Netanyahu Loses, Right Wins
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James Joyner | Wednesday, February 11, 2009 |
The incumbent Kadima Party did surprisingly well in yesterday’s Israeli elections, apparently winning more votes than favorite Binyamin Netanyahu’s Likud. But, as I argue in my New Atlanticist piece, “Israeli Election: Netanyahu Loses, Right Wins,” that doesn’t mean that the forces of sanity won out.
Ironically, given that Lieberman holds the whip hand here, the most likely result is a government that is much more right-leaning than if Netanyahu had won outright. That’s perfectly understandable from the standpoint of an Israeli public frustrated after years of failed attempts to make peace with the Palestinian Authority. Unfortunately, it also virtually precludes that outcome, strengthening the hand of the Arab extremists.
Much more at the link.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
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I predict that Netanyahu puts together the next government.
“Israeli Election: Netanyahu Loses, Right Wins,” that doesn’t mean that the forces of sanity won out.
Boy, for a minute there, I got the impression you were suggesting Netanyahu was the less sane choice.
I really feel sorry for Labor. The original governing party of Israel and many of its founders, which led the country for 20 years from its founding . . . only to end up in 4th Place behind the right-wing upstart party of a former bouncer.
