ANALYSIS / Is Netanyahu positioning himself to be the next Ariel Sharon?
Ministers and confidants describe the PM as a man who hardly recognizes himself in the mirror anymore.
By Yossi Verter Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu Ariel Sharon Israel newsThese days are especially tough for Benjamin Netanyahu - perhaps his roughest since returning to the prime minister's office eight months ago. Ministers and confidants describe him as a man who hardly recognizes himself in the mirror anymore.
And now "Mr. Anti-terror" is about to go down in history for paying the highest price ever to a terrorist group in order to free one soldier.
The politician who wrote, spoke and preached more than anyone else against such deals, will forever be identified with the "Shalit Deal."
No wonder Netanyahu feels besieged. Not by external forces but by his own past, beliefs and declarations.
They have repeatedly been put to the test in the short time since he entered office - and each time cold, hard reality prevails.
His adoption of the "two state" principle, freezing construction in the settlements and the Shalit deal are cases in point.
"This isn't Bibi," one Likud minister said.
"[The steps he has taken] in the past six months are irreversible," another minister said. "They create an irrevocable rupture between Likud and the settlers and right wing. It shows Netanyahu is serious. He wants to reach a solution."
Some even speculate that Netanyahu, like Sharon, is planning a far-reaching political move that will enable him, buoyed by wide public support, to break Likud up once again on the eve on the next elections and establish the new Likud with his partner Ehud Barak. The latter, at least, would be glad to leave his ailing party with its huge debts behind and join Bibi for another political upheaval - as Sharon and Peres did in forming Kadima.
At the beginning of the week, the prime minister promised the Likud faction to that he would get the Shalit deal approved by both the cabinet and Knesset.
The next day, on a tour of the police headquarters in Jerusalem, he announced that he would bring the deal "to the cabinet and to a public debate." This was a small, imperceptible retreat. If the Knesset approves the deal with a small majority, he would rather drop it. Netanyahu wants an impressive majority of at least 70 MKs against 10-15 objectors at the most.
Such a majority would alleviate his agonizing. Thus, covertly, the prime minister's men began asking the various Knesset factions about their stance regarding the deal, should there be a Knesset debate.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. |
| Photo by: (Archives) |
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all this is over with. Israel can't afford another renegade left-wing PM that hoodwinks the electorate . Israel cannot afford another Sharon or Olmert. Make him accountable or pull the plug on him. This government is going to face a real crisis if this continues.
I voted for Netanyahu in the last election, and while I'm not happy about the settlement freeze, I support Bibi 100%. I think he has been a very good Prime Minister so far. I don't think he's aiming for the Nobel Peace Prize, and I don't think he is purposely breaking any campaign promises. I think he has an overall security strategy for Israel in mind that consists of many components, and that the wisdom of his approach will take time to become clear.
or a dream. an epiphany of sorts? or a nightmare of what israel is to become if the status quo is allowed to remain unchecked. a horrifying revelation; possibly one in which he saw death camps over which flew the the israeli flag, and palestinians being herded toward their gates... nahhh. not much chance of any dramatic change in his views. it's far more likely that obama's made use of some kind of leverage. 10 months is actually kind of an odd length of time, if you ask me. the norm for things like this is 6 months, or 12 months, or even 3 months. but 10 months? why 10 months? what's 10 months away...other than a new fiscal year for the u.s. government? hmmmm?
Netanyahu. Sometimes,a very personal & innermost wish ,is camouflaged by external niceties. It could very well be that Netanyahu,is aiming for the, Nobel Peace Prize ! Therefore his seemingly inconsistent behaviour.
"His adoption of the "two state" principle, freezing construction in the settlements and the Shalit deal are cases in point.This isn't Bibi," one Likud minister said.[The steps he has taken] in the past six months are irreversible," another minister said. "They create an irrevocable rupture between Likud and the settlers and right wing. It shows Netanyahu is serious. He wants to reach a solution." Amazing. The rest of the world sees Bibi desperately fighting against peace. But to Israel, Bibi's apparently a radical peacenik. Wow. What does that say about Israel?! Israel REALLY doesn't want peace.
Wintson Churchil said he would not be the Queens Prime Minister to preside over the dissolution of the British Empire. And yet he was. Now Bibi, inspite of his declarations of facing down terror is capitulating in the prisonrer swap. He too will be the Prime Minister to dismantle the settlement and retreat to the 67 borders, only proving that history has a way of clipping the wings of hawks. The best thing is to go back to negotiating.
A decade ago, Bibi became prime minister for the first time, in the middle of a peace process he opposed, but was committed to continue. The result was that he found himself making more concessions to the Palestinians than Rabin and Peres had made previously. Now he is again PM, and again, reality is forcing him to do things he swore he would never do. Why is anyone surprised?
You have quite a large view of yourself as well. At least Netanyahu knows what he's talking about and actually has power to implement policy.
Well, he hasn't yet had his Sabra-Shatila, or massive bombing of Beirut, Ramallah, Nablus, etc. etc. yet, but give any Israeli PM some time and the war criminal cred comes right out
Sharon would be on trial for war crimes.
or a dream. an epiphany of sorts? or a nightmare of what israel is to become if the status quo is allowed to remain unchecked. a horrifying revelation; possibly one in which he saw death camps over which flew the the israeli flag, and palestinians being herded toward their gates... nahhh. not much chance of any dramatic change in his views. it's far more likely that obama's made use of some kind of leverage. 10 months is actually kind of an odd length of time, if you ask me. the norm for things like this is 6 months, or 12 months, or even 3 months. but 10 months? why 10 months? what's 10 months away...other than a new fiscal year for the u.s. government? hmmmm?
He like Sharon have even been called "A Man of Peace" in the USA. Of course they are both nothing of the sort! How many other Sharons are waiting in the wings?.......A FAIR PEACE EVER?
No, Netanyahu does not see himself as the next Ariel Sharon. He has a far larger view of himself.
Every Western government always says no to negotiating with terrorists. The reasoning is that you only encourage them to perform more terrorism. Of course, behind the scenes negotiations go on, but never in public unless they're leaked. So here is Israel, very openly negotiating with terrorists in contradiction to Western policy. What's going on? Oh, the fact is that Israel is a Mideastern country, not a Western one, and that explains why more and more every day it acts like a Mideastern country than a Western one. Will this trend progress to the point that the West turns its back on Israel?