If Netanyahu prevents a national unity government, the Likud needs to let him go

As I mentioned before, the outcome of the previous election was not a rightwing victory but a victory for the center. It is true that Bibi and the Likud bill themselves as rightwing. But the latter is clearly a centrist party — especially compared to the really rightwing parties. So is Blue and White — especially compared to the really leftwing parties.

Everything Bibi blames Lieberman for, he is actually guilty of himself:
1. He declared 61 seats not enough and called for unnecessary election — getting 60 seats and calling it a victory.
2. He singlehandedly prevented a national unity government — either because he didn’t want it, Blue and White didn’t want him or both.
3. And he chose unnecessary elections again, preventing a national unity government under the leadership of someone else (Tzachi haNegbi?).

The new elections will give the same result as the previous: no workable majority except for a coalition without the extremist parties.

If the person of Netanyahu prevents a national unity government, the Likud needs to let him go for the good of the country.

It’s high time that Israel gets a government that can develop many areas that religious parties have blocked for decades.

If you’d think that it’ll be hard for the Likud and Blue and White sit in one coalition, I’d say: not as hard as the Hareidi parties with Lieberman. From both parties, the most extreme wings will flee but others from other parties will easily join, like Lieberman, the New Right and Shas.

Between a rock(et) and a hard(ship) place

However,

The biggest short-term dangers don’t come from:
Rightwing Capitalist social injustice,
The criminals against humanity junta in Gaza,
The would-be mass murderers of Hezbollah,
The eager genocides of Iran, or
The dictates of the Taliban rabbinate;
But rather from Trump’s unseen presumptuous reckless “peace plan.”

If a centrist government restarts a phony naive peace process, endangering individuals and the State, I’d rather have a rightwing backward government.

I’d rather be awkwardly alive than be respected and dead.

You’d think that Trump and Kushner are showing no respect for Israeli voters. But they say that Bibi requested to keep the plan under wraps. And the left and the Muslim parties neither demand to see the plan.

The left and the right are conspiring to keep us in the dark. They’re not political opponents. They’re on the same side opposite the Israeli public.

Show Trump’s Peace Plan Now

Therefore, I dare the paternalist left and patronizing right to show the Israeli People before election day, this “peace plan” and their intentions.

We are permitted and requested to vote (again). But we’re not allowed to know what the parties want to do with our votes after the elections? Stop fooling the People! Show us your hand!

Luckily, some parties won’t squander national security and still are for a larger separation between State and religion: the New Right and Lieberman. When they finally will get the number of seats they deserve, they should send flowers to Bibi and Betzalel and publicly thank them.

Kushner, and we thought that Trump was a political clown …

It is worse than I gleaned before from Kushner’s make-belief “peace plan.” I’ve explained that only an end to centuries of Jew-hatred in the Muslim world will give peace in the Middle East. (And the West should not gloat at that, not having finished off anti-Semitism either.)

I guessed that the raised-rich son-in-law assumed that Muslims in Gaza and on the West Bank could be persuaded to make peace if it meant prosperity. He didn’t listen to Island’s Eurovision contribution: “Hatred will prevail.” But reality is even worse.

He now declared that a fair judicial system, freedom of the press and of expression and tolerance for all religions are needed in order to make the Palestinian territories “investable.” This is so laughable. What’s next? Demanding the same for Egypt although that would bring the Muslim Brotherhood to power?

Full human rights without detoxification for Jew-hatred will turn the Arab-occupied territories into launching pads against Israel. The rulers will be “democratically” chosen kill-the-Jews people from Chamas and worse.

So, Kushner says, money will work but first democracy. Why do Bibi and the other parties want to keep this “peace plan” a secret? It’s just hot air.

About the Author

MM is a prolific and creative writer and thinker, previously a daily blog contributor to the TOI. He often makes his readers laugh, mad, or assume he's nuts—close to perfect blogging. He's proud that his analytical short comments are removed both from left-wing and right-wing news sites. None of his content is generated by the new bore on the block, AI. * As a frontier thinker, he sees things many don't yet. He's half a prophet. Half. Let's not exaggerate. Or not at all because he doesn't claim G^d talks to him. He gives him good ideas—that's all. MM doesn't believe that people observe and think in a vacuum. He, therefore, wanted a broad bio that readers interested can track a bit what (lack of) backgrounds, experiences, and educations contribute to his visions. * This year, he will prioritize getting his unpublished books published rather than just blog posts. Next year, he hopes to focus on activism against human extinction. To find less-recent posts on a subject XXX among his over 2000 archived ones, go to the right-top corner of a Times of Israel page, click on the search icon and search "zuiden, XXX". One can find a second, wilder blog, to which one may subscribe too, here: https://mmvanzuiden.wordpress.com/ or by clicking on the globe icon next to his picture on top. * Like most of his readers, he believes in being friendly, respectful, and loyal. However, if you think those are his absolute top priorities, you might end up disappointed. His first loyalty is to the truth. He will try to stay within the limits of democratic and Jewish law, but he won't lie to support opinions or people when don't deserve that. (Yet, we all make honest mistakes, which is just fine and does not justify losing support.) He admits that he sometimes exaggerates to make a point, which could have him come across as nasty, while in actuality, he's quite a lovely person to interact with. He holds - how Dutch - that a strong opinion doesn't imply intolerance of other views. * Sometimes he's misunderstood because his wide and diverse field of vision seldomly fits any specialist's box. But that's exactly what some love about him. He has written a lot about Psychology (including Sexuality and Abuse), Medicine (including physical immortality), Science (including basic statistics), Politics (Israel, the US, and the Netherlands, Activism - more than leftwing or rightwing, he hopes to highlight reality), Oppression and Liberation (intersectionally, for young people, the elderly, non-Whites, women, workers, Jews, LGBTQIA+, foreigners and anyone else who's dehumanized or exploited), Integrity, Philosophy, Jews (Judaism, Zionism, Holocaust and Jewish Liberation), the Climate Crisis, Ecology and Veganism, Affairs from the news, or the Torah Portion of the Week, or new insights that suddenly befell him. * Chronologically, his most influential teachers are his parents, Nico (natan) van Zuiden and Betty (beisye) Nieweg, Wim Kan, Mozart, Harvey Jackins, Marshal Rosenberg, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, and, lehavdil bein chayim lechayim, Rabbi Dr. Natan Lopes Cardozo, Rav Zev Leff, and Rav Meir Lubin. This short list doesn't mean to disrespect others who taught him a lot or a little. One of his rabbis calls him Mr. Innovation [Ish haChidushim]. Yet, his originalities seem to root deeply in traditional Judaism, though they may grow in unexpected directions. In fact, he claims he's modernizing nothing. Rather, mainly basing himself on the basic Hebrew Torah text, he tries to rediscover classical Jewish thought almost lost in thousands of years of stifling Gentile domination and Jewish assimilation. (He pleads for a close reading of the Torah instead of going by rough assumptions of what it would probably mean and before fleeing to Commentaries.) This, in all aspects of life, but prominently in the areas of Free Will, Activism, Homosexuality for men, and Redemption. * He hopes that his words will inspire and inform, and disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. He aims to bring a fresh perspective rather than harp on the obvious and familiar. When he can, he loves to write encyclopedic overviews. He doesn't expect his readers to agree. Rather, original minds should be disputed. In short, his main political positions are among others: anti-Trumpism, for Zionism, Intersectionality, non-violence, anti those who abuse democratic liberties, anti the fake ME peace process, for original-Orthodoxy, pro-Science, pro-Free Will, anti-blaming-the-victim, and for down-to-earth, classical optimism, and happiness. Read his blog on how he attempts to bridge any tensions between those ideas or fields. * He is a fetal survivor of the pharmaceutical industry (https://diethylstilbestrol.co.uk/studies/des-and-psychological-health/), born in 1953 to his parents who were Dutch-Jewish Holocaust survivors who met in the largest concentration camp in the Netherlands, Westerbork. He grew up a humble listener. It took him decades to become a speaker too, and decades more to admit to being a genius. But his humility was his to keep. And so was his honesty. Bullies and con artists almost instantaneously envy and hate him. He hopes to bring new things and not just preach to the choir. * He holds a BA in medicine (University of Amsterdam) – is half a doctor. He practices Re-evaluation Co-counseling since 1977, is not an official teacher anymore, and became a friendly, powerful therapist. He became a social activist, became religious, made Aliyah, and raised three wonderful kids. Previously, for decades, he was known to the Jerusalem Post readers as a frequent letter writer. For a couple of years, he was active in hasbara to the Dutch-speaking public. He wrote an unpublished tome about Jewish Free Will. He's a strict vegan since 2008. He's an Orthodox Jew but not a rabbi. * His writing has been made possible by an allowance for second-generation Holocaust survivors from the Netherlands. It has been his dream since he was 38 to try to make a difference by teaching through writing. He had three times 9-out-of-10 for Dutch at his high school finals but is spending his days communicating in English and Hebrew - how ironic. G-d must have a fine sense of humor. In case you wonder - yes, he is a bit dyslectic. If you're a native English speaker and wonder why you should read from people whose English is only their second language, consider the advantage of having an original peek outside of your cultural bubble. * To send any personal reaction to him, scroll to the top of the blog post and click Contact Me. * His newest books you may find here: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AMoshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&s=relevancerank&text=Moshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1