Posted on 11/22/2008 9:20:19 PM PST by St. Louis Conservative
JERUSALEM: A pair of polls published Thursday showed opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu's hardline Likud party leading Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni's moderate Kadima party in the run-up to Israel's Feb. 10 elections.
The polls also indicated strong support for Netanyahu's hard-line allies. If that support stands through the elections, it would position Netanyahu to put together a hawkish coalition that would likely end peace talks with the Palestinians, at least in their current form.
Netanyahu believes the U.S.-backed talks, which aim to establish an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, have been a failure and thinks negotiations should largely be limited to developing the Palestinian economy. Livni, who has been Israel's chief negotiator the past year, wants to continue the talks.
Elections were set into motion in September when Prime Minister Ehud Olmert resigned amid corruption charges and his deputy, Livni, was unable to form a coalition government of her own. The vote comes a year and a half ahead of schedule.
Just weeks ago, polls showed Livni and Netanyahu in a tight race. While Livni has been relatively out of sight in recent weeks, Netanyahu has been front and center adding a slew of high-profile new recruits to his party, including a former military chief and retired politicians with reputations for honesty.
A poll published in the Haaretz daily on Thursday showed Likud garnering 34 seats in the 120-seat parliament, up from its current 12, followed by Kadima with 28. Kadima, the ruling party, currently has 29 seats.
(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...
Netanyahu. I really like that guy.
THE BIBI REPORT
www.bibireport.com
Conservatism is reawakening in Western Europe, Asia, New Zealand, Israel and will reawaken in our country, perhaps sooner than The One realizes or is prepared for.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
The rag heads had better not get too hostile or Netanyahu will send them hunting for their virgins!
I have heard Netanyahu speak on many occasions and this guy espouses more conservative principles than 90% of the politicians in Washington. Hey, I have an idea, if Barry Obama can run for president and not be a natural born American; then why can’t Netanyahu run as a Republican in 4 years.
They seem to be putting into Livni’s mouth the position of Olmert that he took after he was put to the guillotine. Kadimah is a hybrid formed by Sharon and position of the Likudniks in the party led by Mofaz is not much different than the Likud itself. She’s also taken up the very popular position of Sharon to attack the ultra-Orthodox Shas party. He managed to rule without them for the first time in 20 years. She also has a popular attorney-general who is trying to cut back the privileges of the Supreme Court to intervene in government decisions. Foreign reports put too much emphasis on the talks with the Palestinians as an election issue. The main problem this year is what to do about Iran. And if the economic slowdown hits, that will be an issue that sways many voters. The country is already is facing a general strike which always focuses attention on economic issues.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Go, Bibi!
he’s also more articulate in English than Bush, McCain or Obama.
*Ping*
Kadima will die just as its predecessors Shinui and Yitzchak Mordechai’s Center party. They are about nothing.
I'm not happy with the timing. That's after our Affirmative Action President takes office, and he'll be no friend to Israel. Also, it's a whole lot more time than Israel should be giving ImACrazyMan in Iran. I will continue praying that Israel will respond to Iran's nuclear program before the elections - and before our Inaugeration.
Seeing that Labor now seems to be in 5th place, it is looking more like Labor is going away and Kadima is replacing it as the center/left secular party, with Likud being the right/center secular party and other parties, mostly religious, entering into coalitions with them.
“We reserve the right to live.” 2006 quote from Benjamin Netanyahu, when asked by Glenn Beck... what should Israel do about the ever present threats it faces, and how far would Israel go to defend itself.
High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. or WOT [War on Terror]
----------------------------
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.