Binyamin Netanyahu: a parable of modern populism

[Gaon]

In Israel, as elsewhere, politics is a perplexing mix of sound policy and the cynical erosion of institutions



His devotees call him "The Magician", "The Winner" and—the ultimate accolade—melekh yisrael, "King of Israel". Binyamin Netanyahu is Israel's most gifted politician in a generation. He is his country's second-longest-serving prime minister and, if he wins his fifth election on April 9th, may beat the record of the country's founding father, David Ben Gurion.



"Bibi", as he is known by all, is important beyond Israel, too, and not only because he speaks in perfect soundbites in both Hebrew and English and stands tall in today's chaotic Middle East. He matters because he embodied the politics of muscular nationalism, chauvinism and the resentment of elites long before such populism became a global force. Mr Netanyahu counts among his friends and allies such nationalists as Donald Trump and Narendra Modi, not to mention European ones from Viktor Orban in Hungary to Matteo Salvini in Italy.



The reign of King Bibi is thus a parable of modern politics: the rise of a talented politician and a long success based on a perplexing mixture of carrying out sound policy and cynically sowing division. As his power is threatened, he has turned to railing more loudly against the free press, the judiciary and shadowy forces. Now Bibi faces his greatest danger, in the form of criminal charges for corruption. In a different age he would have had to resign, and would now be defending himself as an ordinary citizen. But he is intent on remaining in office, and hopes that voters will yet save him from the policemen, prosecutors and judges. Israeli politics is turning into a contest between genuine achievement and demagoguery on one side and the rule of law on the other. All who care about democracy should watch closely.



Little Israel commands attention because it has a big history: biblical romance and technological talent; the slaughter of the Holocaust and military prowess; energetic democracy and the long occupation of land claimed and inhabited by Palestinians. That said, Mr Netanyahu is a big figure in his own right (see article). He is more intelligent and capable than many populists, and can claim plenty of successes. By shrinking the bloated state he has helped Israel's economy flourish, particularly its tech startups. With deft use of diplomacy and the mostly cautious use of military force, he has boosted security without being sucked into disastrous wars. Thanks to that and a shared hostility to Iran, relations with many Arab rulers are better than at any time in Israel's history.



Mr Netanyahu has warmly embraced Mr Trump, who in turn has showered him with gifts, most recently his endorsement of Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights. Might Mr Trump also back Israel's annexation of bits of the West Bank, so denying Palestinians the hope of statehood? In the long run Bibi's overt alignment with America's Republicans and the evangelical right endangers the bipartisan pro-Israeli consensus in Washington that is the foundation of Israel's security.



But the greatest threat from Bibi's reign has been at home. He has kept power not just on the strength of his record but also by seeking political advantage at the cost of eroding Israel's democratic norms. Mr Netanyahu pushed for an electoral pact with the hitherto untouchable far-right Jewish Power group, which wants to annex all the occupied territories and "encourage" Arabs, including Israeli citizens, to leave. He has played us-and-them politics for so long that he has exacerbated the country's many schisms—between Jews and Arabs, diaspora Jews and Israelis, western Ashkenazi and eastern Mizrahi Jews, and secular and religious ones. By casting himself as uniquely able to protect Israel against its enemies, he often treats those who say otherwise as wimps or traitors.



Mr Netanyahu and his friends denounce as backstabbers any Jews who stand in their way. The free press peddles fake news. Political opponents, even the generals who pack the new Blue and White opposition party, are in cahoots with the Arabs. Bibi has flirted with the conspiracy theory beloved of anti-Semites that George Soros, a Jewish billionaire, is plotting to undermine nationalist governments around the world.

https://www.economist.com/leaders/2019/03/30/binyamin-netanyahu-a-parable-of-modern-populism?cid1=cust/ednew/n/bl/n/2019/03/28n/owned/n/n/nwl/n/n/NA/220109/n">https://www.economist.com/leaders/2019/ ... A/220109/n">https://www.economist.com/leaders/2019/03/30/binyamin-netanyahu-a-parable-of-modern-populism?cid1=cust/ednew/n/bl/n/2019/03/28n/owned/n/n/nwl/n/n/NA/220109/n



My wife and I voted for a right wing coalition partner of Netanyahu. But, we know what a skilled cunning politician Beebe is. And he can take credit for Israel's success in start ups that have been helped along by his economic reforms. If he defeats the Blue and White coalition on April 9 the original populist leader will be Israel's longest serving leader.



This editorial was written from a leftist point of view. But, even leftists cannot deny his impact on politics in Israel and populists throughout the world.

[Anonymous]

When I think of Israel, I think of Mr Netanyahu.

[Gaon]

When I think of Israel, I think of Mr Netanyahu.

When I think of politics in Israel, I think of him. He has changed Israel and the West. He was the original populist. He paved the way for Trump, Matteo Salvini, Bolosonaro, and Orban.

[Anonymous]

In Israel, as elsewhere, politics is a perplexing mix of sound policy and the cynical erosion of institutions



His devotees call him "The Magician", "The Winner" and—the ultimate accolade—melekh yisrael, "King of Israel". Binyamin Netanyahu is Israel's most gifted politician in a generation. He is his country's second-longest-serving prime minister and, if he wins his fifth election on April 9th, may beat the record of the country's founding father, David Ben Gurion.



"Bibi", as he is known by all, is important beyond Israel, too, and not only because he speaks in perfect soundbites in both Hebrew and English and stands tall in today's chaotic Middle East. He matters because he embodied the politics of muscular nationalism, chauvinism and the resentment of elites long before such populism became a global force. Mr Netanyahu counts among his friends and allies such nationalists as Donald Trump and Narendra Modi, not to mention European ones from Viktor Orban in Hungary to Matteo Salvini in Italy.



The reign of King Bibi is thus a parable of modern politics: the rise of a talented politician and a long success based on a perplexing mixture of carrying out sound policy and cynically sowing division. As his power is threatened, he has turned to railing more loudly against the free press, the judiciary and shadowy forces. Now Bibi faces his greatest danger, in the form of criminal charges for corruption. In a different age he would have had to resign, and would now be defending himself as an ordinary citizen. But he is intent on remaining in office, and hopes that voters will yet save him from the policemen, prosecutors and judges. Israeli politics is turning into a contest between genuine achievement and demagoguery on one side and the rule of law on the other. All who care about democracy should watch closely.



Little Israel commands attention because it has a big history: biblical romance and technological talent; the slaughter of the Holocaust and military prowess; energetic democracy and the long occupation of land claimed and inhabited by Palestinians. That said, Mr Netanyahu is a big figure in his own right (see article). He is more intelligent and capable than many populists, and can claim plenty of successes. By shrinking the bloated state he has helped Israel's economy flourish, particularly its tech startups. With deft use of diplomacy and the mostly cautious use of military force, he has boosted security without being sucked into disastrous wars. Thanks to that and a shared hostility to Iran, relations with many Arab rulers are better than at any time in Israel's history.



Mr Netanyahu has warmly embraced Mr Trump, who in turn has showered him with gifts, most recently his endorsement of Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights. Might Mr Trump also back Israel's annexation of bits of the West Bank, so denying Palestinians the hope of statehood? In the long run Bibi's overt alignment with America's Republicans and the evangelical right endangers the bipartisan pro-Israeli consensus in Washington that is the foundation of Israel's security.



But the greatest threat from Bibi's reign has been at home. He has kept power not just on the strength of his record but also by seeking political advantage at the cost of eroding Israel's democratic norms. Mr Netanyahu pushed for an electoral pact with the hitherto untouchable far-right Jewish Power group, which wants to annex all the occupied territories and "encourage" Arabs, including Israeli citizens, to leave. He has played us-and-them politics for so long that he has exacerbated the country's many schisms—between Jews and Arabs, diaspora Jews and Israelis, western Ashkenazi and eastern Mizrahi Jews, and secular and religious ones. By casting himself as uniquely able to protect Israel against its enemies, he often treats those who say otherwise as wimps or traitors.



Mr Netanyahu and his friends denounce as backstabbers any Jews who stand in their way. The free press peddles fake news. Political opponents, even the generals who pack the new Blue and White opposition party, are in cahoots with the Arabs. Bibi has flirted with the conspiracy theory beloved of anti-Semites that George Soros, a Jewish billionaire, is plotting to undermine nationalist governments around the world.

https://www.economist.com/leaders/2019/03/30/binyamin-netanyahu-a-parable-of-modern-populism?cid1=cust/ednew/n/bl/n/2019/03/28n/owned/n/n/nwl/n/n/NA/220109/n">https://www.economist.com/leaders/2019/ ... A/220109/n">https://www.economist.com/leaders/2019/03/30/binyamin-netanyahu-a-parable-of-modern-populism?cid1=cust/ednew/n/bl/n/2019/03/28n/owned/n/n/nwl/n/n/NA/220109/n



My wife and I voted for a right wing coalition partner of Netanyahu. But, we know what a skilled cunning politician Beebe is. And he can take credit for Israel's success in start ups that have been helped along by his economic reforms. If he defeats the Blue and White coalition on April 9 the original populist leader will be Israel's longest serving leader.



This editorial was written from a leftist point of view. But, even leftists cannot deny his impact on politics in Israel and populists throughout the world.

I generally take ed-ops from the Economist with a pinch of salt. But, Netanyahu's many accomplishments and influence cannot be denied. A giant on the international stage. He's either hated or admired.

[cc]

......  A giant on the international stage. He's either hated or admired.

That's true especially for all great and strong leaders

[Anonymous]

......  A giant on the international stage. He's either hated or admired.

That's true for all great and strong leaders

Like Justin Trudeau.

 

[cc]

ummmmm .. OK



https://www.blazingcatfur.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Liberal-Party-Hypocrisy-meter.jpg">

[Anonymous]

ummmmm

He's not one of the great and strong leaders you meant.

 

[Anonymous]

Beebe is Captain Israel. A deal maker for sure, but he won't sell out his country to globalists the way progtard leaders like Justine do.

[Gaon]

Bibi on illegal immigration, "This era of immigration free-for-all should be brought to an end"



In 2012 the Netanyahu government passed the "Prevention of Infiltration Law", which mandated automatic detention of all people, including asylum-seekers, who enter Israel without permission.



Netanyahu is critical of what he sees as the overly open immigration policy of EU nations. Netanyahu has urged the leaders of Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Poland to close their borders to illegal immigration

[Anonymous]

The opposition better not screw up when campaigning against Netanyahu.



Ahead of Israel's Election, Gantz's Meme-Inspiring Missteps Embolden Netanyahu  

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/27/world/middleeast/gantz-netanyahu-israel.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/27/worl ... srael.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/27/world/middleeast/gantz-netanyahu-israel.html

[Anonymous]

The NYT really hates Nethanyahu.



https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/02/author-of-new-york-times-anti-israel-piece-works-for-group-funded-by-qatar/?utm_medium=email">https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/02/auth ... dium=email">https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/02/author-of-new-york-times-anti-israel-piece-works-for-group-funded-by-qatar/?utm_medium=email

AUTHOR OF NEW YORK TIMES ANTI-ISRAEL PIECE WORKS FOR GROUP FUNDED BY QATAR



The author of a New York Times magazine cover story that blasted Israel works for a group that is funded by Qatar, the home base of the Muslim Brotherhood's spiritual leader and anti-Semite Yusuf al Qaradawi.



The revelation exposes a glaring bias in this journalist's writings.



In his Sunday piece titled, "How the Battle Over Israel and Anti-Semitism Is Fracturing American Politics," Nathan Thrall pens a scathing indictment of the Democratic Party's supposed support for Israel, leading with his criticism of Hillary Clinton's choice of a Jew, Robert Wexler, as her foreign policy expert, versus Bernie Sanders' choice, James Zogby, an Arab-American.



According to the Washington Free Beacon, which first broke news of Thrall's ties to Qatar, the author has a long history of writing anti-Israel pieces. The Beacon's Adam Kredo wrote that Thrall, "who the Times presents as a disinterested expert, serves as director of the Arab-Israeli Project at the International Crisis Group, or ICG, a left-leaning advocacy organization that has received around $4 million from the Qatari government in the just the last year. Qatar's donations represent around 23 percent of ICG's total budget." ICG has reportedly also raised $1 million in the past few years from the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation, which openly and enthusiastically funds the BDS movement in the United States.

[Bricktop]

I do not read newspapers any more.



I find it odd that people who buy them are actually paying someone for their often ill informed or subversive opinions.

[Anonymous]

I do not read newspapers any more.



I find it odd that people who buy them are actually paying someone for their often ill informed or subversive opinions.

I read mainstream news. But, the editorials I skim.

[Gaon]

The NYT really hates Nethanyahu.



https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/02/author-of-new-york-times-anti-israel-piece-works-for-group-funded-by-qatar/?utm_medium=email">https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/02/auth ... dium=email">https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/02/author-of-new-york-times-anti-israel-piece-works-for-group-funded-by-qatar/?utm_medium=email

AUTHOR OF NEW YORK TIMES ANTI-ISRAEL PIECE WORKS FOR GROUP FUNDED BY QATAR



The author of a New York Times magazine cover story that blasted Israel works for a group that is funded by Qatar, the home base of the Muslim Brotherhood's spiritual leader and anti-Semite Yusuf al Qaradawi.



The revelation exposes a glaring bias in this journalist's writings.



In his Sunday piece titled, "How the Battle Over Israel and Anti-Semitism Is Fracturing American Politics," Nathan Thrall pens a scathing indictment of the Democratic Party's supposed support for Israel, leading with his criticism of Hillary Clinton's choice of a Jew, Robert Wexler, as her foreign policy expert, versus Bernie Sanders' choice, James Zogby, an Arab-American.



According to the Washington Free Beacon, which first broke news of Thrall's ties to Qatar, the author has a long history of writing anti-Israel pieces. The Beacon's Adam Kredo wrote that Thrall, "who the Times presents as a disinterested expert, serves as director of the Arab-Israeli Project at the International Crisis Group, or ICG, a left-leaning advocacy organization that has received around $4 million from the Qatari government in the just the last year. Qatar's donations represent around 23 percent of ICG's total budget." ICG has reportedly also raised $1 million in the past few years from the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation, which openly and enthusiastically funds the BDS movement in the United States.

The New York Times and Washington Post are anti-populist propaganda.