Either Tzipi Livni is one hell of a gambler, or she’s one hell of a bluffer. She’s challenging Bibi Netanyahu to a debate.
Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni challenged Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu to a debate ahead of Tuesday’s general elections.
“The Israeli public is eager for information on the candidates’ plan of action for the coming years,” she said Friday, in a letter addressed to the Likud leader. “I am writing to you because thus far you haven’t responded to my calls for a public debate. I don’t understand what you’re afraid of.
“I am certain that it is clear to you as well that a vote based on threats and anxieties is insufficient,” the Kadima chair added, “There is a justifiable demand from the premiership candidates to present their policies regarding the threats Israel is facing and how they plan to lead the country towards peace and a better future.
It reads just like an American candidate’s press release. The two candidates have learned well from the last election, and if Bibi is as smart as he seems, he’ll continue to ignore the debate request. But he’s a phenomenal speaker, and Livni would come off the loser in any debate.
Unless something significant happens in the next few days, Bibi is going to win. Israelis are tired of giving back land and being rocketed and shot at for it. If Ariel Sharon had not had his stroke, things might be different today. But he did, they’re not, and Kadima has had three years to show that they can give Israel security from Hamas and Iran. Two more kassams landed in southern Israel this morning. Kadima has failed. That’s one reason Yisrael Beitenu is looking to become the kingmaker in the Knesset.
Should the elections be held today, the Likud would win 25 mandates and Kadima – 23. Friday’s poll, which is the last one that can be published prior to Tuesday’s general elections, shows the political Right take a clear lead.
The poll also indicated that Yisrael Beiteinu stands to become the third largest party in the 18th Knesset with about 19 seats. Labor will win some 16 seats, making it the fourth largest party; Shas stands to have 10 mandates, United Torah Judaism follows with six, Meretz with five, Hadash stands to have four seats, as does the National Union, Habayit Hayehudi and United Arab List-Ta’al follow with three seats each and Balad stands to win two mandates.
By the way, countdown to the non-Israeli media calling Yisrael Beitenu “extremists” starts now.
And apparently, women may be the deciders.
According to the results’ analysis, 65% of the undecided votes are women’s. Women are also more likely to vote for Kadima, giving the party 13 mandates, as opposed to men, who only give it 10 seats. Shas is also favored by women voters and they constitute about two-thirds of its voters.
As for me, well, I’m hoping that a second Netanyahu premiership will be much better than his first one. It remains to be seen if he truly means it when he says he’s learned from his mistakes, or if he is, after all, just a great talker.
Update: Here’s the AP take on the poll, complete with those modifiers that an “objective” news organization loves to use:
One poll shows Netanyahu’s hawkish Likud party winning 25 seats in Israel’s 120-seat parliament. Livni’s centrist Kadima party gets 23.
The poll also shows that Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s moderate Labor party has been pushed out of third place by hard-liner Avigdor Lieberman and his Yisrael Beiteinu party. It also predicts hard-liners winning a clear majority in parliament.
Say, have we ever seen those descriptions in any other country’s elections, or are they specific to Israel? Readers? A little help?
Personally speaking I believe it will be a travesty should Bibi win this election.
Bibi, like that other failed previous PM Barak, have shown that they lack the ability to govern this country.
The decision we voters next week have to make is between failed Prime Ministers or a wanna be – I’m taking my chances this time round with Livni, in the hope that she is sensible enough to form a national unity coalition with both Likud and Labor.
Now Bibi for Shar Ha-chgutz, that I could live with.
BTW, love your site!
The problem is that Livni has already shown that she is a failure at a lower level than Prime Minister. So the choice is between someone who has possibly learned from his mistakes and someone who has already declared that she has not learned from her previous failures and from the failures of Olmert.