Israel's Coalition Government Threatened By Walk Out

[Purveyor]

Israel's Labor party will walk out of the rightwing-dominated coalition government unless serious negotiations with the Palestinians get under way in the coming weeks, according to cabinet minister Avishay Braverman, an expected challenger to Ehud Barak for his party's leadership.

"We need to move as soon as possible. The only way to guarantee the state of the Jewish people is to move boldly after the US election," Braverman, the minister for minorities, said in an interview.

If Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu missed the opportunity, "Labor will not be in the coalition government. If there are the beginnings of serious negotiations, Labor stays; if not, Labor leaves."

He also urged Barack Obama to apply himself to the issue of a Middle East peace settlement with renewed determination following Tuesday's midterm election. "The world needs a strong president of the US," he said.

Labor's departure from Netanyahu's government could trigger its collapse unless the centre-right Kadima party could be persuaded to join. But Kadima has said it would not enter a coalition which included the rightwing Yisrael Beiteinu party led by foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman.

MORE...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/31/israel-coalition-government-walk-out

[aquart]

1. We never get to do things like that.

All we have is the scummy filibuster.

[LeftishBrit]

3. Wish the LibDems would do the same here..

but at present Clegg is too far up Cameron's rear end to see daylight.

[Tripmann]

4. Ah,how different things would have been if John Smith had lived.

[LeftishBrit]

6. Agree.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

8. He is, but are they?

I reckon there's a much better chance of prying the Lib Dems away from Clegg than there is of prying Clegg away from Cameron (although I won't be holding my breath even for that).

[LeftishBrit]

10. I think there'll likely be a rebellion in the end...

after all Clegg is running the party down to the ground, and many of them will lose their seats at the next election (and for many councillors, this will be next May), quite apart from the ideological aspects.

But *when* this will happen is another matter. After all, it wasn't that quick with Barak.

[Ozymanithrax]

5. We do not have a parliamentary system like Israel, or most other democracies.

So, no, we don't do things like that.

[shaayecanaan]

16. What I wonder is...

if all it requires is an amendment to the Senate rules, why didnt the Dems simply try to amend the rules to eliminate the filibuster when they had the numbers?

[LeftishBrit]

2. Well! Finally Barak is doing the right thing!

[azurnoir]

7. hopefully this turns out to be true but none of the 3 major Israeli onlines

appear to be reporting it perhaps they don't have room due to another major story they're trumpeting

Oz Unit traces Barak's illegal maid

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3977593,00.html

Filipino worker in Barak case is arrested by Oz unit

http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=193453

Police arrest foreign worker employed illegally by Barak's wife

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/police-arrest-foreign-worker-employed-illegally-by-barak-s-wife-1.322153

[Ken Burch]

12. I'm glad the maid issue is being dealt with...

but am I the only person who reads the words "Oz Unit" and pictures Dorothy, The Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion and the Tinman as a crimefighting team?

[oberliner]

13. Israel's 'Oz Unit' Accused in Beating

Israel's controversial Oz Unit, tasked with monitoring immigration and border control, stands accused of beating a pregnant woman, along with her 1-year-old daughter, mother, and husband, who was then arrested. The family of African Americans from Kansas City had converted to Judaism several years ago and had legally emigrated to Israel. Officials detained Sean Garrett because, they said, his name did not appear in the population registry; he was later released after officials determined his visa was valid. Oz Unit officers yelled at the family, "Afro-Americans, kushim , we don't need you here," said the family’s lawyer, Nicole Maor of the Israel Religious Action Center. The Oz Unit has denied the allegations, adding that the Garrett family actually attacked them, with profanity.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/item/israels-oz-unit-accused-in-beating/police-brutality/

[azurnoir]

15. Hmmm ok the flying monkeys maybe? n/t

[azurnoir]

14. yeah I thought perhaps Israeli politicing had taken a US

mudslinging turn, and all of this was a sort of "pre-smear" and really did more to make me think there might be something to this, we can hope after all.

[applegrove]

9. Good. I hope negotiations continue.

[Ken Burch]

11. Barak promised never to JOIN this government in the first place

Why should anyone believe him now?

The man has clearly decided to sacrifice the Labor Party to his own ego. He's killing the party that CREATED Israel just to keep on being Defense Minister.