Netanyahu Likud party storms to victory

[Sam]

Seriously? You don't understand the mind of Muslim fanatics, do you? They see every victory as evidence that Allah is on their side, which makes them go for more. Their entire stated purpose is to destroy Israel. The only reason they haven't is deterrence by Israel.

This doesn't explain how a "validated" Hamas would pose an existential threat to Israel's existence. Supposedly, Israel is surrounded by such "Muslim fanatics" who have been kept at bay because of Israel's military (and nuclear) capability.

You're just pointing and shrieking "fanatics!" without explaining how a Palestinian state is going to topple a much richer, much better equipped Israel.

[One Bad Pig]

If all the neighboring states wanted to really "wipe Israel off the map," they could've easily done it by now. Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia ... no real push there since the Six Day War and no indication that any of them today would even want to try to mount the air and ground offensive necessary to defeat, let alone obliterate, Israel.

When you've gotten your nose bloodied enough, it tends to make you pause before attacking again. It's called "peace through superior firepower."

And while a hearty portion of folks in Israel and the USA imagine existential threats to the Israeli state, the open-air prison camp that is Gaza will continue indefinitely.

If you could convince the Palestinians to resettle in Muslim countries (and the Muslim countries to accept them), the problem would vanish instantly. And it would be rather less of a prison if its occupants quit shooting rockets out of it and used the building supplies given them to build, oh, I don't know, housing rather than attack tunnels, and if the occupants hadn't destroyed everything the Israelis left behind when they were forcibly evicted by their own military.

On the plus side, officially abandoning the two-state solution puts Netanyahu in a poor position with the international community. Netanyahu and his like will only continue to degrade support for an illegal and unacceptable status quo.

There is no two-state solution.

[Sam]

I really REALLY hate it when I have to agree with you or amen you.

Except I never once argued that Hamas was "in the right," even "on some level." Hamas is more validated among the population by the Israeli occupation, not less. Thus, the quotes.

[Cow Poke]

I actually agree with you that most of Israel's neighbors don't want to wipe them out (particularly Egypt, whose military dictatorship hates Hamas)...

Yes, and a LOT of this has to do with the fact that some of Israel's neighbors have discovered that it's not in their best interest to go to war with Israel after the Israeli War of Independence, the Suez Crisis, the Six-Day War, the Yom Kippur War, the Lebanon War, the First and Second Intifada Wars, the Gaza War, Operation Protective Edge.......

And it's a fact that a LOT of Arabs work for (and with) Jews in businesses in Israel, and they get along just fine. While walking through Old City Jerusalem, it's really hard to tell where the Muslim section ends, the Christian section begins, the Jewish section, the Armenian --- they all get along just fine (albeit they have a monetary reason to do so).

[Sam]

When you've gotten your nose bloodied enough, it tends to make you pause before attacking again. It's called "peace through superior firepower."

If you could convince the Palestinians to resettle in Muslim countries (and the Muslim countries to accept them), the problem would vanish instantly. And it would be rather less of a prison if its occupants quit shooting rockets out of it and used the building supplies given them to build, oh, I don't know, housing rather than attack tunnels, and if the occupants hadn't destroyed everything the Israelis left behind when they were forcibly evicted by their own military.

There is no two-state solution.

I was trying to work Netanyahu's race-to-the-hard-right into Romney's "self-deportation" campaigning. The above does the job, I think. Palestinians would be fine if they were just relocated out of Palestine!

[Bill the Cat]

This doesn't explain how a "validated" Hamas would pose an existential threat to Israel's existence.

Yes it does. Nations like Saudi Arabia and Egypt are far less radicalized than Hamas.

Supposedly, Israel is surrounded by such "Muslim fanatics" who have been kept at bay because of Israel's military (and nuclear) capability.

No. They are surrounded by Muslim countries that have the THREAT of extremism to them.

You're just pointing and shrieking "fanatics!" without explaining how a Palestinian state is going to topple a much richer, much better equipped Israel.

Their ABILITY to topple Israel is not the worry. Only their INTENTION to do so and how much terror they can accomplish trying.

[Cow Poke]

Except I never once argued that Hamas was "in the right," even "on some level." Hamas is more validated among the population by the Israeli occupation, not less. Thus, the quotes.

Yeah, and they're SMART, those clever Hamas devils --- lobbing rockets into Israel indiscriminately and getting their land (which was ceded to them by Israel) smashed flat with superior firepower. I'd love to meat the idiot who said "hey, let's lob rockets into Israel so we can get on TV and win the hearts of the world".

You probably bought that, Sam --- the heartless Israelis needlessly retaliating against the idiots lobbing rockets at them.

[Cow Poke]

Palestinians would be fine if they were just relocated out of Palestine!

Palestinians would be fine if they dropped their hatred of, and promised destruction of, Israel.

[Cow Poke]

And, AGAIN, let's hear Klavan's solution to the Palestinian State problem.....

[Bill the Cat]

Hahahahahahha!!!!

[Teallaura]

So says the headlines of the Deccan Herald...

Source: DH

Israel election: Netanyahu Likud party storms to victory

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today appeared headed for a record fourth term after his Likud party emerged as the surprise winner in Israel's general elections based on a campaign revolving around no compromise attitude on Palestine's statehood.

With nearly all votes counted, Netanyahu's party is set to emerge as the single largest party with 29 seats in the 120-member Parliament -- the Knesset -- five seats more than the closest rival the Zionist Union led by Isaac Herzog in a mandate considered a clear victory in the fractured Israeli polity.

The party registered victory on a campaign revolving around strong security for the Jewish state focused on denying Iran nuclear capability and a non-compromising attitude in the peace process with the Palestinians.

It was a stunning turnabout from the last pre-election polls published on Friday, which showed the Zionist Union with a four or five seat lead.

© Copyright Original Source

This is a bit surprising, as I have been hearing "razor thin" and "too close to call", and forecasts of doom for Netanyahu.

Polls only tell you about the moment they were taken. And how well they were done.

[Cow Poke]

Polls only tell you about the moment they were taken. And how well they were done.

It wasn't just polls - it was them durn pundits.

[Teallaura]

It wasn't just polls - it was them durn pundits.

Pundits aren't prophets.

[Cow Poke]

Pundits aren't prophets.

Whatever you say, sir.

[Teallaura]

Whatever you say, sir.

I say 'c'mere, you!'.