Israel’s advocates in U.S. politics are excited by the possible replacement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by Naftali Bennett, in a “change” coalition. Even though Bennett is to the right of Netanyahu, his coalition would include a few leftleaning Israelis, and that will make Israel easier to sell.
“You can’t deny that America is better off with Trump out of the Oval Office. And so it will be for Israel if the Netanyahus have to vacate Balfour Street,” writes Martin Indyk. “Step-by-step.” And he cheers the exit: “Going going, but not yet gone.”
Aaron David Miller, a longtime advocate for Israel, also sees the silver lining in terms of Israel’s profile in U.S. politics. A Bennett government, Miller says, “could be a real break for Biden on JCPOA [the Iran deal], toning down of provocative acts in Jerusalem and on West Bank ironically w/ Prime Minister more right-wing than Netanyahu.” But it’s a mixed bag, Miller says:
It’s hard to overestimate estimate degree to which Netanyahu’s leaving will help ameliorate US-Israeli tensions and hard to underestimate the degree to which underlying dynamic — Israel moves right while Democrats move left — will maintain those tensions.
The leadership of one of the most powerful pro-Israel groups, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, has been in Israel meeting with one Jewish politician after another –no Palestinians, to judge from their twitter feed — and after “honor”-ing Netanyahu yesterday– here’s the picture —
William Daroff, the CEO, threw Netanyahu under the bus, saying on i24 News that a change government would be good for his business– selling Israel to Democrats.
Progressives here in Israel I believe that they are the best ambassadors for moving that message forward. With the new government that may be coming in the fore some of those progressive voices will be out a little bit louder than they were previously, and I think that will have an ipact on public opinion in progressive circles around the world.
Bennett is a secular rightwinger who has extremist views about Palestinian rights. He’s said, “I have killed many Arabs in my life and there’s no problem with that.”
Today on i24 a rightwing Israeli said that Bennett’s “Change” coalition is a necessity to Israel in its relations with the United States and the Democratic Party. Ben Dror-Yemini assured that a Bennett government would not be “leftleaning,” and a Palestinian state is off the table. But it would be more amenable to American push for a deal with Iran, and this is now in Israel’s interest because the Democratic Party is fracturing over support for Israel.
Malcolm Hoenlein, the executive vice chair of the Conference of the Presidents, told i24 that the recent reported spike in antisemitism in the United States will cause progressive Jews to abandon politicians who are critical of Israel.
“I do think that the antisemitism is bringing a lot of these people to reassess and realize that the positions they were taking were not consistent not only with their own interests but the interests of America,” he says.
This is now a theme of pro-Israel propaganda: Zionism IS Judaism. “Zionism is a core component of who we are as a people and how we identify as a people — as a consequence, when people deny the Jewish people the right to self-determination, it is in fact an antisemitic act,” Daroff says.
I was afraid of this – that a lot of people will think Netanyahu was the problem, and with him gone, what’s the problem?
As for the Zionists saying Judaism = Zionism, then why do Zionists complain about being blamed for what Israel does?
“A Bennett government, Miller says, “could be a real break for Biden on JCPOA [the Iran deal], toning down of provocative acts in Jerusalem and on West Bank ironically w/ Prime Minister more right-wing than Netanyahu.” But it’s a mixed bag, Miller says:”
And all the while the land theft continues and the false flag dept will arrange attacks on Jews so the Lawn in Gaza doesn,t become overgrown.And all in ziosville will be just fine.
What would you expect from a guy who brags about his crimes.
“Naftali Bennett: ‘I’ve Killed Lots Of Arabs In My Life And There’s No Problem With That’
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/naftali-bennett-kill-arabs_n_3670767
There are no genuine peace makers in Israel.
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Bennett is a fascist!!
Quick Facts: Naftali Bennett | IMEU
“Quick Facts: Naftali Bennett” May 28/21″IMEU Institute for Middle East Understanding”EXCERPT:”…Bennett is a far-right ultranationalist who staunchly opposes Palestinian statehood or self-determination of any kind in Palestine/Israel. “Although not a settler himself, from 2010 to 2012 he was head of the main political body (Yesha Council) that represents Israeli settlers living on occupied Palestinian land in violation of international law & is a staunch supporter of Israel’s settlement enterprise.”A former member of the Likud party, he was Netanyahu’s chief of staff from 2006-2008. As the leader of the Jewish Home party (2012-2018), he was a key partner in Netanyahu’s coalition government, serving as minister of education and minister of diaspora affairs. During the previous government, he was minister of economy & minister of religious services. He was also minister of education (2015-2019) & minister of defense (2019-20) under Netanyahu. In 2018, he left Jewish Home to form the New Right party.”Bennett has repeatedly stated his categorical opposition to a Palestinian state being created in the occupied territories. Instead, he proposes Israel unilaterally annex the approximately 60% of the Palestinian West Bank that fell under full Israeli control under the supposedly temporary Oslo Accords, where most Israeli settlements are located. In 2014, Bennett told journalists Israel ‘will be gradually attempting to apply Israeli law [annexing] on Israeli controlled areas of Judea & Samaria [the occupied West Bank].’ In 2013, he declared: ‘I favor implementation of Israeli sovereignty over the zone where 400,000 (settlers) live & only 70,000 Arabs.’ Bennett also ridiculed then-ongoing US-led negotiations under the Obama administration, declaring it’s ‘all a joke.’ “In 2014, Bennett wrote an op-ed for The New York Times, ‘For Israel, Two-State Is No Solution,’ repeating once again his opposition to Palestinian self-determination & his plan to annex 60% of the West Bank. In 2013, he told the New Yorker magazine: ‘I will do everything in my power, forever, to fight against a Palestinian state being founded in the Land of Israel.’ A few months later, in June, he declared: ‘The most important thing in the Land of Israel is to build, build, build [settlements]. (cont’d)
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“‘It’s important that there will be an Israeli presence everywhere. Our principal problem is still Israel’s leaders’ unwillingness to say in a simple manner that the Land of Israel belongs to the People of Israel.’ ”’It’s important that there will be an Israeli presence everywhere. Our principal problem is still Israel’s leaders’ unwillingness to say in a simple manner that the Land of Israel belongs to the People of Israel.'” “Bennett also advocates increased Jewish control over the revered Noble Sanctuary mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem, known as the Temple Mount to Jews, which is the third holiest site in Islam. Extremist messianic Jews want to build a temple in the Noble Sanctuary, which would spark a major religious conflagration in the region and beyond. In February 2014, Bennett told a meeting of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations that Israel was attempting to exercise greater control over the Noble Sanctuary, stating that he had already taken measures that would ‘ultimately influence the eastern side of Jerusalem, and that will include the Temple Mount.’” “In 2020, Defense Minister Bennett ordered a stop to Israeli army-run testing of Palestinian residents for COVID-19 in the Gaza Strip in the midst of the pandemic.’In October 2018, Bennett said that if he were defense minister he would order a shoot to kill policy against Palestinians attempting to walk across the boundary between Israel and Gaza, where nearly 2 million people have been trapped under an illegal Israeli siege and naval blockade for 15 years. When asked if he would instruct soldiers to kill Palestinian children, Bennett said, ‘They are not children — they are terrorists'”
Indeed, Bennett is a “secular” adherent of Modern Orthodox Judaism (“a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize Jewish values and the observance of Jewish law with the secular, modern world”–Wiki), and was the “secular” leader (2012-2018) of The Jewish Home, “an Orthodox Jewish and religious Zionist political party.”