Israeli Political Update - Ha'aretz Shills for Peretz Edition (Edition I)
On the Ha'aretz analysis page, Akiva Eldar complains that the bombing reminds Israelis that people are trying to kill them, taking focus away from Amir Peretz's theatrics about "social and economic issues". She's so disappointed with the Palestinians' inability to realize that they shouldn't be undermining "Amir Peretz' surprise Labor leadership victory" that she even manages to snarl out the phase "over-hyped debate on the Iranian nuclear question". Brilliant.
And over on the Ha'aretz news page, in what can only be called a pathetic attempt to help their favorite candidate, the writers protect Peretz by reproducing only this quote on the bombing:
In his condemnation of the attack, Labor Party Chairman Amir Peretz called for an "uncompromising war" on terrorism, which he said was "the enemy of democracy, peace and Israeli society."
JPost reproduces the full quote:
In response to the bombing, Peretz said that "we must conduct a war without compromise against terror, which is the enemy of democracy, peace and Israeli society." He vowed that Israel "will continue in the struggle against the attackers and those who send them."... Regarding an Israeli response, Peretz, who serves as opposition leader, cautioned that Israel should "be careful before assigning blame" and should "check the impact [of the bombing] on the [Palestinian] elections. The PA has an interest in making sure terror doesn't come from its territory," he said, but added, "The people who want to rule have to prove that they can rule without allowing terrorist attacks to happen."
An "uncompromising war" on terrorism which nonetheless compromises on issues like accurately assigning blame or retaliating if it hurts the Palestinian Authority.
For what it's worth, Shinui branch heads remain loyal to the party. Except super uber-fundraiser Uriel Reichman, who left for Kadima a few days ago.
Likud
In the news that would have been the top story but for the suicide bombing, police are about to conclude that serial crook and interim Likud leader Tzachi Hanegbi really is a crook. Yeah, no kidding.
Likud hardliner Uzi Landau (or, as some have taken to calling him, "the intransigent rebel who forced Sharon out of the party and destroyed the Likud"), is quitting the Likud leadership race and throwing his support behind Netanyahu. Meanwhile, another of Netanyahu's opponents, Silvan Shalom, is desperately trying to tell what's left of his party that they're too far Right for most Israelis:
Silvan Shalom said Monday that Landau's move, aimed at strengthening Netanyahu, will not succeed, and that it brings to mind Matan Vilnai's resignation from the Labor leadership race to join Vice Premier Shimon Peres in a bid to block Amir Peretz, who eventually won. Shalom added that having Landau draft the Likud platform was "not serious." "In order to stop votes from drifting to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, we cannot come up with a diplomatic and economic policy that is too right winged," Landau told Israel Radio.
We imagine that it's harder to craft a party policy that is not too right wing when all the non-right wingers have left the party.
Labor
For some reason, more and more Labor elites are becoming more and more suspicious that letting Amir Peretz pack the party with his cronies might be a bad idea:
Senior Labor Party officials have become increasingly critical of new party leader Amir Peretz in recent days. The criticism focuses on two main issues. First, many veteran MKs fear their chances of being reelected to the Knesset have been diminished by Peretz's recruitment of new stars to the party, such as Avishay Braverman, Shelly Yachimovich and Arye Amit. In addition, they charge, Peretz has been excluding them from the party's decision-making apparatus. The opposition to Peretz is headed by MKs Danny Yatom and Colette Avital, both of whom fear they will lose their seats to Peretz's new faces. But even MKs who are considered fairly close to Peretz have voiced dissatisfaction recently.
You know, it takes a lot of nerve to oppose the worker's hero - the man who bravely stood up to the ambitious Shimon Peres and took the party back for Israel and for peace. We are very disappointed by these rebel rousers' fecklessness.
Kadima
Today was supposed to be "economic policy talking points day" in Kadima, with Sharon arguing that by torpedoing the 2006 state budget, his political rivals prevented assistance to the poor:
Sharon promised to act with determination to eliminate gaps between the wealthy and poor. He said that the state must help the elderly, the disabled, single parents, new immigrants and children in danger. "We will continue to act with the same determination in which we carried out the economic and diplomatic moves until today. I am sure that because of this determination we will meet the goals we have set," Sharon said.
And over on the Ha'aretz news page, in what can only be called a pathetic attempt to help their favorite candidate, the writers protect Peretz by reproducing only this quote on the bombing:
In his condemnation of the attack, Labor Party Chairman Amir Peretz called for an "uncompromising war" on terrorism, which he said was "the enemy of democracy, peace and Israeli society."
JPost reproduces the full quote:
In response to the bombing, Peretz said that "we must conduct a war without compromise against terror, which is the enemy of democracy, peace and Israeli society." He vowed that Israel "will continue in the struggle against the attackers and those who send them."... Regarding an Israeli response, Peretz, who serves as opposition leader, cautioned that Israel should "be careful before assigning blame" and should "check the impact [of the bombing] on the [Palestinian] elections. The PA has an interest in making sure terror doesn't come from its territory," he said, but added, "The people who want to rule have to prove that they can rule without allowing terrorist attacks to happen."
An "uncompromising war" on terrorism which nonetheless compromises on issues like accurately assigning blame or retaliating if it hurts the Palestinian Authority.
For what it's worth, Shinui branch heads remain loyal to the party. Except super uber-fundraiser Uriel Reichman, who left for Kadima a few days ago.
Likud
In the news that would have been the top story but for the suicide bombing, police are about to conclude that serial crook and interim Likud leader Tzachi Hanegbi really is a crook. Yeah, no kidding.
Likud hardliner Uzi Landau (or, as some have taken to calling him, "the intransigent rebel who forced Sharon out of the party and destroyed the Likud"), is quitting the Likud leadership race and throwing his support behind Netanyahu. Meanwhile, another of Netanyahu's opponents, Silvan Shalom, is desperately trying to tell what's left of his party that they're too far Right for most Israelis:
Silvan Shalom said Monday that Landau's move, aimed at strengthening Netanyahu, will not succeed, and that it brings to mind Matan Vilnai's resignation from the Labor leadership race to join Vice Premier Shimon Peres in a bid to block Amir Peretz, who eventually won. Shalom added that having Landau draft the Likud platform was "not serious." "In order to stop votes from drifting to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, we cannot come up with a diplomatic and economic policy that is too right winged," Landau told Israel Radio.
We imagine that it's harder to craft a party policy that is not too right wing when all the non-right wingers have left the party.
Labor
For some reason, more and more Labor elites are becoming more and more suspicious that letting Amir Peretz pack the party with his cronies might be a bad idea:
Senior Labor Party officials have become increasingly critical of new party leader Amir Peretz in recent days. The criticism focuses on two main issues. First, many veteran MKs fear their chances of being reelected to the Knesset have been diminished by Peretz's recruitment of new stars to the party, such as Avishay Braverman, Shelly Yachimovich and Arye Amit. In addition, they charge, Peretz has been excluding them from the party's decision-making apparatus. The opposition to Peretz is headed by MKs Danny Yatom and Colette Avital, both of whom fear they will lose their seats to Peretz's new faces. But even MKs who are considered fairly close to Peretz have voiced dissatisfaction recently.
You know, it takes a lot of nerve to oppose the worker's hero - the man who bravely stood up to the ambitious Shimon Peres and took the party back for Israel and for peace. We are very disappointed by these rebel rousers' fecklessness.
Kadima
Today was supposed to be "economic policy talking points day" in Kadima, with Sharon arguing that by torpedoing the 2006 state budget, his political rivals prevented assistance to the poor:
Sharon promised to act with determination to eliminate gaps between the wealthy and poor. He said that the state must help the elderly, the disabled, single parents, new immigrants and children in danger. "We will continue to act with the same determination in which we carried out the economic and diplomatic moves until today. I am sure that because of this determination we will meet the goals we have set," Sharon said.
