Had Sharon rather than Netanyahu continued as Israeli PM, could things have been different?

[Tooting Carmen]

While Sharon was originally the more hardline and militaristic of the two (Sabra and Shatila, anybody?), there is a lot of evidence that he modified his positions substantially in his later years. This is in contrast to Netanyahu, who if anything has actually become more hardline and nationalistic over the years.

Sharon organised Israel's disengagement from Gaza in 2005, which Netanyahu vigorously opposed and led to him to resign as Sharon's Finance Minister. As a result of the growing discontent from Netanyahu and other Likud right-wingers, Sharon left the party to set up his own centrist party called Kadima. One of its key policies was to end most if not all of Israel's settlements in the West Bank.

However, by pure coincidence, just as he was beginning to run for office, Sharon fell into a stroke in January 2006, and was in a PVS until he finally passed away eight years later. Thus, had he lived and been re-elected as Israel's leader, could we actually have achieved peace in the Middle East? Could Sharon have eventually become Israel's Gorbachev or De Klerk?

[Tooting Carmen]

Bump

[Longbowman]

Yeah he was willing to compromise, like Rabin.

[Tooting Carmen]

Yeah he was willing to compromise, like Rabin.

What I want to know is how has Netanyahu been re-elected so many times as PM now, given that his corruption and mismanagement (quite apart from his authoritarian and racist beliefs and policies) are so well-known?

[Longbowman]

What I want to know is how has Netanyahu been re-elected so many times as PM now, given that his corruption and mismanagement (quite apart from his authoritarian and racist beliefs and policies) are so well-known?

Well, he only actually gets 25% of the vote, and being authoritarian and racist isn't a dealbreaker in Israel, or indeed, America or most of Europe. As for the corruption and mismanagement, people don't like admitting they've been fooled, so his core voters either deny it or downplay it, and as Israel has proportional representation like the pseudo-socialist cucks that they are, he can manipulate smaller parties to maintain his grip on the reins of power.

[Tooting Carmen]

Well, he only actually gets 25% of the vote, and being authoritarian and racist isn't a dealbreaker in Israel, or indeed, America or most of Europe. As for the corruption and mismanagement, people don't like admitting they've been fooled, so his core voters either deny it or downplay it, and as Israel has proportional representation like the pseudo-socialist cucks that they are, he can manipulate smaller parties to maintain his grip on the reins of power.

Yes I like PR in principal, but I can see that it has the potential to be dysfunctional and let fruitcakes and bigots into office much more easily. As for the growing tension between Netanyahu and Sharon in the latter's later years, to what extent do you think it was to do with their personal ambitions, and to what extent was it to do with a genuine difference in beliefs and policies?

[Longbowman]

Yes I like PR in principal, but I can see that it has the potential to be dysfunctional and let fruitcakes and bigots into office much more easily. As for the growing tension between Netanyahu and Sharon in the latter's later years, to what extent do you think it was to do with their personal ambitions, and to what extent was it to do with a genuine difference in beliefs and policies?

PR makes kingmakers of idiots and enables partisan morons to make all the decisions. Supporting it for democracy's sake is idiotic. Democracy isn't a goal, it's a means to an ends - a check on the power of the elites.

With Netanyahu, personal ambition always comes into play, but probably also differing beliefs.

[Tooting Carmen]

PR makes kingmakers of idiots and enables partisan morons to make all the decisions. Supporting it for democracy's sake is idiotic. Democracy isn't a goal, it's a means to an ends - a check on the power of the elites.

With Netanyahu, personal ambition always comes into play, but probably also differing beliefs.

But either way, why is the Israeli left so feeble nowadays, when you consider that the Labour Party ran it most of the time until the 80's?

[FinalFlash]

For the US, nothing would change.

[Longbowman]

But either way, why is the Israeli left so feeble nowadays, when you consider that the Labour Party ran it most of the time until the 80's?

Massive influx of Russkies + intifada.