New Israeli right-wing leader worries Netanyahu
The charismatic new leader of Israel’s Jewish religious right is siphoning a large chunk of votes from the prime minister’s party, according to polls ahead of Jan. 22 elections, and if the trend continues, the high-tech millionaire and former commando could emerge as a powerful voice opposing Palestinian statehood.
Though Naftali Bennett, the 40-year-old son of American immigrants, is a classic religious hard-liner, comfortable in the settlements he champions, he has been able to draw on his military and entrepreneurial background to widen his appeal to secular circles as well. His sprawling, modern home in Raanana, an upscale suburb of Tel Aviv, is far from the barren hilltops of the West Bank settlers who form the backbone of his support…
“My positions are very clear: I never hide the fact that I categorically oppose a Palestinian state inside our country,” Bennett told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. In the terminology of religiously devout hard-liners, “our country” means not only Israel, but also the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which the Palestinians hopes to incorporate into a future state, with east Jerusalem as its capital.
Bennett takes pride in his straight-talking campaign and accuses other politicians — including Netanyahu — of being “ambiguous.”
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
looks like a clone of Putin, but hopefully not his political clone
ChunkyLover on December 27, 2012 at 4:41 PM
This article is misleading, factually inaccurate – even to the point of silliness in a few spots – and almost derogatory. The AP’s trying to paint him as a dangerous extremist.
He is not that popular among the youth of Tel Aviv (the equivalent of the youth of NYC – liberals) and among the Israeli media which are also pretty liberal and are looking for “gotcha” moments to create controversy just like any media in liberal democratic countries, but he is popular enough and centrist enough among the Israeli populace.
The man was Netanyahu’s chief of staff for 2 years after all. He is actually less extremist than Avigdor Liberman, if Liberman can be even considered extremist based on his actions.
AlexB on December 27, 2012 at 4:47 PM
Bennett is correct in stating that there cannot be a Pali state. If the palis were to get the West Bank Israel would never be secure again. It is not a 3 minute flight from the border of the West Bank to Tel Aviv (and it is ZERO at Jerusalem) and Israel would constantly be susceptible to a pali attack (or an attack by other arabs) taking advantage of a pali airport built near the border (which we all know the palis would do, I think). Further, there are water issues and other sensitive problems that make a West Bank pali state totally unworkable.
It is almost offensive to still have to listen to people talk about a “two state solution” when it’s clear that there would be, at the least, three states. Even currently, gaza and the West Bank are totally different arabs who have no love for each other and, other than working to destroy Israel, share nothing. The further offense that the palis would have to get some sort of transit corridor through Israel to connect those two areas (thereby splitting Israel, but who cares about that …) just makes it all that much more insane.
The palis had 12 chances to have their own states. They blew them all. They rejected offer after offer. They violated the Oslo Accords the day they were enacted (and have made a mockery of them ever since). They had many chances to get their two extra states (after which they would have then allied with the rest of the arabs and worked to totally destroy Israel) and they blew them all. Now, it’s time to be serious about the situation. The palis can’t have jack. They were on the losing side in a handful of wars waged against Israel and have to suffer the consequences. Israel has to consider its long-term security and cannot be bullied into a suicidal position by uninvolved third parties like the EU, the UN, Russia, the US, …
Israel has a rough ride ahead. Very rough.
ThePrimordialOrderedPair on December 27, 2012 at 5:02 PM
It’s an article by the AP. What do you expect? It says that it is by the AP, you say it is misleading, factually inaccurate. That is redundant.
besser tot als rot on December 27, 2012 at 5:12 PM
Calling Jews building homes in Israel settlers is racist. The Jews are indigenous people of Israel and Jerusalem has been the capitol of the Jews for over 3000 years. And calling a traditional Jew, part of the “religious right” or a “hardliner” is Orwellian considering that the AP calls the terrorist, child murderers and misogynists of the muslim brotherhood “moderates.”
georgealbert on December 27, 2012 at 5:44 PM
if this bucktoothed little pos makes bibi look reasonable, israel is in big trouble.
sesquipedalian on December 27, 2012 at 5:52 PM
Israel is in big trouble every day of its existence regardless of who the hell is in charge, skippy, they’re a flyover NATION in the middle of millions of Arabs. And we’re in no better shape leadership-wise.
MelonCollie on December 27, 2012 at 7:58 PM