Monday, October 27, 2008

The Return Of Netanyahu? (Updated)

Powerline has a post arguing that the refusal of Shas, and Degel HaTorah, to joing Livni in creating a coalition is good news--
This is good news because it raises the prospect that Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu will return to power. Netanyahu, a hard liner, would be preferable under any circumstances to Livni, whose desire to accommodate the Palestinians is apparently sufficiently intense to prevent her from forming a government. But Netanyahu could prove to be indispensable if Barack Obama is elected president. First, Netanyahu is far more likely to resist the pressure Obama may well exert on Israel to make concessions to its enemies, including terrorists. Second, with Netanyahu in power, the world will at least have one leader of a major power who understands, and perhaps is prepared to deal with, the threat posed by a nuclear Iran.
Would Netanyahu as Prime Minister really be all that likely to resist pressure from Obama? Netanyahu signed Clinton's Wye Agreement. If Bibi showed a willingness to go along with the land-for-peace approach then, why would he stop now. Obama as President would follow the same tried-and-failed policies--and given his willingness to use pressure tactics against critics, it is likely he would have no problem applying pressure on Netanyahu.

Why assume that Netanyahu would be any more resistant to pressure now?

UPDATE: Livni has her own share of good news. Netanyahu may offer her stiff competition...
However, polls Monday greeted Livni, Israel’s second female foreign minister since Golda Meir — who hopes to follow in her footsteps to also become prime minister — with some good news. A poll by Dahar Research Institute showed Kadima, the centrist political party she leads and which is currently in power, as winning 29 seats as opposed to 26 seats for Netanyahu’s opposition Likud in the 120 member parliament, known as the Knesset. Another poll, by TNS Teleseker showed Kadima winning 31 seats and Likud 29 if the election were held today.
Read the whole thing.

Meanwhile...Olmert remains behind the wheel...

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