Will Benjamin Begin return to the Likud?
The Jerusalem Post has reported that the son of Menachem Begin, Benny Begin, was asked by Netanyahu to return to working in the Likud:
So I do hope that Begin considers this invitation to rejoin, because he could be a very great help in rejuvenating the Likud and various other political movements, and would be a very inspirational figure for Israeli politics as well. Let us see if indeed, Benny Begin will consider this. I certainly hope he does, because he'd make a very positive impact on the political scene, and the public proud.
Speaking of which...
Regarding my previous post on disloyal members of the Likud who're either trying to work against the party's interests and may even split for Kadima along with Sharon, my best answer is this: let them go. If they're as opportunistic as their actions are implying, then that's why it'd be best to leave them behind. What's really startling about the current election situation is how a whole bunch of would-be politicians have been just joining up with Kadima in such abrupt fashion, and, as many people both left and right would probably agree, the display of opportunism is quite astounding. Yesterday, a woman at my workplace who may be a Labor supporter indicated that she did not support Dalia Itzik, and didn't care if she was defecting for Kadima (but if Shimon Peres does, and as of this writing, he already has, that'd be a shame).
What's amazing about that is that it pretty much tells that even left-wing supporters realize and are catching on to just how full of opportunism and avarice the people joining Kadima really are, and not only that, it shows that even they're not eager to vote for Sharon and his new party.
In fact, to be fair, the Labor party is better off without people like Itzik and even Peres, and the members mentioned in this article certainly attest to that. In all due honesty, they simply don't know how lucky they are. If Peres is going to act like such a sore loser, in ways not unlike Sharon himself when he bolted in the past two weeks, and act as if the party revolves solely around Shimon, then all he's done is refuse to admit that his time is past. As some of those in the report here say:
Also available at 10ft2ft.Com, Jo's Cafe, MacStansbury.Org, Robinik.Net, Samantha Burns.
Former prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu called upon former science minister Benny Begin on Monday to end his retirement from politics and return to the Likud.As some people in Israel would probably agree, Begin would be a very inspirational representative, and also a great crowd pleaser. He's seen as being one of the most honest politicians of his time, and in contrast to a lot of say, the would-be politicians who've been joining with Ariel Sharon's Kadima party, he's not opportunistic like they apparently are.
Netanyahu issued the call in an interview with the Knesset Channel. Netanyahu said in the interview that he had spoken to people close to Begin, but Begin told The Jerusalem Post that Netanyahu had made no contact with him.
"I haven't heard from him and he hasn't called me, so I don't have to respond," Begin said.
Since Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's departure from the Likud last week, the name of Begin's revered father, former prime minister Menachem Begin, has been invoked more and more by Likud activists complaining about the lack of leadership in the party.
So I do hope that Begin considers this invitation to rejoin, because he could be a very great help in rejuvenating the Likud and various other political movements, and would be a very inspirational figure for Israeli politics as well. Let us see if indeed, Benny Begin will consider this. I certainly hope he does, because he'd make a very positive impact on the political scene, and the public proud.
Speaking of which...
Regarding my previous post on disloyal members of the Likud who're either trying to work against the party's interests and may even split for Kadima along with Sharon, my best answer is this: let them go. If they're as opportunistic as their actions are implying, then that's why it'd be best to leave them behind. What's really startling about the current election situation is how a whole bunch of would-be politicians have been just joining up with Kadima in such abrupt fashion, and, as many people both left and right would probably agree, the display of opportunism is quite astounding. Yesterday, a woman at my workplace who may be a Labor supporter indicated that she did not support Dalia Itzik, and didn't care if she was defecting for Kadima (but if Shimon Peres does, and as of this writing, he already has, that'd be a shame).
What's amazing about that is that it pretty much tells that even left-wing supporters realize and are catching on to just how full of opportunism and avarice the people joining Kadima really are, and not only that, it shows that even they're not eager to vote for Sharon and his new party.
In fact, to be fair, the Labor party is better off without people like Itzik and even Peres, and the members mentioned in this article certainly attest to that. In all due honesty, they simply don't know how lucky they are. If Peres is going to act like such a sore loser, in ways not unlike Sharon himself when he bolted in the past two weeks, and act as if the party revolves solely around Shimon, then all he's done is refuse to admit that his time is past. As some of those in the report here say:
"Peres for 20 years has been a burden that has harmed Labor," former MK Weizmann Shiri said. "No one seriously wants him to stay. I would be glad if he has finally left. He has undermined every Labor leader in the last decade. I give credit to Amir Peretz for not letting him undermine him."Considering his track record of losing, I guess in all due fairness, it's understandable that they would feel that way about Peres.
A current Labor MK was even more blunt, saying "Good riddance. Labor would never have been able to recover as long as the shadow of Shimon Peres hovered over the party."
Several Labor officials have been calling upon Peres to retire for years. Former Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg and Labor Secretary-General Eitan Cabel have compared Peres to an evergreen tree that doesn't let any new flowers sprout underneath.
Also available at 10ft2ft.Com, Jo's Cafe, MacStansbury.Org, Robinik.Net, Samantha Burns.
Labels: Israel
