Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Israel Votes Again

I lamented the re-election of Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister of Israel back in April, but his failure to form a new government means that he and his Likud party have to do a do-over in another election against Benny Gantz's Blue and White party.  The election is today.
Netanyahu's policies are more popular than he is, and he's been pushing another set of popular policy proposals - like annexing a third of the West Bank and taking more land away from a Palestinian state.  But he's also facing corruption charges that may end up exhausting Israeli voters - call it "Bibi fatigue" - and may finally lead to his long-overdue retirement . . . after doing more to undermine peace in the Middle East than any other Israeli leader I can imagine.
On the other hand, with the Blue and White party a new phenomenon, the Labor party a non-entity, and the right-wing minor parties in a good position to form a coalition with Likud, he'll probably squeak through.  Again.
And that's all I have to say about that.      

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