Shaul Mofaz: Trojan horse?
In this week's Makor Rishon, it was reported that outgoing Israeli defense minister Shaul Mofaz may be trying to pose as a "Trojan horse", to help Ariel Sharon in taking over the Likud as an "agent", because that way, joining together after the elections to form a coalition could be made easier. That could explain why Mofaz, all of a sudden, is running for chairmanship of the Likud, despite having been in his position for so short a time, and despite the fact that he really isn't very inspiring in his views and discussions.
And it looks like the Israeli MSM is trying to give him some help: as this article from IMRA reports, Israel Radio, which is run by leftists, is reporting the following results of a poll conducted by a company called "Brain Base/Maagar Mochot":
The reprint of the radio program's discussion contains also the following:
This is the Israeli MSM's own example of telling people what to think/believe, and as far as I'm concerned, we could do without it for a change.
On a related note, it's just not realistic that Sharon could get the sizable amount of seats he may wish he could, because in order to do so, he'd need to do what the Likud did back in the mid-1970s, when they merged three separate parties together into one. If it hadn't been for that, the Likud would've been a lot less likely to be elected back in 1977. But that only shows just why Mofaz may be acting as an agent for Sharon - because Sharon may realize that it's not that simple, and is therefore hoping to be able to hijack the Likud with someone whom he thinks can achieve a victory from the inside.
Another problem is that by now, a lot of people in Israel have come to dislike Sharon for only so many reasons, his disrespecting of democratic values being one of them. And the corruption charges against both him and his son Omri, including their past records (in PDF format), are just one more detracting feature.
On another note, I find it funny/sad how the MSM, such as the AP Wire, Reuters (via Betsy's Page), and even the Jerusalem Post, have been going out of their way to publish polls that show Sharon getting an almost instantaneous, collosal victory at the ballots, the fact that the elections haven't even begun notwithstanding. That's just one more example of how the MSM has been ruining its credibility lately, and doesn't help to regain any.
And also, while we're on the subject, here's another interesting observation on the subject from Israel Perspectives, pointing out how Sharon's claim of "independence for security" has very little difference from the "land for peace" slogan, if at all. And, for those who can read Hebrew, here's a lengthy detailed article on Sharon's corruption too.
And it looks like the Israeli MSM is trying to give him some help: as this article from IMRA reports, Israel Radio, which is run by leftists, is reporting the following results of a poll conducted by a company called "Brain Base/Maagar Mochot":
Poll of Likud members: [Benjamin] Netanyahu 29% [Silvan] Shalom 12% [Shaul] Mofaz 22% [Uzi] Landau 14%, 49% voting LikudAs we see there, they show that Mofaz ostensibly has a percentage that comes second to Netanyahu's. Unfortunately, the polling company that ran this is basically a lefty one, and the radio host who talked about all this is Chanan Crystal, who's a left-wing supporter:
Israel Radio political commentator Chanan Crystal, who participates in the program, said that Mofaz's performance in the polls was a "positive surprise" and then went on to say that he expected that both "the poll results and what is said on 'Another Matter' will help Mofaz". When DM Mofaz was asked on the program what he would say to Likud members who oppose disengagement he replied with virtually the same line that PM Sharon is using - that he wants to now go for Palestinian compliance and then talks. And while Chaim Ramon explained yesterday that Sharon means by that line that he will try for Palestinian compliance first and then unilaterally withdraw, the interviewers on "Another Matter" declined to follow up to ask what would happen in the case of a stalemate.No kidding. They declined to ask about what if a stalemate occurred? But aside from that, what I find interesting is how Mofaz is parroting an approach used by Sharon, which was basically disrespectful of the other party members.
The reprint of the radio program's discussion contains also the following:
In your opinion, which of the candidates for the chairmanship of the Likud has the best chances running against Amir Peretz - Netanyahu, Mofaz or Shalom?Really. Is that so. After results came in showing that not only did Netanyahu did a very good job financially, but that Peretz is pretty much getting the economists worried with his own ideas? Please, do tell me more!
Netanyahu 31% Mofaz 39% Shalom 17% Other replies 13%
This is the Israeli MSM's own example of telling people what to think/believe, and as far as I'm concerned, we could do without it for a change.
On a related note, it's just not realistic that Sharon could get the sizable amount of seats he may wish he could, because in order to do so, he'd need to do what the Likud did back in the mid-1970s, when they merged three separate parties together into one. If it hadn't been for that, the Likud would've been a lot less likely to be elected back in 1977. But that only shows just why Mofaz may be acting as an agent for Sharon - because Sharon may realize that it's not that simple, and is therefore hoping to be able to hijack the Likud with someone whom he thinks can achieve a victory from the inside.
Another problem is that by now, a lot of people in Israel have come to dislike Sharon for only so many reasons, his disrespecting of democratic values being one of them. And the corruption charges against both him and his son Omri, including their past records (in PDF format), are just one more detracting feature.
On another note, I find it funny/sad how the MSM, such as the AP Wire, Reuters (via Betsy's Page), and even the Jerusalem Post, have been going out of their way to publish polls that show Sharon getting an almost instantaneous, collosal victory at the ballots, the fact that the elections haven't even begun notwithstanding. That's just one more example of how the MSM has been ruining its credibility lately, and doesn't help to regain any.
And also, while we're on the subject, here's another interesting observation on the subject from Israel Perspectives, pointing out how Sharon's claim of "independence for security" has very little difference from the "land for peace" slogan, if at all. And, for those who can read Hebrew, here's a lengthy detailed article on Sharon's corruption too.
Labels: Israel
