Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: What about Binyamin Netanyahu?

a una settimana dal voto gli editorialisti israeliani comunicano le
loro scelte elettorali.
Isi Leibler, considerato da molti un centrista, spiega cosa sceglierà
questa volta
http://cgis.jpost.com/Blogs/Leibler/entry/why_i_support_likud_posted
We stand at a crossroad. The government we are about to elect will be
confronted with awesome military, political, economic and social
challenges and will assume responsibility for laying the foundations
for the long term future of the nation.
I have never been a member of or canvassed for a political party. Yet
today I am convinced that Likud represents the best available choice
to effectively lead the nation during the difficult period facing us.
I therefore unashamedly hope that Likud will obtain sufficient seats
to enable Binyamin Netanyahu to preside over a strong, united and
disciplined government.
The incumbent government parties, Kadima and Labor, are committed to
extending the same failed approach that led us into the mire in which
we now find ourselves. Both Barak and Livni are assiduously avoiding
any discussion about specific policies and concentrating on demonizing
their opponents. Neither is willing to clarify their position on
ceding territory to the Palestinians or dividing Jerusalem. All we
hear are endless meaningless mantras endorsing two independent states
living peacefully side by side with one another.
Ehud Barak is intelligent but has an unstable track record and has
earned a reputation for uttering empty threats. He was a disastrous
prime ,inister and his penchant for making contradictory statements
continues to this day. This was evident during the war when after the
second day he broke ranks and prematurely called for a truce.
Tzipi Livni's floundering performance during the war conveyed the
image of a person totally out of her depth. Prior to then she had been
chanting meaningless clichés about peace. But to this day she refuses
to outline any framework, either because she has none or fears it will
cost her votes. In the course of her "secret" negotiations with the PA
she allegedly virtually ceded everything beyond the Green Line. Now
she is reversing her position and trying to assume the pose of a hawk.
Lieberman's populist Yisrael Beiteinu has dramatically succeeded in
attracting new voters. Although the core of its backing stems from
Russian immigrant communities and those endorsing hard-line defense
policies and demands to rein in radical Israeli Arabs, it has also
gained support from Israelis seeking an alternative to the established
parties. That was the prime source of support for 'third' parties like
Derech HaShlishit, Shinui, the Pensioners and more recently Kadima,
which all surged overnight and subsequently crashed. Today Yisrael
Beiteinu is attracting "cool" Israelis who don't want to vote for
Netanyahu, Livni or Barak. Given Lieberman's volatility and
unpredictability, a large Yisrael Beiteinu Knesset contingent could
complicate Likud's ambition to assume political dominance.
What about Likud? I am not endeared with all members of their
parliamentary contingent. But in addition to the return of attractive
veterans like Benny Begin and Dan Meridor, overall Likud is
indisputably fielding the most talented team.
What about Binyamin Netanyahu? He too is regarded as having failed
during his term as Prime Minister. Without disputing that, I believe
that history will nevertheless judge him far more kindly than his
successors. During his term of office, terrorism was dramatically
reduced and his call for 'no concessions without reciprocity' is
certainly applicable in these times.
Of course there are no guarantees. But reviewing Netanyahu's
performance as leader of the opposition over the past two years and
speaking with him at length, I believe that he has matured. He relates
frankly to previous weaknesses and failures and insists that he has
learnt from his former mistakes.
More importantly, in contrast to his opponents, Netanyahu does
articulate policy guidelines. He undertakes to maintain negotiations
with the PA but is adamant that no further territorial concessions
will be considered without genuine reciprocity. He pledges to oppose
the physical division of Jerusalem. He announced that he would not
create new settlements but undertook to act on the premise that the
settlement blocs adjacent to Israel are here to stay and must be
expanded to cater for natural growth.
Netanyahu displayed commendable restraint and declined to criticize
government policy during the Gaza campaign. But he made it clear that
unless it comes to terms with our existence, Hamas must be destroyed.
He undertook to ensure that deterrence would be effectively applied
and is adamant that a Likud government would under no circumstances
remain impotent if Israelis continue being targeted by missiles.
Netanyahu's opponents allege that in contrast to Livni or Barak who
would be compatible with President Obama, the election of Netanyahu
would create a disastrous confrontation with the United States. This
is nonsense. Netanyahu and Obama have already had harmonious meetings.
But it is crucial today for Israel to have a leader who not only
understands the American scene but has the capacity to know when to
concede as well as when to be strong enough to say no. The
capitulation by former Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz to the demands by
former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to cede control of the
Philadelphi corridor during the Sharon era was a prime example of a
disaster arising from failure to resist unreasonable American
demands.
Beyond security and defense, Netanyahu lays great emphasis on two
other important policy areas. Whilst only broadly outlining the
financial policies he proposes to implement to minimize the local
impact of the global economic meltdown, in the light of his
outstanding achievement as Finance Minister, his qualifications in
this area are not in question.
The other issue is Netanyahu's passionate commitment to reforming the
education system and dealing with the disastrous erosion of Zionist
and Jewish values in the state educational streams. Being one of the
most urbane politicians in Israel, Netanyahu genuinely understands the
critical need to raise overall educational standards and harness them
to enhance Jewish and Zionist identity.
I would also hope that if Likud obtains sufficient seats, Netanyahu
might even bite the bullet and introduce overdue reforms such as a
desperately needed transformation of the electoral system and
constructive solutions to the spiraling haredi draft exemptions and
inducing their burgeoning community to enter the labour market rather
than being a burden to the taxpayer.
I may be somewhat naïve but I would like to believe that like other
great politicians who failed in their early efforts at leadership, an
older more mature Netanyahu will rise to the occasion and reunite the
nation, introduce long overdue social and economic reforms and take
steps in concert with other nations to deal with the existential
threat from a nuclear Iran. However to achieve this, Likud must obtain
sufficient seats in order to minimize the leverage of one dimensional
sectoral parties primarily concerned with promoting their own benefits
rather than the national interest. This will be determined by the
votes we are about to cast.
---
"this conversion is the true 'sin' that will never be forgiven to
Pius" (Luca Logi / rodewalder / Golda Meir)
http://raionim.blogspot.com/2008/12/true-sin.html

 questa volta
su un giornale centrista come il jpost...LOL