Comments on: Election antics

By: עמנואל שחף

עמנואל שחף — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 22:32:10 +0000

Indeed, in the wake of Amud Anan, that electoral picture may turn out to be true. That wasn't the picture before the Amud Anan and that is documented by several polls. Bibi's gamble was not so much for a gain as to prevent a loss.

By: Lawrence Feldman

Lawrence Feldman — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 15:46:30 +0000

Sorry, Mr. Shahaf, but your interpretation of recent events is mind-boggling.

And talking of elections, your op-ed demonstrates, IMHO, that although the present prime minister is an incompetent, the only viable alternatives are a 'youf-youf' and a party whose members are self-delusional about Palestinian intentions.

By: Binyamin Lachkar

Binyamin Lachkar — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 23:00:14 +0000

Just for your education:
The Likud was going to win because whatever happens Likud-Beitenu will be the biggest party by far, because Bibi is the most popular leader in Israel by far, because the right wing block will get over 61 seats and probably closer to 65-70 and there is no other alternative coalition possible as Tsipi Livni learned 4 years ago. All these facts even a kid knows. That was before the operation. Now there is only a risk for Bibi if things go wrong. He had nothing to gain electorally.

And in the days before Amud Anan, as apparently you don't know, Hamas fired dozens of missiles a day, not business as usual, and attacked a military patrol wounding 4 soldiers with a Kornet missile. In fact Hamas was doing all that because they thought exactly the opposite of you – and much more logically than you – that because of the elections the government would not risk launching an attack. They were wrong. As you are.

By: עמנואל שחף

עמנואל שחף — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 21:54:46 +0000

Glad you are sure of yourself. I hope you play the stock market if you know the future.
What happened before ? They fired missiles. So ? They have been doing that on and of from when this government came into power (and before that) but this government didn't see fit to do anything about it. Now, all of a sudden, it's urgent.

By: Binyamin Lachkar

Binyamin Lachkar — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 14:51:38 +0000

1. No idea in what parallel universe you live but the Likud was and is going to win easily and everybody here knows it. Losing a few seats (maybe) does not change the fact that the next coalition will be Likud led and Bibi the PM.
2. Your argument does not make any sense and does not answer what I wrote.
3. Apparently you don't even know what happened in the few days before the operation.

Democracy means I can criticize the nonsense that you write. Good luck in the primaries, if this is how you campaign, you are going to need it.

By: עמנואל שחף

עמנואל שחף — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 13:45:06 +0000

1. Not at all – Likud was going down in the polls, the deal with Beiteinu will lower the total.
2. That's not what this government thinks since it has often pursued policies which are detrimental to the country and the government
3. The threat from Hamas was there ever since this government came into power (and long before). for some reason, nobody saw any urgency in neutralizing the threat until now. All of a sudden it became urgent although missiles had been flying for years.
You apparently have only a vague idea what democracy means.

By: Yonatan Knickerbocker

Yonatan Knickerbocker — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 11:49:39 +0000

There's no way in hell we are going to place our security in the hands of the "world". We tried that already with the UN after we agreed to pull out of Lebanon the last time. How well did the UN soldiers stop the missiles from being brought in by the thousands to Hizbullah, as they were supposed to? They didn't stop a single missile, that's how well.

By: Binyamin Lachkar

Binyamin Lachkar — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 08:10:12 +0000

It is frightening to think that such an extremist used to work in the PM office. What election ploy? It makes no sense at all.
1. Because the Likud was sure to win the elections.
2. Because such an operation can only hurt the government if anything goes wrong.
3. Because it was Hamas that attacked Israel. Had they not suddenly launched a wave of rockets, there would be no Amud Anan.
Please go write Arab propaganda somewhere else.

By: John Malouf

John Malouf — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 05:12:16 +0000

Mr Shahaf did have to be a genius to state this opinion, any one thinking it is about Gaza is not smart enough. In another posting I said the blood of both Jews and Arabs are on the hands of mr Netanyahu, but who cares, as long as he gets reflected.
Future Palestinian state.

By: Sheila Nutis Cutler

Sheila Nutis Cutler — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 03:56:19 +0000

You need therapy.

By: Robert C Woolwine

Robert C Woolwine — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 03:55:31 +0000

I am sorry but you sound like you are in the wrong party….you should be in one of the Arab parties…not the party of David Ben Gurion and Golda Mier and Eshkol.

By: John Yorke

John Yorke — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 11:31:53 +0000

עמנואל שחף With the proposal I've been attempting to put forward, it is vitally important to take a worldwide view of the subject. Because it takes the whole world to implement this procedure. Not that it need be as difficult as that sounds.
So, forget about the Israeli government and their present mindset. Forget also the Hamas, Hezbolla, Iranian, Arabian positions and whoever else you can think of in that category.

The only thing that matters is to establish and embed the principle so described into the consciousness of the world in general. Essentially, advertise it as an option that may well have to be considered if the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is not to descend even further into chaos; as it looks to be doing at the moment.
Once firmly fixed in the public domain, the concept becomes self-starting, self-sustaining and, ultimately,serves the purpose for which it was intended, namely that of providing the best damn excuse for everyone to get out of this fight and start negotiating for a peace settlement in real earnest.

Think of it as the entire world, acting in loco parentis, with the ability to compel two very recalcitrant peoples to put aside their differences, face up to the responsibilities they have to themselves and to others and make them realise that there can be a future for both in the very changed circumstances that will then prevail.

The only other option is to leave things just as they are. And has that worked out very well?
Not once in the better part of seven long decades.

By: עמנואל שחף

עמנואל שחף — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 10:41:40 +0000

John Yorke – this government is ideologically incapable of reversing anything. The public is not going to jump ship (a.e. change the government) unless it identifies a clear alternative. I am not sure the public identifies Labor as a clear enough alternative at this time and the other candidates out there even less. I am afraid we first are going to have to crash (again) before this is going to get any better. Just like Labor crashed the country in 1973, Likud-Beiteinu will have to crash the country again, in 2013. And the citizens be damned. And I am an optimist…

By: עמנואל שחף

עמנואל שחף — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 10:34:41 +0000

Shmuel Schnitman , what are you suggesting ? Since I don't know for sure, I shouldn't write about it ? Why ? Does this government whose Min. of Fin. just cheerily announced on TV how he surrepitiously funded West-Bank settlements deserve any credit ? The public may be intelligent but it doesn't know half of what goes on and sometimes you have to help it along, reach the right conclusions. I certainly expect the public to look after me and my party once we are in power so we don't do shenanigans as this government does. You can blaim Labor for anything you want but we haven't been the party that formed the government since 1977 except for an interlude from 1992-96 and another one from 1999-2000. What would Labor do ? Reestablish the welfare state which has been systematically crushed, revamp the tax system to make it more fair, and last not least go for a political process with our neighbors should there be any left we can talk to after this round of Netanyahu's and Barak's shenanigans. Everybody definitely is not the same in this game.

By: Russell Gaddin

Russell Gaddin — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 05:55:03 +0000

I don't like the word SHM*CK. It's too kind. The english translation is more descriptive. The Lefty, Liberals – the scourge of this era. At least he doesn't pose a threat to anyone in the coming election.