Comments on: A National Religious Vote

By: Gedalyah Chaim Reback

Gedalyah Chaim Reback — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 10:17:11 +0000

The OECD thing was tracked like I said. Getting full status wasn't an option. Don't change the subject or change my words. We wasted massive time and Resources trying to prevent an inconsequential upgrade at the expense of ties in Europe.

By: Yisrael Beytenu

Yisrael Beytenu — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 22:46:15 +0000

There were many outstanding issues towards OECD ascendancy that had not been worked out. The EU-Israel upgrade has not been overly dependent on other issues and has already reaped benefits for both economies. Stopping the Palestinians from achieving full statehood was a major achievement and is hardly a waste of time and resources as the "rules of the game" would be markedly different today.

By: Yisrael Beytenu

Yisrael Beytenu — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 22:46:15 +0000

By: Yisrael Beytenu

Yisrael Beytenu — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 22:46:15 +0000

By: Gedalyah Chaim Reback

Gedalyah Chaim Reback — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 17:33:18 +0000

And you lost seats because of it.

By: Gedalyah Chaim Reback

Gedalyah Chaim Reback — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 17:32:07 +0000

Yisrael Beytenu , Stopping that bid at the UN was a waste of time and resources. The Palestinians gained nothing from it, except our Foreign Ministry was hell-bent on making us look like South Africa on the issue.

The upgrades with the OECD and CERN also. The process with the OECD was actually started under Livni: http://www.moital.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/12E6283F-5E9E-48E3-B0B3-5803EB2BAD70/0/IsraelReadyfortheOECDMarkLuban.pdf. The OECD formally opened membership talks in 2007 and ALSO IN 2007 approved a timeline for Israel's membership that would start in 2010, inconsequential to whomever was in the government by that time ("General Procedure for Future Accession"): http://www.oecd.org/brazil/oecdcouncilresolutiononenlargementandenhancedengagement.htm.

The upgrades to the EU-Israel Association Agreement that were offered in July are still limited as they were in 2008 because of settlement activity and the Gaza blockade http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/23/israel-eu.

Look, just because Lieberman's in office when these things are happening doesn't mean he's actually the responsible party for it.

By: Gedalyah Chaim Reback

Gedalyah Chaim Reback — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 17:31:20 +0000

And stopping that bid at the UN was a waste of time and resources. The Palestinians gained nothing from it, except our Foreign Ministry was hell-bent on making us look like South Africa on the issue.

The upgrades to the Association Agreement are still limited as they were in 2008 because of settlement activity and the Gaza blockade http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/23/israel-eu.

Look, just because Lieberman's in office when these things are happening doesn't mean he's actually the responsible party for it.

By: Gedalyah Chaim Reback

Gedalyah Chaim Reback — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 17:31:20 +0000

And stopping that bid at the UN was a waste of time and resources. The Palestinians gained nothing from it, except our Foreign Ministry was hell-bent on making us look like South Africa on the issue.

The upgrades to the Association Agreement are still limited as they were in 2008 because of settlement activity and the Gaza blockade http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/23/israel-eu.

Look, just because Lieberman's in office when these things are happening doesn't mean he's actually the responsible party for it.

By: Yisrael Beytenu

Yisrael Beytenu — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 16:52:41 +0000

Third is fine, second even better. However, only with a big leading party will we be able to make the important changes necessary for the country which will simply be unachievable for a small party.

By: Yisrael Beytenu

Yisrael Beytenu — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 16:52:41 +0000

Third is fine, second even better. However, only with a big leading party will we be able to make the important changes necessary for the country which will simply be unachievable for a small party.

By: Jeremy Man Saltan

Jeremy Man Saltan — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 16:39:01 +0000

Jewish Home is third in the polls. You guys are getting scared. You have every right to be.

By: Yisrael Beytenu

Yisrael Beytenu — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 16:23:19 +0000

Gedalyah, actually the opposite is the true. Far from being "persona non grata", the facts remain that FM Liberman has hosted more foreign leaders, including from Western Europe, and made more trips abroad than any predecessor.
Let's look at the facts, under Tzipi Livni in 2008, the EU suspended the upgrade in relations between the EU and Israel, and it was only this year, when FM Liberman went to the EU, was the suspension unfrozen. Israel has held more government to government meetings in Western Europe, our trade has increased, and bilateral agreements are being signed like never before. In addition, more embassies and consulates have been opened than ever before.
Even in the UN, Israel is passing resolutions unconnected to the conflict of the Holocaust for the first time, even today.
The downgrade of relations with Turkey began under Livni/Olmert (remember Peres shunned at Davos by Erdogan), the Goldstone Commission began under Livni. In fact, Livni was unable to travel to the UK and other parts of Western Europe because of the Universal Jurisdiction law which was overturned under this administration.
Furthermore, Israel joined the OECD and CERN, under this administration and opened long-forgotten relations all over the world, in Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Many were asking where Israel has been for so many years due to their neglect. This all paid off in many areas, but not least by the fact that for two years running Israel was able to stymie the Palestinian bid to become a full member state at the UN. This is a major achievement and they had to turn to the consolation prize, of a minor meaningless upgrade instead.

By: Gedalyah Chaim Reback

Gedalyah Chaim Reback — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 16:12:21 +0000

Yisrael Beytenu has no foreign policy no matter what they describe on their websites and platforms. Their leadership has failed miserably to represent Israeli interests in major issues like the conflict wiht the Palestinians. Their leader is persona non grata in many Western European countries that prefer to meet with Ehud Barak. Whenever a decision or GA vote comes up against our country, they'd be quicker to give the finger than actually consider why it happened. It's not always as simple as "everyone hates us," but Beytenu and those other religious nationalist parties have sunk into that train of thought.

In East Europe, perhaps there's been some movement in the last four years. At least make that the cornerstone of something and help make those countries more significant when it comes to formulating European Union foreign policy. But in other areas that should be the party's strengths, like relations with Russia, Lieberman has failed miserably. Not a single bullet has been withheld by Russia in shipment to Syria thanks to Israeli prodding.

By: Yisrael Beytenu

Yisrael Beytenu — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 16:08:05 +0000

For more on this and many other issues, check out the only long-standing English-language website of any Israeli political party at http://www.beytenu.org.

By: Gedalyah Chaim Reback

Gedalyah Chaim Reback — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 16:07:17 +0000

But they have no foreign policy.