So remember the weeks leading up to the election, where everyone was saying that Israel was lurching harshly to the right, that Netanyahu would deal with the far-right parties and take peace negotiations off the table? The ones who echoed his words about the Palestinians and said that the Palestinians didn’t have anyone to talk peace with?
Wrong. All of them. Every last Israel-hating one of them was wrong.
Nearly a month after the national elections, Likud-Beiteinu has finally sealed its first coalition agreement: Hatnua Chairwoman Tzipi Livni finalized a coalition agreement with Likud-Beiteinu on Tuesday. According to the agreement Livni will serve as justice minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s third government and will also head the Israeli negotiation team during any future peace talks with the Palestinians. In addition, Livni will be a member of the prime minister’s inner cabinet.
And in case you think having Tzipi Livni there is a fig leaf, well, no. Wrong again.
According to the coalition agreement, published Tuesday, Livni will serve as justice minister and head peace talks with the Palestinians. Netanyahu will supervise over the negotiations, and any draft agreement will require the government’s approval.
And look who else is in the coalition. That commiepinkolefty guy:
Another faction member, most likely Amir Peretz, will be appointed environmental protection minister.
Wait, what? The last Labor leader is now in Netanyahu’s government? But I thought he was lurching to the right and forming a government of extremists?
Not everyone is happy to see Livni back, and think Bibi is outsmarting himself. But it’s far too soon to tell.
However, every last MSM pundit was dead wrong about the Israeli elections. Again. Why is it that we should believe a word of their analysis on Israel again? Oh, that’s right. We don’t.
For factual, accurate analysis, read Barry Rubin. I always do.
One could argue that putting Livni in charge of peace negotiations proves how unlikely it is that such things will actually happen, in Netanyahu’s view. Perhaps she’ll also get to be Minister of Unicorns.
I thought it might also be a sop to Obama and the rest of the world who think that Livni can make peace with the Palestinians, but Bibi can’t. It’s his way of saying, “Fine. Let her try and stop blaming me.”
Isn’t Livni negotiating with the Arabs a bit like having John Kerry negotiating with Iran over its nuclear bomb program? Bibi had better keep a close eye on her. No more surprises like Oslo.
Let her be Justice Minister, but put in someone more hard-nosed to negotiate with the Arabs. If an agreement is reached then (not very likely), there will be a better chance of selling it to the Israelis, particularly if it means destroying settlements as was done in Sinai and Gaza.