New poll finds Sharon has 30% lead over Netanyahu [Likud primary race in Israel]

The Jerusalem Post ^ | 16 November 2005 | GIL HOFFMAN AND JPOST STAFF

[anotherview]

Assuming the Prime Minister remains in Likud (which now appears likely) and wins the primary, the anti-Sharon crowd here will need to decide if it really likes Amir Peretz better, because it really does appear that will be the choice.

[dangus]

>> Rebel leader Uzi Landau <<

Not so bad, but his kid is a read sonofagun.

[Cicero]

Well, I'm afraid what this says to me is that Sharon may have succeeded in wrecking Likud.

I hope everything works out for the best. But personally I think that Sharon, who rode in on a wave of anger against the Oslo "peace" process, the resulting Intifada, and Ehud Barak, has betrayed his party and his country.

What to do about it? I don't know. Fortunately I'm not an Israeli voter.

[anotherview]

You know I share neither your view of disengagement nor of the Prime Minister. There is good reason Prime Minister Sharon remains immensely popular in Israel. He is seen as a strong leader.

Ariel Sharon is a Zionist through and through. He does what he believes will bring security to Israel. I understand you don't like what he does but that does not mean he betrayed anyone.

[Cicero]

I hope you are right.

[anotherview]

I know I am right about the Prime Minister's motives. ABout his actions... only time will tell.

Also, please remember Israel is not a two party system. You could vote for National Union/Israel Beitanu, for example, or Mafdal (National Religious Party). Neither has any chance of winning an election, of course, but they are the voice of opposition to disengagement, any attempt at peace, any territoial concessions, and often the voice of "transfer" (forced deportation of Palestinian Arabs).

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

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[cope85]

Binyamin Netanyahu is the best man

[Salem]

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[Sam Gamgee]

What a disaster. Of all people, the Israelis should know appeasement = death.

[Nachum]

Herod,-er Sharon is ahead.

[anotherview]

Those of us who remember Netanyahu's previous performance as Prime Minister tend to disagree with you. The right has never forgiven Netanyahu for pulling out of Hebron as a result of the Wye River Accords, which he signed. He continued the Oslo peace process.

Bibi's positions change with the political winds. The whole thing over disengagement from Gaza was political opportunism. Uzi Landau, by contrast, objected based on his principles and beliefs. I'm not sure anyone knows what beliefs Bibi has.

One thing for sure: Bibi won't get my vote.

[anotherview]

I think you are right, but in 2001 it looked like Prime Minister Sharon was willing to stand up to President Bush. Certainly Prime Minister Shamir stood up to the first President Bush at the cost of a freeze in U.S. loan guarantees to Israel. I think the Prime Minister needs to stiffen up and hold firm to Israel's best interests. I think the agreement on the Gaza-Egypt border is a huge mistake.

[anotherview]

Oh, and if you want to make that bet here it'd be shekels to sufganiyot :)

[onyx]

Can you explain to me why Sharon is leading Netanyahu?

[cope85]

Israel needs to move on Iran now, he is the man

[cope85]

IRAN will start converting 50 tonnes of uranium ore from the end of next week into the feedstock gas for making enriched uranium, a key phase in the nuclear process.

A diplomat said the Iranians have told the UN watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna that "they intend to resume full conversion work on November 26".

That would be after a crucial November 24-25 meeting of the IAEA board of governors on Tehran's nuclear program at which diplomats will consider whether to send Iran to the UN Security Council.

The announced work would be a second round of conversion. Iran has already processed 37 tonnes of ore.

Diplomats said the amount of uranium hexafluoride (UF6) gas the Iranians would have after processing 50 tonnes would be enough to make highly enriched uranium for up to 10 atomic bombs.

Iran had previously announced it would do more conversion but had not given a specific date, although it had been expected to begin the process earlier in November. The amount to be converted is also more than previously thought.

The diplomats also said reports that the UF6 is too contaminated to be put into the centrifuges that spin it into enriched uranium were wrong.

Iran is currently suspending enrichment work but "the current batch is good enough for a crash nuclear weapons program, if Iran doesn't mind ruining a lot of centrifuges along the way," a Western diplomat said.

Iran says its nuclear program is a peaceful effort to generate electricity but the United States charges that Tehran is using this to hide secret work on developing atomic weapons.