https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-724803
Now it’s United Torah Judaism’s turn. They, too, had a hand in Netanyahu’s electoral victory, so they, too, will get. But they want more than just a ministry or a Knesset committee chairmanship. They have reportedly presented Netanyahu with a list of demands that, if met, would put Israel’s foot on the path toward becoming a state run by Halacha (Jewish Law – literally, “walking”).
If a child always gets his demands he doesn't learn to compromise.
ReplyDeleteIf the chareidi parties didn't have the mental maturity of children, Bibi could say to them "Listen, I'll give you some things but forget most of your demands because it won't fly" and they would say "Better to have some than nothing and at least be in government." Instead, it's "No, you wanna be PM? Give us everything or we walk!"
I see nothing wrong with the religious parties trying to better their position and negotiating for matters that are important to them.
ReplyDeleteThis is the nature of the give and take of bargaining and haggling in the marketplace.
You have something that I need/want, and we need to negotiate a price that's agreeable to both parties.
In this case, Netanyahu with only 32 seats in his party, needs more "fingers" to vote for him in the Knesset, which the religious parties, also with 32 seats between them, can supply him with.
If Netanyahu wants to be Prime Minister, he needs to buy more seats to get him over the 60-seat threshold. If he doesn't want to pay the price, then he will go home empty handed.
With over 25% of Israel's population having voted for the religious parties, these Israeli voters have voted for having a government that respects the laws of the Torah, and there's nothing wrong with them for trying to lobby towards this goal.
Moreover, most people ignore the fact that Netanyahu’s so-called "electoral victory", is relatively hollow, since he didn't come anywhere close to having a majority of voters for him. It's only a coalition of Netanyahu’s 32 seats, and the religious parties' seats, that can get a majority over the opposition.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, it shouldn't be too far-fetched if the religious parties demand a rotation of Prime ministers, after two years of Netanyahu; since after all, they are a 50% partner in this venture.
The religious parties differ in their take on things religious .
ReplyDeleteAlso, hareidi have mesora
Never to stand on the same platform as mizrachi.
Smotri is for settlements, Gvir is for gevurah,
The other one is anti Pink news
Utj want to apply daas Utj to the State, and shas want cash.
It is also the secular parties who are to blame. They all refuse to sit or join with Bibi, then complain when other parties do. Lieberman is a typical example _ his party is a natural ally of likud. He refuses to deal with likud as long as bibi heads them. His friendship with Putin is especially important, since Israel needs to have a good relationship with Russia.
ReplyDeleteYet out of spite he refuses to join the government.
The problem is that there is a permanent double standard for single-issue parties. If an Arab party held the key to a majority and made all sorts of ridiculous demands - change the flag, eliminate Hatikvah, more and more money to the Arab sector at the expense of others - the Arab population in general would face a backlash. What the Chareidi parties are doing is encourage the other 75% of the electorate to lose all respect for that community.
ReplyDeleteThe Chareidi parties never really had the respect of the secular community, and don't expect to get it from them in the near future; so, they have nothing to lose by standing on the issues which are important to them.
ReplyDeleteThey seem themselves as standing firmly for the issues that are important to them. The outside society sees them as money-grubbing whores who will vote for anything if there's a payout for them.
ReplyDeleteAs I said, the religious parties aren't looking to win a popularity contest with the Left.
ReplyDeleteWe see that the religious parties' own constituents stand behind them, and their overall percentage in Israeli elections has been increasing, which shows that they are actually increasing their popularity in the ballot booth.
It would be informative to in an in-depth study, shekel for shekel, who the money-grubbing whores are, and the double-standard applied in judging alleged money-grubbing.
For example, no one on the Left had any problem agreeing to give the Arabs, the obscene amount of FIFTY BILLION shekels, as long as the Arabs would vote them into power.
People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.