Gantz Trojan Horse threatens Israel as the Jewish National Home

[Published 30 March 2020]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has paid a high price for the National Unity Government being forged with Benny Gantz - by agreeing to Gantz becoming Israel’s Prime Minister in 18 months’ time without going to an election.

Netanyahu had run out of time to explore other options – having had that decision foisted on him by two extraordinary High Court of Justice cases ordering the Knesset Speaker – Yuli Edelstein – to convene the Knesset contrary to the Knesset’s own rules and procedures.

Compliance by Edelstein would have unleashed a train of events that would have caused havoc and instability at a time when unity was sorely needed. Edelstein resigned.

It is indeed a miracle that Netanyahu and Gantz rescued Israel from this rapidly escalating political and constitutional crisis at the same time as Israel is coping with the ravages of Covid-19.

Gantz’s courage in dumping his partners in Blue and White – Yair Lapid and Moshe Ya’alon - when any hope of averting the crisis seemed lost and just as the doors of the Knesset were shortly to open - was praised by the Right but condemned by Lapid and Ya’alon in bitter and derogatory terms.

Gantz’s new found ally – Yisrael Beiteinu’s Avigdor Liberman - was left high and dry – ruing his stupidity at having missed three opportunities in the last 12 months to be in Government with Netanyahu - making demands he absolutely refused to compromise on during negotiations with Netanyahu. Liberman was relegated to the Opposition benches with his six colleagues – a kingmaker no more.

Forgiven was the havoc caused when Gantz started to flirt with Joint List – the bloc comprising 15 members from the four Arab political parties - who endorsed Gantz to form the next Government - persuading Israeli President Reuven Rivlin to regrettably give Gantz first try to do so.

Joint List’s objectives include dismantling Israel as the Jewish National Home.

Joint List Chairman - Ahmad Tibi had openly articulated this goal to Rivlin in September 2019:

“Some people think we are the backyard of the State of Israel, we are not a backyard, we are not present absentees, we are not guests, we are the owners of this land. Not residents of this country, we did not immigrate here, we were born here, we are a native population, and this native population sent us to make a change.”

Gantz’s decision to embrace Joint List accorded with his first public statement after forming the Resilience Party in December 2018. Druze demonstrators protesting the 2016 Nation-State Law defining Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people and ending Arabic as an official language of Israel – were told by Gantz:

“We have a blood alliance, but just as importantly, we have a life alliance. We need to make sure that we build this partnership and this alliance together, as it should be. I will do all in my power to work to amend the legislation, so it will give expression to this bond, the deep bond that cannot be severed—not just in battle, but also in life; not just in difficulties, but also in good times. We’ll do this together.”

Gantz is perfectly entitled to propound the idea that Israel should become the state of all its citizens – no longer the Jewish National Home reconstituted by the League of Nations 1922 Mandate for Palestine and article 80 of the United Nations Charter.

But to do so as Prime Minister – without receiving any electoral mandate to pursue that highly-controversial policy – is another thing.

The Gantz Trojan Horse is knocking at the Prime Minister’s door – and Netanyahu has let him in.

Author’s note: The cartoon – commissioned exclusively for this article — is by Yaakov Kirschen aka “Dry Bones”- one of Israel’s foremost political and social commentators – whose cartoons have graced the columns of Israeli and international media publications for decades. His cartoons can be viewed at Drybonesblog

Netanyahu and Lieberman must rescue Israel from self-imploding

[Published 24 March 2020]


Israel is in serious danger of self-imploding as a political, legal, and constitutional crisis of epic proportions is set to erupt. It can be averted if Israel’s Prime Minister - Benjamin Netanyahu - and head of Yisrael Beiteinu – Avigdor Lieberman – resolve the issue of the ultra-orthodox doing military service - raised by Lieberman 12 months ago.

The looming crisis has been created following the Speaker of the Knesset – Yuri Edelstein – rejecting the advisory opinion of the High Court of Justice that he declare his position as speaker open when the Knesset resumes on March 25.

In his official response to the High Court Edelstein stated:

“I won’t agree to ultimatums. I can’t agree because that would make the Knesset’s agenda determined by the High Court and not by the Speaker of the Knesset, who is assigned this role.”

Edelstein’s refusal to commit to any set date comes amidst the uncertainty caused by the ongoing political negotiations to form a government.

The High Court — unmoved by Edelstein’s submission — ordered Edelstein to convene the Knesset by March 25 and hold a vote that could see him replaced. The High Court did not say what actions it would take if Edelstein attempted to ignore the ruling.

Front and centre in this crisis has been the attempt by:

33 Blue and White members,
7 Labor-Meretz-Gesher members
7 Yisrael Beiteinu members and
15 Joint List Arab bloc members

to advance legislation barring a Knesset member facing criminal charges from forming a government — effectively disqualifying Netanyahu.

This bloc of 62 members makes strange bedfellows:

1. Joint List does not recognize Israel as the Jewish National Home

2. Blue & White leaders Gantz, Lapid and Ya’alon have personal grievances against Netanyahu going back years

3. Lieberman has a fractured relationship with Netanyahu, has refused to sit next to Joint List Knesset members and favoured transfer of Israeli Arabs into a new Palestinian state.

Lieberman had made non-negotiable demands for entering into Government with Netanyahu after the February 2019 indecisive election – which if accepted – would have seen no need for the two elections that followed and this current crisis.

The principal issue was Netanyahu’s refusal to accept a bill drafted by Lieberman calling for ultra-orthodox Jews to do military service.

Netanyahu was captive to the ultra-orthodox Jews in his then coalition who threatened to bolt if he wavered.

Lieberman would not budge.

A second election followed in September 2019 - when an expected increased turn out by the religious parties to oppose Lieberman’s bill never eventuated. The religious parties’ votes only increased by 91,650 whilst Lieberman’s party vote increased by 137,684.

Lieberman again would not yield in his demands – emboldened by his increased vote exceeding that of the religious parties.

Israel held its third election this month.

The religious parties are on far weaker ground this time as they are locked in to a single negotiating bloc now containing 58 members.

Lieberman is also in a weaker position – having lost 46,789 votes and one seat whilst Netanyahu gained 238,882 votes and 4 seats.

Cutting a deal between Netanyahu and Lieberman remains the only option to prevent Israel entering into a period of complete political and constitutional upheaval once the Knesset sitting commences.

Lieberman and Netanyahu’s shared dream could be the circuit breaker: Both want to see Jewish sovereignty immediately restored in Judea and Samaria after 3000 years - in tandem with President Trump - whilst Blue & White do not. Neither can allow their personal antipathy towards each other to miss this golden opportunity.

Netanyahu and Lieberman must do a deal before the Knesset sits . They cannot afford to fail.

Gantz promises chaos and confusion in Israel for next six weeks

[Published 18 March 2020]

Benny Gantz’s decision to do a deal with the Joint List to influence President Rivlin into giving Gantz first bite at forming Israel’s next Government is reprehensible, unconscionable and against Israel’s national interest.

Gantz’ decision allows the Joint List with just 15 of the 120 seats in the Knesset and 12.67% of the vote at the recent elections to sow discord and create confusion over the next six weeks as they plot with Gantz to overthrow Netanyahu — Israel’s longest serving Prime Minister.

Ahmad Tibi — leader of Ta’al — one of the four parties making up the Joint List — told Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin last September:

“Some people think we are the backyard of the State of Israel, we are not a backyard, we are not present absentees, we are not guests, we are the owners of this land. Not residents of this country, we did not immigrate here, we were born here, we are a native population, and this native population sent us to make a change.”

“Owners of this land”?

Gantz’s new partner was making it crystal clear to Israel’s President that Israel was not recognized by Tibi’s party as the Jewish National Home reconstituted after 3,000 years by and with the unanimous resolution of all 51 member states that comprised the League of Nations and endorsed the Mandate for Palestine.

Balad — the second party included in the Joint List and now in partnership with Gantz — had a former MK Said Nafa among its ranks. Nafa was convicted of maintaining contact with a foreign intelligence operative and spent time in prison. Another former Balad Knesset member, Basel Ghattas, was convicted of smuggling cellphones to Palestinian prisoners in an Israeli jail, an offense for which he too was convicted and imprisoned.

Spokesperson for the Joint list is Ayman Odeh — the head of Hadash — the third party in Joint List.

Odeh stated on 5 March 2020:

“Right now, with Gantz’s attitude [in favor] of a Jewish majority and unilateral annexation, we have no one to recommend to the president. If there is a change after the elections in the direction of peace and equality, we will weigh our position again.”

Gantz has apparently capitulated to Odeh’s demands just 11 days later.

Vice President of the fourth party in the Joint List — Mansour Abbas — has declared:

“Of course, we are against the Zionist movement. However, from a pragmatic perspective, we are ready for a compromise between the Zionist movement and Palestinians”

A Netanyahu-Gantz-Liberman Government of National Unity comprising 105 Knesset members was indicated by the election results — Netanyahu’s Likud party having secured 238,882 extra votes and 4 extra seats whilst Gantz’s Blue and White Party only secured 69,167 extra votes and no extra seats.

Instead — Gantz and his Blue and White colleagues Moshe Ya’alon and Yair Lapid — together with Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman — have jumped into bed with the Joint List to realize their common objective: all hate Netanyahu for a variety of personal reasons and want to see his political career ended.

Odeh had called for Gantz to form a minority Government with support of the Joint List in October 2019 — saying that even if it would quickly fall, such a “courageous” move would be worth it for the single purpose of ousting Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister.

Gantz has now taken the bait – to his eternal shame.

Israel now faces six weeks of political chaos and confusion as Gantz and his 45 Netanyahu-hating coalition partners cosy up to and embrace 15 Joint List Knesset members who revile them, Netanyahu and the Jewish State.


Author’s note: The cartoon – commissioned exclusively for this article — is by Yaakov Kirschen aka “Dry Bones” - one of Israel’s foremost political and social commentators – whose cartoons have graced the columns of Israeli and international media publications for decades. His cartoons can be viewed at Drybonesblog

Three politicians can make 3000 years-old Jewish dream a reality

[Published 9 March 2020]

The votes are in - and it seems Israel’s Prime Minister — Bibi Netanyahu — is just three politicians shy of realizing the 3000-years old dream of the Jewish People to regain sovereignty in Judea and Samaria — its ancient and biblical heartland.

The opportunity to turn this dream into a miraculous reality came with the release of President Trump’s Peace Plan on January 28 — embraced by Netanyahu but rejected by the Israeli Arabs, the PLO and the Arab League.

America and Israel’s response was to set up a joint six member Sovereignty Mapping Committee to determine where Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria could be extended immediately. The residue — about 40% of Judea and Samaria where about 95% of the Arab population live — would continue to enjoy its current status quo — mainly under total PLO administration and security control.

Judea and Samaria formed part of the territory in which the Jewish National Home could be reconstituted following:

1. the San Remo Conference and Treaty of Sevres in 1920 and

2. all 51 member states of the League of Nations endorsing the Mandate for Palestine in 1922.

These rights vested in the Jewish people were preserved under article 80 of the United Nations Charter when the League of Nations was wound up on April 20, 1946.

Netanyahu’s main rival in Israel’s election held on 2 March – Benny Gantz – accepted the Trump Peace Plan but made it clear he would only implement it with the agreement of the Arab States and the international community. Given the rejection of the Plan by the Arabs and the European Union – Gantz’s promise was simply hot air that never had any chance of being implemented.

This latest election was the first in Israel’s history that had presented the electors with the opportunity to vote on the Jewish people regaining sovereignty in Judea and Samaria after an absence of 3,000 years.

The battle lines were drawn — Netanyahu would do so immediately. Gantz would do so maybe, perhaps, possibly — but not certainly for sure — in the future.

The results were staggering:

1. Likud converted a deficit of 37,597 votes as against Blue and White in September 2019 into an amazing surplus of 132,071 votes in March 2020 – clear evidence that the voters wanted sovereignty in Judea and Samaria now.

2.The turnout was impressive: 4,615,124 voters this time against 4,340,253 in September 2019.

Yet Netanyahu only managed to secure 58 of the 61 seats needed to turn this 3,000 years-old dream of the Jewish people into a reality.

Netanyahu’s ability to find the support of another 3 of his 47 Jewish political opponents is complicated by the fact that he has been indicted by the Attorney General in three cases alleging fraud and corruption and is due to appear in Court on March 17.

Four of Netanyahu’s 47 political opponents reportedly could switch their allegiance to Netanyahu to enable him to make this dream a reality.

Given this once in 3,000 years opportunity of restoring Jewish rights in Judea and Samaria — it would be strange if many more of the remaining 43 politicians — including Liberman’s 6 Yisrael Beiteinu bloc — were not prepared to put the national interest of the Jewish People before their personal hatred of Netanyahu.

Restoring sovereignty would also fittingly complete the political process begun 100 years ago at San Remo in April 1920.

Netanyahu should not be written off just yet.

A fourth election beckons if Netanyahu fails.

The Jewish People’s long held dream – if unrealized - could then turn into a debilitating nightmare – resulting in unprecedented political upheaval, civilian demonstrations and unrest.


Author’s note: The cartoon – commissioned exclusively for this article — is by Yaakov Kirschen aka “Dry Bones”- one of Israel’s foremost political and social commentators – whose cartoons have graced the columns of Israeli and international media publications for decades. His cartoons can be viewed at Drybonesblog