Survey: 78% of public dissatisfied with Israel's political leadership

[bemildred]

More than three-quarters of the public are not satisfied with Israel's political leadership, according to a recent survey.

The poll, conducted for the committee on changing the system of government (initiated by the state president), found that of the 78 percent who said they were unhappy with their leaders, the reasons cited included corruption (32 percent) inexperience (12 percent) self-centeredness of the leadership (10 percent) weakness (9 percent) and caring only for the rich (5 percent). The findings of the poll, conducted by the Maagar Mohot ("Brain Trust") Interdisciplinary Research and Consulting Institute, were presented during a seminar at the Knesset on Wedensday.

Half of those polled said they thought the present electoral system should be changed; 39 percent favored a presidential regime and 34 percent opposed it.

The survey also found that 68 percent of those polled said Israel's current politicians are worse than those in the past.

Haaretz

[youngdem]

1. They should be dissatisfied

Likud is writing checks that the people of Israel will be cashing for many generations.

Learning to play nice with the neighbors, especially when your neighbors outnumber you 20 to 1 and have you surrounded, is a good idea.

I am well aware that there is enough blame to go around, but the stronger party in any argument has the obligation of restraint or the responsibility of what comes next.

[bemildred]

2. The current "leaders" seem very Bushlike in their incompetence to me.

A bunch of prima-donna media stooges. The time since Sharon came to power has been all downhill, disastrous, and no end in sight. They share the delusion that appearances are all that matters.

[youngdem]

3. Absolutely. Israel is in denial.

They think they can keep playing tough and that it is going to help. They are blinded by the rage they experience when they are attacked, and act in ways that are counter to their interests. (sounds familiar to a post-9/11 America, no doubt)

I just wish they could see that they must stop collective punishment of the Palestinians if they hope to EVER regain ANY moral high ground.

[furman]

4. Double standards at play?

As if there is any moral high ground in suicide bombers, kidnappings, Kassam rockets, and antisemitic incitement in the press.

In fact, it is the Islamic world's constant rejectionist stance towards Israel that is the root cause.

There is no morality in rejecting the right to Israel's existence, none at all.

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. Don't you think that if the radicals' views were the standard

that Israel would have been wiped out years ago?

There is a loud, and dangerous minority that is warring on Israel. The vast majority just want to go about their lives. But every time Israel responds to the militants' provocations with collective punishment, they are recruiting for those same militants.

The rise of Hamas is directly attributable to Israel's (read that as Sharon & Likud's) refusal to deal with Fatah and Arafat.

Time after time polls have shown the majority of both Palestinians and Israelis want a two-state solution, as envisioned by the UN in 1948. But racists on both sides always seem to get the final word - it's not just the Likud fascists, it's all the Jews; it's not just the militant Islamists, it's all the Arabs.

Only racists will paint an entire people based on the acts of a minority of that people.

[furman]

6. Israel would have been wiped out long ago but survived because of its strong military

And Israel would be wiped out in five minutes if they ever dropped their guard.

The rise of Hamas is directly attributable to the people who elected them.
You know, Palestinian self-determination. They reap what they sow.

The polls also show that Palestinians support suicide bombing and terrorism in order to achieve their goals.

Israel and the UN envisioned a two-state solution back in 1947-8, but the Arabs did not and their leadership still do not.

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. And again, you paint all Palestinians as a unified group, all bent

on destroying Israel.

That is simply not true. If it was true you wouldn't be seeing gun battles between Fatah and Hamas.

"The rise of Hamas is directly attributable to the people who elected them."

You think this happens in a vacuum? There was a reason for it - the fact that the IDF kept Arafat a prisoner in his compound for years kind of undercut the Palestinian Authority's authority, don't you think? Of course, the reason IDF did that was because the PA was not asserting its control over Hamas - though just HOW bombing Arafat's compound and the PA police headquarters was supposed to enhance their authority I can't quite get. So here comes an election and the people who have seen 30,000 of their homes bulldozed in three years, their police disarmed and their leadership marginalized if not imprisoned, the people choose to try a different tack -- voting for the party that did NOT shake hands with the government that has been oppressing them. What a big, fucking surprise.

What was the death toll last year? 30 Israelis, and 600 Palestinians? Which side, then, is the terrorist? If every Israeli killed hardens the Israelis' resolve, doesn't it stand to reason that the Palestinians are 20 time more resolved and 20 times more pissed off, for having suffered 20 times the deaths?

Prior to Sharon coming to power there was a window where peace was a real possibility; Israelis and Palestinians were talking, reaching out to each other to find accommodation. Then the RW nuts screwed it up, as usual.

As long as the hard line insists on collective punishment they will face mass resistance. And the more they see all Palestinians as a single enemy, the more they will mold all Palestinians into a single enemy.

[furman]

11. Arafat was kept a prisoner because that was more PC than trying or killing him

The Intifada of 2000 started while Barak was still in power.
Likud did not "screw it up". Arafat and his murderous terrorists did.

If the PA and Hamas embraced peace instead of murdering Jews, then no Palestinians would suffer or die.

You are whitewashing the Palestinian culture and have bought into their
propaganda of extreme demonization of Israel.
Their people are taught at a very young age to hate Jews and Israel.
Have a look at some of the media monitoring sites that show all the
antisemitism and anti-Israel propaganda throughout the Middle East.
Even Egypt is guilty, and they have a peace treaty with Israel.

I am not saying that all Palestinians share their leaders' goals of Israel's dissolution.
I am saying that enough of the population allow it to happen.
Right now we have in power Hamas the religious terrorist organization and Fatah the secular terrorist organization.
Why are there still any terrorist organizations in power? Why do their people allow this?
The people might be brainwashed to believe that is "resistance to the occupation" and "liberation",
but the real agenda is driven by Jew-hatred and the destruction of Israel.
That is why there is an "occupation" in the first place.
The Muslim world has never accepted the presence of a Jewish state in the Middle East.
The hatred of Jews goes way back in time, long before there was Israel or a Zionist movement.

[msmcghee]

13. There you go again . .

. . buying in to reality. :thumbsup:

[breakaleg]

14. have you seen any of the many videos of Israeli settlers threatening to kill the Arabs?

Many of them are children being taught to hate by their parents.

[furman]

15. I've seen a few clips of violence in Hebron

I am confident that the settlers who actively condone hate to this degree are in the minority.
And even then you don't see them shooting rockets or blowing themselves up in buses and pizza parlors.

[henank]

8. Likud???

Why mention Likud? I see that every time someone wants to be derogatory about the Israeli government they refer to it as "Likud". Does anyone on this forum realise that Likud are not in power in Israel? They are in the opposition. In fact if the Israeli government were to fall, chances are that then the new government would be Likud. Then you can start complaining...

[Andromeda]

9. It's like this...

When they don't know, they just make things up.

Welcome to DU!

[Violet_Crumble]

10. Talk about making a big deal out of a little mistake...

Does anyone on this forum realise that Likud are not in power in Israel?

Reality check time. One poster in this thread mentioned Likud, and I'm finding yr over-reaction to be very interesting. Of course the regulars in this forum are aware that Likud isn't currently in power, though to be precise, Israel's govt is formed from a Kadima/Labor coalition....

btw, when Likud was in power and people complained in this forum, they were attacked for doing so...

[bemildred]

12. Like here in the USA, I don't think it makes too much difference ...

... what sort of political stage show is being presented at any particular time. What matters are the political policies being pursued, which have not changed much in ages, except for Olmert & crews' ham-handed failure in Lebanon.

I am just a bit surprised that they want to heat things up on the N border already, I thought they would take a little time and try to get their shit together in the IDF, get the political hacks out of the way, do a little training maybe, replenish and refit, but I guess with Olmert's popularity in the high one figures the need for a distraction overrides every consideration of prudence and good sense.

[msmcghee]

16. Or, perhaps Hisb'allah figures . .

. . their best chance for a repeat performance of last summer's aggression that doesn't end in their total destruction - is to start something now - before Israel does get their shit totally together. Although I suspect those cluster munitions still waiting near their rocket launch bunkers will slow them down a bit.

Either way, it looks bad for Lebanese civilians and infrastructure once again. We'll get to see how many dead Lebanese civilians Hisb'allah believes are worth one Israeli life this time around. Last time it was 8:1.

Lest anyone mischaracterize that last statement - I deplore the fact that any Lebanese civilians will be killed in this next phase of "negotiating with Nasrallah" - and also that Hisb'allah is willing to attack Israel knowing that the result is certain to be many dead Lebanese civilians who live in the vicinity of their rocket launchers.

[bemildred]

17. Do you even read what you write?

Hizbullah wants to start something now in the hopes that they won't be totally destroyed? The IDF will perform "strategic bombing" of Lebanon again because of another border spat?

At least you admit that the IDF does not have its shit together.

[msmcghee]

18. Of course I admit that.

I don't have any problem with reality.

[Porcupine]

19. Yet you repeatedly justify Israeli aggression?

That is maintaining the hatred of it's neighbors. You have no problems, actually you embrace the killing of dozens of Palestinian and Lebanese civilians for every IDF soldier killed.

You fail to recognize that in Iraq, right now, the US army is getting it's ass kicked using weapons and tactics identical to those of the IDF. You don't seem to think this might be a long term problem for Israel.

When the US finally withdraws from the middle east to count it's dead and deal with the staggering financial cost they are not coming back to save Israel's ass.

Israel has a very short time to learn to get along with it's neighbors. That's reality. Some people in Israel are starting to realize this hence the OP.