# Israel in the 21st Century



## a_majoor (20 Mar 2015)

Since there is no thread that seems to deal with Israel directly, I am taking the time to start one now. Recent decades of demonization by the Legacy media have perhaps obscured the true situation from us. The re-election of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to have come as a shock to the western press, but some (admittedly after the fact) Googling should have primed everyone that while the election may have been a tough go, "Bibi" was in a strong position going in. Other indicators, as outlined in this article, demolish many of the "facts" that the legacy media and anti-Israel crowd like to present to us as their "narrative":

http://business.financialpost.com/2015/03/19/lawrence-solomon-western-press-hasnt-noticed-israels-rapidly-growing-clout-around-the-world/

[/quote]
*Lawrence Solomon: Western press hasn’t noticed Israel’s rapidly growing clout around the world*
Lawrence Solomon | March 19, 2015 | Last Updated: Mar 19 5:29 PM ET

“Two years from now, Obama will be gone, to be remembered as the worst president in American memory”

Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu’s triumph in Israel’s election this week, so shocking and appalling to the Western press, is many other things, too.

It is a recognition by Israelis of Netanyahu as the Churchill of our times, a statesman who stands apart from virtually all other Western leaders who, whether out of cravenness or wilful blindedness, downplay the gathering storm from Iran.

It is a repudiation by Israelis of those same Western leaders, who funded the “anyone-but-Netanyahu” campaign that tried to install in his place a compliant Jew to endorse their policies of appeasement.

And it is a back of the hand to monopolies and other special interests that oppose Netanyahu’s march to freer markets. At root, Israelis understand that they’re better off with Bibi.

Israel under the rule of socialist parties, which dominated the country’s first half century of existence, was a country of heavy handed state control and of Big Labour — the Histradrut labour federation represented 85 percent of all wage earners in the 1980s. Under Netanyahu’s influence, starting in the late 1990s with his first term as prime minister, Israel systematically began dismantling the welfare state, tackling both the social safety net and the vested corporate interests.

He sold off Israel’s interests in state enterprises, abolished foreign exchange controls and otherwise liberalized the economy, attracting foreign capital and turning Israel into an entrepreneurial marvel that, according to The Economist, has the world’s highest density of startups and, next to Silicon Valley, the largest number of startups. High tech companies now beat a path to this Start-Up Nation’s door — an astonishing 250 from the U.S. alone have made Israel home to their R&D centres.

2014 set records for Israeli high-tech and biotech startups — 52 Israeli startups sold to the tune of some $15-billion plus 18 IPOs worth another $10-billion — according to end-of-year reports by accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ethosia Human Resources, who expect 2015 to be even bigger. This January alone saw foreign giants such as Microsoft and Amazon shell out $900-million for companies rich in Israel’s only abundant renewable resource: ingenuity.

The Western press, operating as it does from its echo chamber, likes to describe Israel as increasingly isolated in the world due to its supposed failure to make peace with the Palestinians. Israel has never been less isolated, never been more embraced. In its immediate neighbourhood, Israel for the first time has de facto allies in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the leaders of the Arab Sunni world.

In black Africa, Israel now is tight with countries such as Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda. In Asia, Israel is becoming tight with India, the world’s largest democracy, and with China, the world’s second largest economy, both of which are establishing free trade deals with Israel. Israel has been expanding trade with Japan, the world’s third largest economy. And Israel has close relations with countries of the former East Bloc, including Russia, once a Cold War adversary, now a partner in countering Islamic terrorism.

The watchful Arab press knows exactly why Israel has become so welcome around the world, even if the blinkered Western press doesn’t. As explained earlier this year in Al-Araby al-Jadid, a London-based Qatari daily, “Israel’s advanced technology developments have become its most prominent soft power tool for boosting diplomatic ties and improving its position in the world, enhancing its own security in the process.”

Because of Israel’s prowess in both military and civilian fields, it explained, China is cozying up to Israel, India is relying on Israeli instead of U.S. weaponry, and African countries are supporting Israel at the United Nations. Also because of this prowess, Al-Araby al-Jadid expects to see countries that once diplomatically sided with the Palestinians to flip and take pro-Israeli positions.
  
Israel’s technological prowess, and thus the welcome mat it now enjoys in ever-growing regions of the world, comes as a byproduct of Netanyahu’s dismantling of the welfare state. That dismantling may now accelerate because in this week’s election another dismantler shone — Moshe Kahlon, the Kulanu party leader who ran on an unabashedly pro-business, pro-competition “economic freedom” platform predicated on downsizing government while breaking up Israel’s remaining public monopolies and private oligopolies. The Western press may be surprised to learn that Kahlon, who is widely expected to become Netanyahu’s next finance minister, is considered centrist in Israeli politics.

Israel, once the darling of the Socialist Internationale, is fast becoming the darling of all but Socialist-leaning Europe, Iran and the ISIS wannabe set. Australia is stalwartly in Israel’s corner; Canada’s commitment to Israel is at an all-time high; America’s remains as strong as ever, President Obama and the American left notwithstanding.

Two years from now, Obama will be gone, to be remembered as the worst American president in memory. Prime Minister Netanyahu will remain in power and on the world stage, to be seen as one of Israel’s greatest prime ministers and one of the world’s few true statesmen.
[/quote]


----------



## Remius (20 Mar 2015)

I guess that was written before this happened.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/19/politics/netanyahu-palestinian-two-state-solution/index.html

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/white-house-rethinking-israel-ties-peace-process-rules-1.3002385

Now this might just be all bark and no bite but...

Israel needs the US.  More specifically its veto vote at the UN.  PM Netanyahu is sounding very much in damage control mode now as he realises that the POTUS might actually back up some of that bark.

And during those 2 years he has left, President Obama can do a lot of damage to Bibi from that perspective.


----------



## tomahawk6 (20 Mar 2015)

American libs have more in common with muslims than Israel.What has always surprised me is the lock stop support American jews have exhibited for the Democrat Party.


----------



## CougarKing (23 Mar 2015)

tomahawk6 said:
			
		

> American libs have more in common with muslims than Israel.What has always surprised me is the lock stop support American jews have exhibited for the Democrat Party.



Why would it be surprising?

Wouldn't they support the Dems simply because the Jewish-American community would be distrustful of the Christian right (Protestant, Baptist, Evangelicals etc.) that dominates the US Republican party? Like other religious minorities, they'd oppose any attempt in the US to put more of a Christian influence on policy. The concept of "separation of church and state" applied to keeping the US government secular would be staunchly defended by them.


----------



## tomahawk6 (23 Mar 2015)

Historically Jews have been liberals as far as social issues.


----------



## a_majoor (3 Apr 2015)

A strange IDF exercise scenario, but whatever engages young soldiers should be encouraged. OTOH, as the article points out, there are real threats out there, so these cyberwar scenarios are not *just* fun and games:

http://www.therebel.media/the_israel_air_force_prevented_an_alien_invasion_here_s_how



> *The Israel Air Force prevented an 'alien invasion', here's how*
> APRIL 01, 2015
> THE REBEL STAFF
> In a post to the IDF blog labeled 'Top Secret', it was revealed that a few months ago, the Israel Air Force stopped an alien invasion.
> ...


----------



## CougarKing (7 Apr 2015)

In spite of the reported "breakthroughs" in talks with Iran led by the US, it doesn't look like Israel will be taking any chances:

Military.com



> *Israel Official: Military Action Against Iran Still Possible*
> 
> Associated Press | Apr 06, 2015 | by Alon Bernstein
> 
> ...


----------



## tomahawk6 (7 Apr 2015)

I suspect the goal of Iran is to launch the end times.They can only do that with nuclear weapons which we are offering up on a silver platter.I am somewhat bemused by Russia backing Iran in this matter.Iran could just as easily launch nukes at Russia and or the US.Of course they need a delivery system,which they have been developing.


----------



## a_majoor (7 Apr 2015)

Considering the "framework" is based on guesswork as to the actual "start state" of the Iraninan nuclear program (there is no clear understanding of the number of centrifuges, amount of raw or enriched uranium or even how many or where all the facilities are, since Iran has consistently denied any sort of detailed inspection of their program), as well as some educated guesswork that the actual assembly of nuclear devices *may* take place off site (perhaps in Pakistan, which already has working knowledge and facilities to do so); Isreal is right to be concerned.

The second order effect of now encouraging Saudi Arabia to start its own nuclear program to offset Iran, and possibly Turkey getting into the game as well (to strengthen _their_ claim to regional hegemony) makes this more of an encouragement to start a nuclear arms race in an already volatile region.


----------



## Rifleman62 (7 Apr 2015)

S.M.A. 





> In spite of the current breakthroughs in talks with Iran led by the US, it doesn't look like Israel will be taking any chances:



You are a comedian.


----------



## CougarKing (9 May 2015)

Shaked reminds me of a certain female Italian minister...  ;D

Foreign Policy



> *The New Face Of Israel’s Hard Right
> 
> Ayelet Shaked makes Benjamin Netanyahu look like a liberal. And now she’s the justice minister.*
> 
> ...


----------



## CougarKing (13 May 2015)

Guns, but not F-35s...

Foreign Policy



> *Israel: Go Ahead and Give the Gulfies Guns*
> 
> (...SNIPPED)
> 
> ...


----------



## OceanBonfire (5 Jan 2023)

Israel's new government unveils plan to weaken Supreme Court
					

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s justice minister on Wednesday unveiled the new government’s long-promised overhaul of the judicial system that aims to weaken the country's Supreme Court.




					apnews.com
				






> In Israel, Supreme Court judges are appointed and dismissed by a committee made up of professionals, lawmakers and some justices. Levin wants to give lawmakers a majority in the committee, with most coming from the right-wing and religiously conservative ruling coalition.
> 
> “It will be a hollow democracy,” said Amir Fuchs, senior researcher at Jerusalem’s Israel Democracy Institute think tank. “When the government has ultimate power, it will use this power not only for issues of LGBTQ rights and asylum-seekers but elections and free speech and anything it wants.”


----------

