Even prior to the current elections, the Biden administration expressed its distaste for right-wing leader Itamar Ben-Gvir in no uncertain terms – a crude attempt to influence Israelis not to vote for him. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned President Isaac Herzog during his visit to Washington the week before the election that the US may refuse to cooperate with “specific politicians” — a likely reference to Ben Gvir.
This unprecedented boycott should have been vociferously protested by all Israelis, even those who share concern for Ben-Gvir’s views, since it is a shameful encroachment on Israeli sovereignty. However it is apparently not the only veto made by the US in the current election.
Betzalel Smotrich, the leader of the Religious Zionist party, cannot be accused of Kahanism like Ben-Gvir. He never identified with Baruch Goldstein and is a product of mainstream yeshivas, the son of a Rosh Kollel from Kiryat Arba. Smotrich, the leader of the second largest party in the coalition, is demanding quite fairly to have a senior position in the next government- Defense Minister or Finance Minister. Smotrich allowed Aryeh Deri, leader of the third largest party, to make first choice and Deri predictably went for the Finance Ministry.
Netanyahu was now faced with two critical problems, the first of his own making. His own party, numbering 31 other MKs, were rumbling with discontent over the senior ministries being passed to others. Netanyahu, always suspicious of other leadership hopefuls, planned to give the other senior ministry- Foreign Affairs -to his protege Ron Dermer, thus fostering more protests in the Likud.
However the other issue was a sharp message from the Biden administration against Smotrich becoming defense minister. Smotrich would then de facto be sheriff of Judea and Samaria, allowing him to build, construct and demolish illegal Palestinian construction at will. The US [under Biden] still favors a two-state solution and realizes that Smotrich’s appointment could spell the death knell for its Palestinian state aspirations.
Netanyahu must withstand the unequitable US pressure for another reason. If anyone was more responsible for upholding the two-state solution, it was Netanyahu himself who proposed it in 2009 and blocked all efforts by the Trump administration to promote the idea which could have changed the political climate under the current administration. Above all, Netanyahu must fight for Israel’s sovereign right to decide by itself who should lead its defense establishment, the most crucial aspect of a country threatened by mortal enemies on all sides.
https://vinnews.com/2022/11/16/analysis-biden-administration-meddling-in-israeli-politics-threatening-right-wing-gvt/
Stay tuned for Rabbi Kahana’s take on this! Coming soon.
1 comment:
Is this a surprise? Did you ever believe the medina was sovereign?
Now everyone should surely know. H' Yerachem!
Post a Comment