Netanyahu sworn in as Israel's prime minister

[oberliner]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in late Tuesday to lead Israel's 32nd government, after cobbling together a coalition amid rising tensions within his own Likud party and with other leading political figures.

Lawmakers voted 69 to 45 with five abstentions in favor of Netanyahu's right-wing government after a six-hour debate, making Netanyahu prime minister for the second time in 10 years.

The new coalition will comprise 30 ministers and seven deputy ministers. In addition to serving as premier, Netanyahu has also created a position for himself as financial strategy minister and appointed Yuval Steinitz (Likud) to serve as finance minister.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1075341.html

[angstlessk]

1. I see Israel and Italy going in the same direction..fascists

the reight wing won in both countries.

[LeftishBrit]

5. Yes. But in both countries, the political situation is very unstable and fluctuates all the time

Let's hope for a left turn in both places.

[oberliner]

12. Isn't the Right in Italy like the Left in the US?

Since they are generally so much further Left than we are? For some reason I remember hearing that sentiment but it may have been too long ago to be relevant.

[LeftishBrit]

13. No, at least not nowadays

It is indeed true that in some Europaean countries, mainstream Conservatives broadly resemble American Democrats; but this is not the case in Italy, where Berlusconi is very right-wing - not dissimilar to an American Republican. He also happens to be a crook, who has only escaped prosecution and jail through parliamentary immunity. The Mayor of Rome belongs to a far-right party.

[oberliner]

14. I believe I was thinking of the Christian Democrats

They appear to no longer exist according to Wikipedia - shows how out of touch I am on European politics!

[bemildred]

2. So government of the yahoos, by the yahoos, and for the yahoos has begun.

:popcorn::popcorn:

[Jefferson23]

3. Here comes the implosion, here comes the implosion!!, stand back

and watch the crazies go at each other.

:woohoo:

[IndianaGreen]

4. Bibi, Yvette, and the poodle Barak

We will know Netanyahu and Lieberman by their nicknames, while the self-promoting Ehud Barak becomes the poodle, just as Tony Blair became Bush's poodle.

[Violet_Crumble]

6. Let's hope this coalition of tools dies a quick death...

I was reading an article that said a poll carried out found 54% of Israelis were unhappy about the new govt. And I can't even begin to describe my contempt for Barak....

[oberliner]

7. What governing coalition would you like to see elected?

Which political parties would you like to see form the next government, realistically speaking?

The parties that won over ten seats were: Kadima, Likud, Yisrael Beiteinu, Labor, and Shas.

From there, the next most successful parties won between three and five seats. They were: United Torah Judaism, United Arab List, National Union, Hadash, Meretz, The Jewish Home, and Balad.

Would you like to see a Kadima-led government? Or a Labor-led government under different leadership?

Personally, I would have liked to see Livni put together a coalition (and was hopeful that she would be given the chance after coming in first).

[LeftishBrit]

8. What I would like and what I could reasonably hope for are two different things

What I would LIKE would be a coalition led by Meretz, together with Hadash and the left wing of the Labor Party.

What I might more realistically hope for would be a Kadima-Labor coalition that was sufficiently strong to not depend on Shas, Beiteinu or any other small right-wing parties.

[oberliner]

11. I wonder about the Yisrael Beiteinu voters

I remember reading that many of those voters were doing so as a protest vote against the corruption of the big three, similar to what happened with the Pensioners previously.

It is interesting to note that the Pensioners party won 7 seats in the 2006 elections, only to drop to zero seats in the most recent elections

[Violet_Crumble]

9. Very simple ones. Left-wing ones consisting of Arab parties as well...n/t

[oberliner]

10. I wonder if maybe a new party could be formed between Meretz and the factions of Labor

who are dissatisfied with Barak and the direction he is taking the party.

It does seem like, one way or another, Israel is going to need to take a look at reforming its electoral system.