Netanyahu’s decision to dissolve Parliament will do Israel good
This week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a series of major political changes: He dismissed two senior ministers from his cabinet, dissolved Parliament and called for early elections to form a new government. With elections now on the immediate horizon, Israelis have an opportunity to elect a new government that will feature new leadership and fresh faces in regional politics.
Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni were given the boot after Netanyahu felt their opposition proved to be a liability. No significant advancements in peace talks with Palestine have been made since Netanyahu took office. In addition, the recent decision to dissolve Parliament highlights a lack of leadership –— clearly, the era of Netanyahu has come and gone.
Netanyahu has held the position of prime minister for the past five years in a country fraught with division, both internally and externally. Under Netanyahu, Israel has seen the expansion of its settlements in the West Bank, as well as flare-ups in tension and conflict with Palestinians, culminating this summer in a seven-week standoff that claimed lives of both Israelis and Palestinians.
When announcing the dismissal of top aides, Netanyahu said, “I will not tolerate any opposition in my government.” The despotic statement fails to champion any notion of democracy and resonates more as an autocratic declaration than a promulgation of elections. The coalition government currently in place has become increasingly fractious and divided on issues such as economic policy and housing. With internal conflict and an executive who is adamant about extinguishing opposition, accomplishing any comprehensive goals and progress is a tall order for the Israeli government. New elections are a fresh start for democracy, a barometer that has the capacity to gauge the will of the people and the mandate set forth for the government to follow. The era of halted negotiation and disregard for opposition voices, both domestically and internationally, must come to an end, and the Israeli people must elect a new leadership that strengthen the government and facilitate diplomacy abroad.
Netanyahu’s current term is set to expire in 2017, but with his call for early elections, his time as prime minister might be up sooner than that. With his five-party coalition crumbling under the immense division, it is evident a new government is needed. With debate heating up in recent weeks over a proposed “Jewish nation-state” law, many view the ethnic exclusivity in Israel, one compounded by Netanyahu’s actions, as a potential pitfall for the Jewish state. Marginalizing minorities and restricting self-determination to refer to Jews only is anathema to any protection of minority rights in a democratic state. A coalition government that offers no protection of minority groups and comprises of disparate parties, many of which aren’t looking for compromise, poses a formidable challenge for Israel.
Netanyahu hopes the new elections will help steer Israel in the right direction. In this ballot box, however, the right direction for Israel is one away from Bibi.
Athanasius Georgy is a sophomore majoring in biological sciences. His column, “On the World Stage,” ran Thursdays.
Looks like another Israeli government that has no long term plan and becomes more of a theocratic fascist entity that denies rights and liberties to those in the minority.
At least Whoopi Goldberg can move there anytime and become a full citizen mooching off US taxes.
So sad that the native Palestinians can’t even vote, marry, travel or have a citizenship in the Middle East’s so-called only democracy (which isn’t true anyways)
The Yazidi in Iraq and the Christian Copts in Egypt are not
“settlers” and “occupiers;” neither are the Jews in Israel.
They are victims of a common enemy that seems to want a Middle East free of
non-Muslims.
“Netanyahu has held the position of prime minister for the past five years in a country fraught with division, both internally and externally. Under Netanyahu, Israel has seen the expansion of its settlements in the West Bank, as well as flare-ups in tension and conflict with Palestinians, culminating this summer in a seven-week standoff that claimed lives of both Israelis and Palestinians. ”
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You write this in a fashion as if this is all Netanyahu’s fault and that the Palestinian intransigence and outrageous support for jihadists who run cars into women and children as no fault to bear.
Let’s not forget that Abu Mazen (aka The Latest Palestinian Dictator) is now serving his 11th year of a four year term. Or that his party, Fatah, and Hamas hate each other and are essentially two distinct unrelated groups.
You pretend to be an objective journalist when it’s clear you’re just another water boy for the blood-thirsty Palestinians.
“In addition, the recent decision to dissolve Parliament highlights a lack of leadership –— clearly, the era of Netanyahu has come and gone.”
Really Athanasius? And you’re the expert? Last I’d heard Netanyahu was wildly popular in Israel for little things like protecting Israel from Muslim madmen.
And concerning your brilliant insights into lack of progress with the peace talks why don’t you tell us of a time when there was progress. And don’t blame this on Israel for Israel has offered any number of concessions – yes, and this includes the current government – only to be pissed on by the dictator Abu Mazen.