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Surprise Netanyahu-Mofaz Deal Scuttles Elections; Anger is Across the Board
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After a week of full pitch election-fever, campaigns newly set in-motion came to screeching halts when Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced that he had forged a unity deal with the new head of the opposition Kadima party and scuttled plans for the elections he said would be held within four months. If Netanyahu’s bombshell seemed to be at odds with himself, new coalition partner Mofaz (pictured) had posted a pledge on his Facebook page vowing never to enter the Netanyahu government; much like the pledge he made to fellow Likud party members in 2005 when he vowed never to leave the party at the very moment he was…leaving the party. It remains to be seen whether Mofaz calling Netanyahu a “liar” repeatedly in recent days will impact on their interaction in the cabinet where Mofaz will serve with the epithet “Vice Prime Minister” thrown in for good measure. Mofaz’s spin, that he did “a great thing for the sake of Israel” as if it entailed personal sacrifice had few takers on the morning after the deal was cut. The pact is a life vest for Mofaz who toppled Tzipi Livni for party leadership – a move that did nothing to reverse the downward plummeting of the party as measured by polls. Entering the government catapults Mofaz from an almost certain position inferior to a resurging Labor party and even an untried new party headed by media personality-turned-politician Yair Lapid. The big losers following the Netanyahu-Mofaz deal are Labor head Yacimovitch and Lapid, both of whom stood to make significant gains in the upcoming election. If the coalition holds together, Netanyahu will preside over a government of unprecedented strength, fueling new speculation over policies toward Iran and peacemaking with the Palestinians.
Palestinian Chief Negotiator Suffers “Mild” Heart Attack
Palestinian Chief Negotiator Sa’ib ‘Ariqat suffered what was described as a “mild heart attack” on Tuesday. He was taken to a hospital in Ramallah where he underwent a catheterization and will remain under observation for about three days. The 57-year old ‘Ariqat, who is one of faces of Palestinian leadership most recognizable to the world and who has been in the forefront for more than two decades, was said to be in “stable” condition.”
University Employees Demonstrate Outside Palestinian Legislative Council Building
Classes in West Bank universities were suspended on Tuesday to allow employees and students to participate in a sit-in outside the Palestinian Legislative Council building in Ramallah to protest what organizers called “the government’s negligence toward higher education.” The cash crisis of the Palestinian Authority has resulted in curtailed payments to university employees, “negatively impacting their performance” according to a union representative quoted by the Ma’an news agency. University administrations and student unions are cooperating in the protest.
Ban Ki-moon, Critical of Regime and Opposition, Warns of Civil War in Syria
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday warned that the possibility of a full-blown civil war in Syria continues to grow. Ban cited the ongoing “brutality” by the Bashar Al-Asad regime against his opponents while warning that escalating attacks by opposition forces could push the situation into civil war. In advance of a Security Council meeting on Syria set for Tuesday, Ban said, “it’s a race against time” to prevent civil war…and death on a potentially massive scale.” Ban was critical of Al-Asad’s decision to hold parliamentary elections while the violence continues, admonishing that “a democratic process cannot be successful while violence is still ongoing.” The vote for parliamentary seats was held on Monday, but was boycotted by the opposition. The one-sided nature of the election didn’t prevent the Al-Asad forces from declaring the results proved that a “great majority” of Syrians approved of the government’s reforms.
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