The AP never fails to disappoint. Now they’re upset that—horrors—an election might give Israelis a chance to elect someone the AP doesn’t agree with.
Prime Minister-designate Tzipi Livni on Sunday abandoned her efforts to form a new coalition government and said she would recommend early parliamentary elections.
Palestinians worried the decision could put already fragile peace talks in limbo for months until the elections are held. The balloting could also clear the way for opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who rejects sweeping territorial concessions to the Palestinians, to reclaim the premiership.
Oh noes! Israelis could vote for Likud again! And we all know what that means. It’s Obamanable:
“I think there is a strain within the pro-Israel community that says unless you adopt an unwavering pro-Likud approach to Israel, then you’re anti-Israel, and that can’t be the measure of our friendship with Israel,” leading Democratic presidential contender Illinois Senator Barack Obama said Sunday.
I love the “early elections” bit. They are long overdue.
Shas asked for too much. Livni was either more explicit with the Israeli press, or the AP cleaned up her quotes.
“I’m sick of this extortion,” Livni was quoted as telling her advisers. “We’ll see all these heroes in 90 days.”
However, it ain’t over ’til it’s over. That article says Livni has postponed her meeting with Peres, leading some to believe that Shas has lowered its ransom demand to a reasonable level for Livni.
Really, really disgusts me, the politics in Israel. You need to rewrite your election laws completely, Israel.
” “I think there is a strain within the pro-Israel community that says unless you adopt an unwavering pro-Likud ap-proach to Israel, then you’re anti-Israel, and that can’t be the measure of our friendship with Israel,†leading Democratic presidential contender Illinois Senator Barack Obama said Sunday.”
Translation – he’s going to throw Israel under the bus, hard. Any Jew (or gentile for that matter) who is genuinely pro-Israel and votes for Obama is absolutely out of their f*cking mind.
Note the implication of BO’s statement. If Israel exercises its democratic prerogative and votes in a Likud government, BO will use that as an excuse to demonize and ostracize Israel, all the while claiming he is doing it for “the good” of Israel.
I personally believe that Obama is firmly behind Israel as an ally and fellow democracy. There are people with different ideas, including an obviously lying reporter from the LA Times:
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/10/confirmed-msm-holds-video-of-barack.html
Since the LA Times isn’t denying that the video exists, all they need to do is release and show up this falsifying disgrace to the objectivity and fairness of the media. If I were a cynic and not the trusting soul I am, I’d say there’s a reason why they aren’t releasing it.
I doubt that they will explain why the public doesn’t have the right to see this. I’m sure there’s a good reason–anyone know?
And yes, Meryl, I’m sorry to say you’ve got it right. The Likud hasn’t been part of an Irraeli government for a while but this “we’re just not pro-Liud”
trope is code for: if the Israelis follow the policies of their left wing we’re behind them; otherwise we’ll recognize that Israel is the obstacle to peace. After all, the Palestinians daily express their desire for peace and remember the Bensky Formula for Middle East Peace: Deeds from Jews, words from Arabs.
The American media has always referred to the Israeli Labor party as “center-left”. They don’t realize just how far left the Labor party is. They’re much further left than Obama and the Moveon crowd.
The Likud is actually a centrist party, at least in North American terms. The “center” is much further to the left in Europe.