DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Palus Politicus Netanyahu alleges Israeli election fraud, accuses rival of duplicity

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday a newly formed Israeli coalition that is poised to unseat him was the result of “the greatest election fraud” in the history of democracy.

Hours after Netanyahu's comments, Naftali Bennett, a nationalist set to replace him as prime minister, called on Israel's longest-serving leader not to leave "scorched earth" behind and accept that "people are allowed to establish a government - even if you don't head it".

Netanyahu made his sweeping accusation at a time when Israel's domestic security chief has warned publicly about the prospect of political violence.

"We are witnessing the greatest election fraud in the history of the country, in my opinion in the history of any democracy," Netanyahu said in comments to legislators from his right-wing Likud party.

He focused his allegations on a broken campaign promise from Bennett, who had pledged not to partner with left-wing, centrist and Arab parties.

On Wednesday, Bennett announced with opposition leader Yair Lapid that they had formed a governing coalition with factions from across the political spectrum following an inconclusive March 23 election, Israel's fourth in two years.

Under a rotation deal, Bennett will serve first as prime minister, followed by Lapid.

No date has been set for a vote in parliament to approve the new government.

In a televised speech, Bennett called on Yariv Levin, parliament's speaker and a Netanyahu loyalist, not to try to buy time to encourage members of the new coalition to defect, and said he should hold the vote on Wednesday. There was no immediate comment from Levin.

"Let go. Let the country move forward," Bennett said, addressing his remarks to Netanyahu, who has been in office since 2009. "Mr Netanyahu, don't leave scorched earth behind you. All of us, the entire nation, want to remember the good you did during your service."

Netanyahu's tenure has been clouded by a corruption trial, in which he has denied any wrongdoing, but he has won praise at home and abroad for Israel's quick rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations.

"FRAUD AND SURRENDER"

The prospective new government caps political jockeying since the election. People angry at the planned alliance have held protests outside the homes of opposition politicians, whose security has been beefed up after threats on social media.

"We, my friends and I in Likud, we will vehemently oppose the establishment of this dangerous government of fraud and surrender," Netanyahu said. "And if, God forbid, it is established, we will bring it down very quickly."

In a rare public warning, the head of the Shin Bet internal security agency said on Saturday that increasingly extreme online discourse could lead to violence.

While condemning violence and incitement, Netanyahu, 71, repeated his designation of the Lapid-Bennett coalition as a leftist alliance that would put Israel at risk.

He said the diverse partnership would be unable to stand up to Washington over Iran's nuclear programme or confront Gaza's Hamas militant group that fought with Israel for 11 days last month before a fragile ceasefire went into effect.

Bennett, who heads the far-right Yamina party and advocates annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank, said Netanyahu's description of the coalition as being "extreme-leftist" was "another lie".

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-eas...ity-2021-06-06/

Sound familiar?

oh boy... lol. But is it bigger than the US's biggest election fraud EVAR? I'd love to watch him and Trump hash out who's fraud was worsest.


Honest question... has Netanyahu always been like this?

I know he's been accused of being a very shady character as is seen by the current criminal charges he is facing, but I have no idea to what extent.

One thing about it, he's certainly having no problem following the blueprint Trump drew up.

Don't know enough about Israel politics to know if this is legal.. to run as a coalition and pass control back and forth? And to form that coalition AFTER the election?

Either way, it's their problem to solve.

He's been the subject of some very bad press, but the stuff I've noticed has pretty much all been fairly recent. He's been 'the guy' in Israel for a very long time.

What an innovative, unique way of publicly spinning the act of "getting one's ass kicked." We certainly have never seen this take before...

Man, that Israel- sheesh.

Only a s#-hole, 3rd-world Banana Republic would actually have an outgoing crook/loser of a President (currently under investigation by the very country he 'represents') claiming widespread systemic voting fraud as the reason he was rejected by an overwhelming plurality of his country's vote.

I'm sure glad I live in America, where something like that could never happen-

















[/purple]

Exactly, we have problems of our own to solve.

Seems to be the new Mantra of right wing politicos if they lose an election..

I still can't believe there are intelligent people in America that think Trump won the election...

Oh I agree with you. Even Barr said there was no wide spread voter fraud and every court in the land found the claims ridiculous.

I just thought the similarity of these two sets of circumstances was eerily similar in their responses. Like you said, the new mantra or go to now.

I posted it because watching how it plays out there compared to what has played out to this point here will be interesting to watch.

another trump coo coo style attempt.

There aren’t ‘intelligent’ people that still believe it was stolen. If one still believes it was stolen at this point their intelligence is suspect at best.

Well, then theres that....

Netanyahu out, Bennett in as Israel marks end of an era

Benjamin Netanyahu’s record 12-year run as Israel’s prime minister ended on Sunday with parliament approving a new “government of change” led by nationalist Naftali Bennett, an improbable scenario few Israelis once could have imagined.

But the razor-thin 60-59 vote of confidence in a coalition of left-wing, centrist, right-wing and Arab parties with little in common except a desire to unseat Netanyahu, only underscored its likely fragility.

In Tel Aviv, thousands turned out to welcome the result, after four inconclusive elections in two years.

"I am here celebrating the end of an era in Israel," said Erez Biezuner in Rabin Square. "We want them to succeed and to unite us again," he added, as flag-waving supporters of the new government sang and danced around him.

But a combative Netanyahu, 71,said he would be back sooner than expected. "If we are destined to go into the opposition, we will do so with our heads held high until we can topple it," he told parliament before Bennett was sworn in.

The new government largely plans to avoid sweeping moves on hot-button international issues such as policy toward the Palestinians, and to focus instead on domestic reforms.

Palestinians were unmoved by the change of administration, predicting that Bennett, a former defence chief who advocates annexing parts of the occupied West Bank, would pursue the same right-wing agenda as Likud party leader Netanyahu.

Under the coalition deal, Bennett, a 49-year-old Orthodox Jew and high-tech millionaire, will be replaced as prime minister in 2023 by centrist Yair Lapid, 57, a popular former television host.

With his far-right Yamina party winning only six of parliament's 120 seats in the last election, Bennett's ascension to the premiership was a political jaw-dropper.

Interrupted by non-stop shouts of "liar" and "shame" from Netanyahu loyalists in parliament, Bennett thanked the former prime minister for his "lengthy and achievement-filled service."

But little love has been lost between the two men: Bennett once served as Netanyahu's chief of staff and had a rocky relationship with him as defence minister. Although they are both right-wingers, Bennett spurned Netanyahu's call after the March 23 election to join him.

U.S. President Joe Biden congratulated Bennett andLapid, saying he looked forward to strengthening the “close and enduring” relationship between the two countries.

Head of Oposition Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett gesture following the vote on the new coalition at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem June 13, 2021. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

"My administration is fully committed to working with the new Israeli government to advance security, stability, and peace for Israelis, Palestinians, and people throughout the broader region," Biden said in a statement.

Netanyahu - widely known as 'Bibi' - was Israel's longest-serving leader, serving as prime minister since 2009 after a first term from 1996 to 1999.

The most dominant Israeli politician of his generation, he had become the face of Israel on the international stage, with his polished English and booming baritone voice.

He used his global stature to resist calls for Palestinian statehood, describing it as a danger to Israel's security. Instead, he sought to bypass the Palestinian issue by forging diplomatic deals with regional Arab states, on the back of shared fears of Iran.

But he was a divisive figure at home and abroad, weakened by repeated failure to clinch a decisive election victory, and by an ongoing corruption trial in which he has denied any wrongdoing.

His opponents have long reviled what they see as Netanyahu's divisive rhetoric, underhanded political tactics and subjection of state interests to his own political survival.

He hoped to prevail on the back of Israel's world-beating COVID-19 vaccination rollout, but was dogged by opponents who called him "Crime Minister" and accused him of earlier mishandling the coronavirus crisis and its economic fallout.

Addressing parliament, Bennett echoed Netanyahu's call for the United States not to return to the 2015 nuclear pact between Iran and world powers, a deal abrogated by Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump.

"Renewal of the nuclear agreement with Iran is a mistake, an error that would again grant legitimisation to one of the darkest and violent regimes in the world," Bennett said. "Israel will not allow Iran to equip itself with nuclear weapons."

Thanking Biden for his "years of commitment to Israel's security", and for "standing by Israel" during fighting with Hamas militants in Gaza last month, Bennett said his government would pursue good relations with U.S. Democrats and Republicans alike.

At home, Bennett has angered right-wingers, however, by breaking a campaign pledge in joining forces with Lapid, having to fend off allegations from Netanyahu that he defrauded the electorate. Bennett cited the national interest, arguing that a fifth election would have been a disaster for Israel.

Both Bennett and Lapid have said they want to bridge political divides and unite Israelis.

But the new Cabinet, which met for the first time late on Sunday, faces huge foreign, security and financial challenges: Iran, a fragile ceasefire with Palestinian militants in Gaza, a war crimes probe by the International Criminal Court, and post-pandemic economic recovery.

Bennett listed as priorities reforms in education, health, cutting red tape to grow businesses and lower housing costs. Coalition leaders have said it would pass a two-year budget to help stabilise the country’s finances.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-eas...ign-2021-06-13/

I guess A govt is better than NO govt...?

While I've always been a little stumped as to how Israeli govt works (and when I did a little reading up on it, I just left more confused), I think it's interesting not just how many parallels there are right now between them and us, but also that they're occurring on both sides (ex. Netanyahu's corruption trial and rhetoric, but also how Bennett et al kind of manipulated the political process to gain the PM seat, and the centrist guy being a gameshow host).

I find it all quite interesting myself. I don't really have a dog in the fight here but the one thing I found most interesting as it pertains to the actual process itself is that both of the political extremes, heavily right and left wing parties worked together to oust him.

We can't seem to get those dynamics to work together in getting anything done here.

Bennett was even a one-time member of Netanyahu's cabinet (didn't know that). Sounds like his background was even further right than his old boss?

And that's a deal that was struck. The liberal is supposed to take over in a few years. I have yet to see what the people of Israel have to say about all of this but I expect as with most things, since Bennett is too conservative the reactions will be mixed. Since we are such close allies and supporters of Israel I felt this was of more importance than power struggles we see in some other parts of the world.

It is definitely unique to see these parties come together to oust Netenyahu. It seems like it could also be quite fragile.

Interesting nonetheless on how it came together.

Just like trump... I didn't lose.. It wasn't my fault the House and the senate went to the Left.. It was voter fraud...

LOL It would be funny if it weren't so sad and dangerous

It wouldn't be funny if there was a problem.

So now you are a expert on Israeli elections too.

Israel's new "ABN Coalition" *








*Anyone but Netenyahu

Imagine being so despised that a bunch of groups with little in common unite around kicking you out of office.

Sort of sounds like what happened here in 2020.

What the hell are you talking about... I NEVER said I was an expert on Israel... NOT ONCE..

But hey, if makes you feel more like a man to say stuff like that,,, Have at it.

The sad part is that Netanyahu is doing just exactly what Trump did during the transition of power.... Deny the loss, the big like about voter fraud...

When was the last time an outgoing president of the US didn't come to the inauguration of his successor.. (I remember reading it did happen, but I don't remember who) Obama came to Trumps, Bush came to Obama etc...

Apparently BiBi didn't want to show up...

Yeah, that's sad in anyone eyes with a brain that hasn't been radicalized by the likes of Trump and his world of hate minions.