Israeli Journalist Warns Opposition Against Ultra-Orthodox Alliance
Translated & summarized from Cursorinfo by baba
Journalist Raviv Drucker warned Israeli opposition leaders, including Avigdor Lieberman, that forming a government with ultra-Orthodox parties is likely to fail, citing the 1990 "rotten trick" as a precedent. He argued that Shas voters are more aligned with Benjamin Netanyahu and that United Torah Judaism's demands are too extreme for the opposition. Drucker advised against relying on ultra-Orthodox promises, suggesting they might only remain neutral if a government is already formed without them.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Journalist Raviv Drucker warned opposition leaders against relying on ultra-Orthodox parties for government formation.
- Drucker cited the 1990 "rotten trick" where Shimon Peres's government bid failed due to ultra-Orthodox withdrawal.
- He stated Shas voters are more aligned with Prime Minister Netanyahu than Netanyahu himself.
- Drucker believes United Torah Judaism's demands are too extreme for the opposition bloc.
- He suggested ultra-Orthodox parties might only remain neutral if a government is already secured without them.
- Drucker criticized Avigdor Lieberman's potential ambition for premiership with ultra-Orthodox support.
Israeli journalist Raviv Drucker has issued a stark warning to opposition leaders, including Avigdor Lieberman, cautioning them against forming a government with the support of ultra-Orthodox parties. Drucker believes such an attempt is doomed to fail, drawing a parallel to the infamous "rotten trick" of 1990.
Drucker recalled the political maneuver by Shimon Peres in 1990, where Peres attempted to form an alternative government after the fall of Yitzhak Shamir's cabinet. Peres secured agreements with ultra-Orthodox parties, promising them concessions and setting a date for the new government's swearing-in. However, at the last moment, two Knesset members from the Agudat Yisrael party failed to attend the vote, causing Peres's bid to collapse due to a lack of sufficient votes.
Drucker argued that over 36 years later, opposition leaders risk repeating the same mistake. He specifically pointed out that the voter base of the Shas party is more ideologically aligned with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu than Netanyahu himself, making their support for a government led by Yair Golan or Gilad Kariv highly improbable. Furthermore, Drucker stated that the demands of the United Torah Judaism party are far beyond what the opposition bloc can offer.
The journalist suggested that the most realistic scenario for gaining ultra-Orthodox support is their passive non-interference, which might only occur if Gadi Eisenkot already has a government formed without their dependence. Drucker also sharply criticized Lieberman's potential ambition to become prime minister with ultra-Orthodox backing, suggesting he should reconsider his strategy.
Concluding his remarks, Drucker urged opposition leaders not to trust the promises of ultra-Orthodox politicians and to avoid becoming like Shimon Peres by believing they can secure a government with such support.
Mentioned
