Comment

Israel: Political Bombshell - National Elections Cancelled, Kadima to join Unity Government

6
(((Archangel1)))5/08/2012 8:09:25 am PDT

This has little to do with “national concerns” - it’s about pure political and electoral considerations.
Netanyahu did not want elections even though everyone else in the country pretty much felt the need for them. This is in part out of fear of the previous summer’s protests repeating themselves - a justified fear, IMO, as the atmosphere is already heated on that front and it might actually erupt sooner. He tried to handle them last time and it didn’t work, and now it’s expected to be worse, as none of the issues were really addressed.
Mofaz, on his part, saw political destruction looming in the horizon - his victory and election as head of Kadima was exclusively responsible for the polls showing the party crashing to nearly half the mandates it has in future elections. Kadima’s primary voting (which stood at low numbers) do not actually reflect the opinion of the majority of the people who voted for the party, and a LOT of people across many sections of Israeli society do not want him leading in politics for a variety of reasons. And that’s without even remotely touching the fact that he’s generated animosity for zigzagging on issues so much that it exceeds all those made by the Republican candidates combined.

It’s not about Iran, nor about solving internal troubles in a troubled time or any of that spiel. This action was one of ugly political survival, pure and simple - and the outrage I’m seeing and hearing here since the morning is considerable, from all sides.