent prisoner releases and keep them in conditions similar to Gilad Shalit until he is released. But, of course, entitlement to wealth is far more important than Gilad~ Makes me sad.
33. A left wing peacenick Daniel Abraham, an
tanya ,   tel aviv israel   (08.10.11)
American millionaire, donated money to this "grass root apolitical" protest TV channel 10 reported yesterday.
34. We don't need yet another 'Haaretz' editorial
Shalom Freedman ,   Jerusalem Israel   (08.10.11)
Yoel Esteron would like to depose the present Prime Minister. He therefore takes a political piggy - back ride on the current socio- economic mass protest. The protestors have legitimate demands in many cases. But the hidden political - agenda people have a different priority in mind. Esteron is expressing that sentiment.
35. Fundamental changes take time... and,
Jonathan   (08.10.11)
it's clear to everyone that if anyone can make these, it's Bibi. THe interest, the construction, the taxes... it will all work FOR Bibi. The protestors are not against Bibi, it's in fact, against the HistadRut and other political, corrupt organizations... And as we know, Bibi is the only one who can break these! This political article is super one-sided. Does feel like Ha'aretz indeed.
36. it's american jews against israelis
Maayan ,   Tel Aviv   (08.10.11)
it's clear that most israelis here support esteron's piece while american jews are against it. for me it's a clear sign. i wish american jews stop telling us what to do. get a life!
37. after the elections...
Avi ,   hilltop, Israel   (08.10.11)
And if Bibi goes along with this idea and wins the elections, we can count on Yoel Esteron and the protest leaders to admit "the people have spoken" and quietly go home, right? RIGHT?? Yeah, I thought so. Just more dishonest populist agitation.
38. wishfull anti-democratic thinking
Zev ,   Israel   (08.10.11)
This government was elected and should serve a full term. The only time to call early elections is when the governent loses it's majority and that has not happened. Besides who would be better, Kadima is just as responsible. Maybe Zippy can freeze building in Tel Aviv again and their finance minister can get out of jail early to come back.
39. To # 24 Sandra , NYC
Joseph.E ,   Givatayim-Israel   (08.10.11)
let the bolchevik left dream , it is and will live in illusion , has and will end up aging in amertume .
40. LEFT HIJACKING PROTESTS
Abbie ,   Netanya   (08.10.11)
Netanyahu is not the problem..this problem has been growing for 20 yrs already, it is not due to Netanyahu and whoever thinks that a left winger would make it better is wrong. If more Jews are pulled out of their homes, there will be more demand, driving apt prices higher. Rather than try to change the gov't members, let's change the laws, which are not from Netanyahu's gov't also. The left should stop trying to hijack the protests, which have nothing to do with the left or the right wing!
41. Rule of Law
Israel Israeli ,   Tel Aviv   (08.10.11)
Israeli law is quite clear when elections are run, and it isn't when 30 - 40 thousand protesters want it. What is interesting is where Esterson was during the Sharon regime. Sharon was elected as the Likud leader on the Likud platform. To keep his sons out of jail, Sharon adopted a platform more extreme than Mizna's (which he called stupid) but was rejected by the Likud. Instead of going to elections, Sharon stole Likud seats, including by buying corrupt Knesset members for cash and ethnically cleansed ten thousand Jews despite protests of hundreds of thousands of Israelis. Did Esterson condemn Sharon's crime? Did Esterson condemn Sharon's collaborators, especially Olmert, Livni and Hanegbi?
42. Yoel Esteron is mixed up
Clear Thinker ,   Haifa, Israel   (08.10.11)
Yoel, in Israel we have elections when the government falls. This government hasn't fallen and therefore elections won't be held now. This protest, most of which is justified, has given the Likud led coalition a great opportunity to reform the Israel economy. That's what it's going to do. Stop fantasizing and get back to reality. The political party that you support will have to wait until the next scheduled election, and if it wants to succeed, it should show Israel that it has a realistic platforn and leaders capable of carrying it out. So far, among Israel's oppostion parties, I've seen none of that.
43. Could be but -
Arn. ,   Sweden.   (08.10.11)
- I think the PM will fall. Arn.Sweden.
44. Elections
michael Pielet ,   boca raton, Israel   (08.10.11)
These demonstrators to me are just propellers twirling in the wind. Yitzhak Rabin.
45. Elections before the September UN vote.
adam ,   tel aviv, israel   (08.10.11)
Are you on Crack???
46. Suggestion that will satisfy farmers and us
Moshe ,   Netanya   (08.10.11)
Close Israel to French Cheese but open to milk products from other countries. So, farmers will be making money on cheese selling it to protesters and Kadima people, and we will be eating cheaper simple milk products. BTW, where this guy stands on different topics: housing, MDs strike, milk products, or this topics are too far from his expertese?
47. lets just create a load of scapegoats
zionist forever   (08.10.11)
Here we go turn this from an issue about social problems into creating scapegoats. Bibi, the orthodox, the settlers .. they are not the reason we have these problems they are just convenient political scapegoats for left wing political point scoring. What purpose will an election serve? Non of the parties have any solutions, all we will get is an election where all the parties are going to be competing for who will spend the most money, It will be a popularist election full of badly thought out economic policies which is going to take Israel slap into the middled the global recession which so far largely as a result of Bibi's economic reforms we managed to avoid Bibi is at least setting up committees to see what RESPONSIBLE practical measures he can take and is not just signing blank checks.
48. #36. You have no mandate to speak for Israeli Jews.
Chaim ,   Israel   (08.10.11)
#36. On what basis do you claim to speak for most Israeli Jews? Where is your evidence most Israeli Jews want new elections now? If Israeli Jews wanted new elections, this wish would be reflected in the political process. The opposition would succeed in bringing down the government. It is not even remotely close to doing so. In fact, elections and recent polls show Israeli Jews are tilting further to the right every year. You and your ilk aren't fooling anybody any longer.
49. You in LA and NY - we got sick of you
Dudi ,   Ramat Gan   (08.10.11)
Israelis got sick of you war-mongers who live in LA and NY and tell us what to do. Your reactions here remind us you are armchair soldiers who never come here to fight with us. So, shut the fuck up! Oh, I voted for Bibi last election but I won't make the same mistake twice
50. Esteron shows respect to PM. How about you?
Meshulam ,   Abramsky   (08.10.11)
Yoel Esteron's piece is full of respect for the Prime Minister Netanyahu. I wish all the Americans who care to say something here, would show some respect for an Israeli writer and editor who happens to be one of the best
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