ISRAEL TODAY: May, 13, 2010

ISRAEL TODAY: May, 13, 2010

I thought I should send you an update on Israel today. By now most of you know that a unity government will form tomorrow. It will have 72 out of 120 parliament seats. Amazingly, it looks like the right-wing religious Zionist party, Yamina, under Naftali Bennet, will not join the government. They claim that Prime Minister Netanyahu simply is not offering them significant portfolios. They are angry. However, to accommodate all the parties that are joining, Netanyahu will increase the number of cabinet/portfolio positions to 36. 17 is the usual and recommended number. It is sad to see that this has to happen.

However, it gives two opportunities. One is for Bibi to annex the settlements of the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and the Jordan Valley. Secretary of State Pompeo of the United States is in Israel today to discuss the Trump peace plan and annexation. Some European leaders are apoplectic about this possibility.

I hope that this government can address social issues, housing, the cost of living, and equal justice in services for Arab Israeli citizens. On having the ultra-Orthodox work and be productive citizens economically we will still have to wait. They are too powerful. For justice on citizenship issues for Messianic Jews and status for Russian Jews, we will also have to wait.

On another front, Israel’s progress in the Corona Virus is stunning. We are down to 4,104 cases and only 54 intubated. Israel is opening up the economy. The biggest problem is El Al which looks to go out of business without massive government support (this is in the balance). I love flying El Al and dearly hope this does not happen. Secondly, tourism is a huge economic engine here and it is dead right now. I hope it comes back in the late summer and early fall.

The Messianic Jewish community seems to be stronger for the whole trial. Internet services have been amazing throughout the Land.

Unity Government Forms!

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Bibi)and Benny Gantz signed an agreement just two hours ago as of this writing to form a unity government. Finally, Israel will have a functioning government. To form this government, compromises and even some unhelpful directions were taken, but at this point, I believe it is an answer to prayer and may be the best that is now possible. Bibi will be Prime Minister for the first 18 months and then Gantz for the second 18 months.

For those who think that Gantz caved, the prospects for the opposition in another election do not look good, and this might have been his best chance to bring some positive change. If the Supreme Court rules that an indicted person cannot be the Prime Minister, then there will be elections. I do not think it is likely that the Court will do this since Israel’s Basic Law does not speak on this subject. It does say that cabinet members who lead cabinet level government divisions do have to resign if indicted. The right will control the judicial appointments committee, but in my view not by so much. A former Blue and White Party member is the majority tipping vote for the right and the committee will generally seek agreement. However, there will be no legislation to lessen the power of the Supreme Court. Bibi will still have to face a trial. I have not read anything that says what will happen if he is convicted, but I would think it would mean that Likud would elect someone else to serve out his term. I don’t think there would then be the votes to dissolve the government. The trial could take a long time.

In this agreement, if the Palestinians do not come to the negotiation table, Bibi will have the opportunity to annex the towns in Judea and Samaria, to make them part of Israel. The European Union will scream and shout to no avail. The Security Council of the U. N. will seek to condemn Israel, but the United States will veto any condemnation. I see this as a primary reason why Bibi is still in power and a key reason as to why Trump is in power. These towns (some are small cities) should not be up for negotiation as if their populations can be transferred. This is why the Trump plan is a plan of realism. The Palestinians have never dealt with matters in a realistic way. Most of the world is wildly unrealistic as well.

The government will have 36 cabinet members, totally bloated and costly. It is the price of all being on board. The Ultra-Orthodox Shas Party will probably keep the Interior Department. This is the saddest part of this. However, Ultra-Orthodox in general would lose their extortion power since their threat to leave the government would not bring down the government. It is possible that that in the approval of budgets that there will be an incentive for more men to work since Israel cannot afford their demands for welfare so men can study Talmud and Rabbinic arguments all day.

This is not all I desire, but it is a step in the right direction. Gantz’s former partners say he caved, but he looked at the situation in Israel realistically. That situation included that of the percentages of the Jewish vote in the Land. Bibi and his right wing parties have 59 votes out of 120 in the Knesset, and the Jewish parties that were in opposition only included 46. The Arab Party had 15. Therefore, I think Gantz made a hard but correct choice. The opposition might still empower Gantz for key issues. The right wing Yamina, including the modern Nationalist Orthodox has lost power and may not join the government. I don’t think that will make much difference one way or another. If they are in the government, they will not have key portfolios like Defense and Justice which they recently had. What a saga. After three elections, we have a government. I wonder if the threat of Gantz to pass legislation making it illegal for a person under indictment to be the Prime Minister finally brought Bibi around. He also saw that got the best that he could under those circumstances. Praise God.

Israel Still Does Not Have a New Government but is going to Lift Corona Restrictions

Israel shares with most countries the fact that there is a limit of time to which you can shut down an economy without destroying the country. You can indeed overcome the virus and destroy the country. With the virus having peaked in terms of new hospitalizations, as the United States, Germany and other countries, Israel will now seek to exit the severe restrictions. Amazingly with both the United States and Israel, this is the week for this to be done. Some still believe that shutting down was not the right approach. The right approach would have been to isolate the vulnerable population and to have younger healthy people continue to keep the economy going, but to take more than normal precautions against catching the virus (facemasks, washing hands and not allowing any sick to be at work). Now we look to massive testing in both countries and opening up areas of the country that are less affected. In our town of 23,000, on the border of Jerusalem, there are new cases of people sick with the virus.

The progress on fighting the virus is going according to the best of mature prophetic discernment. I wrote a summary on this a few weeks ago. Things are working out very much as was noted. There are now more and more hopeful treatments short of a vaccine that are in the process of being tested.

In the midst of this, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Bibi) and Benny Gantz are still negotiating for a unity government. We don’t know if there will be a solution, but we do pray for a unity government. Right now, the big issue is that Bibi seeks relief form a possible Supreme Court decision that would say that an indicted person cannot be prime minister. However, he wants more than that. He wants a law that would say that when Gantz would become Prime Minister in a rotation in 18 months and he would be the deputy Prime Minister, that the law requiring cabinet ministers to step down if indicted would not apply to a deputy Prime Minister in this situation. Gantz is reluctant to give this guarantee. However, we have to note that almost half of the voters voted for parties that they knew would give their support to Bibi to be Prime Minister. That has to count. I do not think that the Supreme Court would decide that an indicted person cannot be Prime Minister, but the issue of a deputy is something else. I think Gantz should yield on this point in deference to those who voted for Bibi and his allied parties.

We either are very close to a new government or may be close to failure. Gantz may also have the power in the Knesset as speaker to pass legislation that says an indicted person cannot serve as Prime Minister. Then Bibi’s party, Likud, would have to pick someone else. That is Gantz’s primary leverage to force Bibi to make a real deal with real compromises. Let’s hope and pray for a unity government.

One last thing. We now know that China, by covering up the virus and letting many thousands fly from Wuhan after they sealed Wuhan off domestically is primarily responsible for the spread of the virus. All now know that they spent a week of denials which itself has cost the world several trillions of dollars. (Associated Press laid this out fully) More and more evidence is coming out that this virus originated not in a wet meat market but in a laboratory. This would be one more reason for the cover up. It is also clear that the World Health Organization leaders enabled the cover up. We will soon have a great world controversy over what to do about all this.

Unity Government Negotiations Now

Those of you who have been following my updates on the political situation here know that we do not have a new government and this in the midst of the scourge of the virus. The negotiations came down to two issues. One is choosing the members of the Supreme Court and the other is the issue of annexing the towns and settlements in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and the Jordan Valley. As I noted before, Benny Gantz is weaker on the issue of annexation. He wants more international support and worries about the response of Jordan and Egypt. Netanyahu sees this as a legacy issue for himself and is very committed to it. With Trump as President, he sees a window of opportunity that could close. There has been a compromise on this. Members of Parliament will be able to vote their conscience on this issue, but after the virus is overcome.

The Supreme Court issue is more complex. Israel does not have a constitution. Something called Basic Law plays that role to some degree. A law is a Basic Law if it is declared such when passed. Generally, Israel has rightly allowed basic law to be stable. The issues of the Court are as in the United States where justices to the left seem to see themselves as free to make law when it is not in the Basic Law or in laws passed. Yes, a law can be found to contradict Basic Law, but then Basic Law could be changed. The “right,” however, in its frustration with the court, seeks to make court decisions subject to Parliament majority vote and to control the judicial selection process to choose only conservative judges. Passing such a change in Basic Law would be a big problem. Constitutions and the judiciary protect minority rights. Total democracy would be tyranny. Hence the United States is a Constitutional Republic, not a democracy. It seems that with the composition of the new Knesset, this will not pass. However, the other issue remains, and that is who will pick the judges.

On Monday afternoon it looked as if there had been agreement on this issue as well. But after all seemed to be agreed on, Netanyahu’s right-wing partners in Yamina insisted that the right be able to veto judicial appointments. Netanyahu pulled back from the agreement and asked to re-open negotiations. Gantz refused and walked away. I do not know Gantz’s judicial philosophy. Both sides accuse the other as being anti-democratic. But of course, their definitions are not the same. The right means the democratic vote regimes, but Gantz’s parties mean that rights are protected by an independent court. Judges are appointed by a committee that includes past judges. The right thinks this stacks the deck for liberal judges. The left likes liberal judges. The center is concerned that without an independent judiciary the checks and balances in Israel will be destroyed and this is counter to a rightly ordered democratic society. I don’t know Gantz’s judicial philosophy, but he is not willing to give the total appointment power with veto to the “right.” We need to pray for a solution; we need a government.

Political Situation Now

Many of the Christian Zionists in the United States think that Benjamin Netanyahu (Bibi) is the greatest Prime Minister conceivable. However, Messianic Jews who live here have a much more nuanced view of Bibi. I have lived here now for 16 years and follow politics closely. It does have a great impact on our lives. At this present moment, there is still no unity agreement between Benny Gantz and his party and Benjamin Netanyahu and his party. The political stalemate and the haggling are going on even now. Bibi and some of his senior people are in quarantine, but they communicate as we all do now by internet connections. I compare Bibi and Gantz in three categories: one where Bibi is better, one where Gantz is better and one where I don’t see much difference.

Where Bibi is Better

Bibi is strong on international diplomacy. He has a strong charismatic personality. This has been a great gain. The weakness is that his diplomatic people, in embassies especially, are very underfunded and cannot do their work well.
Bibi is stronger in promoting Israel’s rights in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). Though for years he would not do what he thinks he can now do with Trump being president, he wants to annex the Jewish towns to Israel and to annex the Jordan valley on the Israel side of the river. Trump is indicating that he will support this if the Palestinians do not come to the negotiating table. Others to the right of Bibi have been pushing this for years, but Bibi has not been willing to buck the United States. Gantz has said he wants to do this only with International support, which means he will not do it. I believe taking these Jewish towns off the table for negotiation is now important since there will otherwise be no peace agreement. Dismantling these towns would lead to civil war. There are 400,000. It will never happen. Gantz and Bibi are making this an issue in the negotiations.
Bibi understands money and economic growth. He is strong in this. Maybe Gantz would be strong but he is unproven.

Gantz is stronger than Bibi on most social justice issues. I am not defining social justice in a socialistic way (see my book Social Justice). Here is a list.

Adequate spending for sufficient hospital capacity.
Not vilifying Israel’s Arab citizens, but equally spending for them per capita on roads, schools, hospitals and police protection. It almost seems as if Bibi wants to alienate them, but it is really a way to use fear to keep his base motivated.
Requiring the Ultra-Orthodox to work and their schools to educate for the work place. Bibi has been hopelessly weak on this. He needs their parties in the coalition.
Gantz is stronger on providing for Russian Jews who are not considered Jewish by the Orthodox. This means lessening the power of the state Rabbinate, allowing them to marry in Israel or empowering the more moderate Orthodox conversion standards.
This will be a real surprise, but I think Gantz is stronger on military defense. Bibi, despite his reputation, has been weak. He has allowed Hezbollah to rearm after the last Lebanon War (as has the U. N.) He could have quickly re-invaded and required enforcing the U. N. arms embargo against them. Now we have 150,000 rockets against us. He has also been weak in Gaza. If he used targeted assignations of terrorist leaders, Hamas in Gaza might stop their attacks. But he has allowed Hamas to terrorize the south. Gantz has spoken strongly about this.

A Probable Tie

The cost of living and housing. Though Bibi for years was weak on this, his Finance Minister, Moshe Kachlon has really succeeded in moderating the cost of living increases. I think this would be a part of Gantz’s policy as well.
Building infrastructure: roads, bridges and public transportation. All want to do this if they can find the funds.
Having a strong military force.
Opposing the Iran regime and motivating sanctions on the regime.
Fighting the Corona Virus. I do not see any differences.
Justice for Messianic Jews. Both are embracing Shas that has said it will guarantee the rotation. This might be also enshrined in passing a law. So our hope of fairness in immigration with Shas in power does not look good.

So far, to build the unity government Netanyahu has committed to leave the Prime Minister’s office in 18 months and have Gantz serve as Prime Minister. Gantz will allow an indicted Prime Minister to serve (contrary to his last position) and will not pass legislation to bar such. However, Gantz has now been elected the Speaker of the Knesset. This is his ace if Bibi does not really share power. He can still pass legislation on not allowing an indicted Prime Minister to serve, and then Bibi is gone. But Bibi’s is in danger of rebellion on his right because the coational partners and his own party, Likud, do not want to see so many ministries controlled by Gantz. To give all his right party partners their due and to fulfill the requirements of Gantz and his party, Bibi plans to create many more ministerial positions. This would yield a cabinet of 36 people (17 or 18 is the usual figure). At times like this, we so wish there was a constitution in Israel.

The Exploiting Deficit

The Congress recently passed and the President signed into law a 2,2 trillion dollar spending bill to provide for businesses and individuals to survive the terrible measures that had to be taken to stem the advance of the COVID 19 virus. It also includes massive spending to support health services. I agree that it was necessary though sadly some, mostly Democrats, added spending that had nothing to do with the problem. Thankfully that is a very small percentage of the bill. It almost seems ungracious to look at the issue of deficit spending during this time. However, the issue of the deficit is an important one, and the growing deficit could lead to devastating consequences. It is important for disciples of Yeshua to know something about this issue. In my book Social Justice, I argue that deficit spending is a social justice issue. Believers in Yeshua should be biblical justice warriors but on a sound basis of evidence.

When I was majoring in philosophy at Wheaton College, I considered those interested in business and economics to be inferior to those of us who cared about the important issues of life. I was so foolish. The business people created the wealth that paid the bills that enabled me to study philosophy. I was a left-leaning returning to faith student. I actually called myself a Christian socialist in the early 70s. Then I studied a few books on economics. What an eye-opener. I actually learned how money is created and how economies expand. My socialist views simply would not hold up since the expansion of wealth would not take place long-term in a socialist economy. In this study, I learned something about deficits. The theory is that a nation should keep a surplus, balanced budget or an almost balanced budget unless there is a recession. Deficit spending in times of recession would lift the economy, but in times of economic expansion, the deficit can be paid down. There are reasons why this is a social justice issue. Mainly the big reason is that deficits compromise the possibility of the government being responsible in taxing, spending and social programs.

An expanding economy is necessary to increase wealth for the mass of the population. A shrinking economy increases poverty. As President John Kennedy said when approving a massive tax cut to spur business expansion, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” There is a social justice issue in business expansion. It is that the expansion has to really benefit the average employee. As such, tax incentives should be motivating business expansion for all, and limiting tax shelters and executive compensation packages that are given to those who do not really expand businesses for all.
Taxes provide necessary services for the public; infrastructure, transportation, national defense and more.
Taxes also provide social services, including welfare payments when needed, support for job training, education, health care, social security, and more. Welfare needs to have incentives for people to go to work or get trained so that welfare does not create a perpetual poor or underclass. I am one that does believe in social services and am not a libertarian. However, I want those services to lead to greater self-sufficiency.

Basically, a deficit is produced when the government takes in less in tax revenue than what it spends. The government then prints more money. The idea is that the amount of money created is justified by the size and expansion of the economy. It is able to print more money because it sells bonds or obligations to finance the deficit. The deficit is not only on paper but is a real obligation to pay those who hold the debt. It can be individuals holding government bonds or even nations that buy our debt. People are willing to do this for the return they get and until maturity, the bond can be sold. The government can issue new bonds to pay off the old bonds that mature. The government is not obligated to pay the principal of the debt but only the interest. When the government continually increases debt, more and more of the budget goes to finance the interest. We also have a problem of future commitments to legally mandated spending for such things as social security and Medicaid etc. (Entitlements) These programs are perpetual and take up the largest share of the federal budget. The projections of revenue and these mandated obligations are such that economists project a huge deficit as well for these programs, even if not a present deficit.

Economists generally agree that if you take too much out of the private sector to finance government programs, business expansion slows down. The growth in the wealth pie can even shrink. More people become poor. The big debate is among economists who have differences as to where that point of too much taxation is. However, a growing deficit adds another big challenge. A point is reached (as with Greece) where the interest is so large that the Government no longer has the funds for its spending for the public good including social welfare programs. Higher taxes are no longer an option. As such the expanding deficit at some point can destroy social welfare.

Why does this happen? It is because politicians spend for the immediate future and for their own re-election. Taking the long-term view is not to their personal benefit. Politicians lack self- control at a huge level. They want the program for their constituents now and will increase the deficit to achieve this. It also is to their political benefit. Deficits are too abstract an issue for most voters. Who votes for fiscal responsibility? People vote on the basis of their immediate prosperity. However, slowing the expansion of government so that the government lives within its means, will over the long haul produce much more funds for social spending. But social spending is squeezed when so much goes to the deficit. There would be so much more to spend today if politicians did not pile on deficit after deficit in the past. The end result of all this is either cutting benefits or massive inflation to continue to pay the face amount in money that is of much less worth. It can lead to national bankruptcy, and no country wants to default on its obligations or there would be deep depression. Deficit spending ultimately will destroy justice-social welfare spending ability. This has happened in other nations. This can then lead to social upheaval and disintegration.

If this is not dealt with, there will be a day of harsh reckoning. There may be coming a day that only private help and mutual help in the community and family will be available. We no longer have politicians even talking about this. It hardly seems recent any more (2010) that one Democrat Erskine Bowles, and one Republican Alan Simpson, were shouting the alarm and were leading a commission to deal with this. The day of reckoning will come. Had the United States been responsible then we could have swallowed the 2. 2 Trillion bill just past without much difficulty. However, with the deficit we have, now everything in the future will be squeezed. As many say, our children and grandchildren will pay for it. That is why this is a biblical social justice issue. I hope that many of you will obtain my book, Social Justice.

The End of the Blue and White Party

In an unbelievable end to the saga of the Israel government stalemate, Benny Gantz, the leader of Blue and White decided to join with Likud in a new unity government and allow Benjamin Netanyahu to continue as the Prime Minister. This is a stunning development. It has led to the breaking up of the Blue and White Party. Yesh Atid led by Yair Lapide, and Moshe Yaalon are angry and disappointed, but they did not have a path to a government with two of the Blue and White members refusing to vote for a Gantz government if it depended on getting the votes of the Arab Party, the Joint List. Lapide will go into the opposition. This is less like a unity government than Gantz joining a Netanyahu government. I think that Gantz did this due to the emergency situation with the virus and the danger of being discredited for not seeking unity at this time. Bibi has promised him that he would become the Prime Minister in 18 months. It appears that in this arrangement the Ultra Orthodox will keep their power, but with Gantz’s faction and Labor joining the government is it possible that the power of the Ultra-Orthodox will be less. I don’t think it is likely. The only possibility Gantz had, and it was a very slim chance, was that he would have stuck to his guns and voted in the new parliament to pass a law that a person could not serve as Prime Minister if under indictment. Then he would hope that Likud without Bibi would not carry out its threat of no unity government if they did this. He could then keep have kept Blue and White together. Gantz decided to not take this chance. Bibi survives again, the cat of nine lives. Will he survive his trial for bribery etc.?

I have lived in ambivalence through this whole time. I saw Bibi as the better candidate re: the Land, the Trump peace plan and annexing the settlements. Now the settlements have to be taken off the negotiating table with the Palestinians. Removing the West Bank Israeli cities and towns is no longer possible. Bibi is stronger on this. Gantz had qualified his support for the Trump plan as needing international support. If this was the standard, you could kiss the Trump plan goodbye. Trump has indicated that Israel can annex the territories of the settlements and the Jordan valley if the Palestinians do not come to the negotiating table.

However, my other issue was the Ultra-Orthodox control and oppression in Israel. Bibi is in their pocket. If Lapide and Avigdor Liberman of Israel Batainu had been in the government, the power of the Ultra-Orthodox, who bleed the state of needed funds, and who control immigration to the detriment of qualified people, would have ended. This control will not likely be ended soon. I voted for Blue and White so they would be large enough so that in coalition with Bibi the Ultra-Orthodox would have to give up power. I also hoped for equal spending for the Arab Israelis for hospitals, roads, police and education. Defunding the Ultra-Orthodox welfare society where men don’t work and only study Talmud all day could be key to this justice. But this looks like it is not to be at this time.

Well, stay tuned. We have not heard from Liberman, but he is not needed at this point and will probably go into the opposition. What will the government be like in 18 months. Bibi has said, no tricks and he will keep his word. Time will tell. It is possible that there are not enough Knesset votes to fund the welfare society of the Ultra-Orthodox. Let’s hope so.

Corona Virus: More Questions & More Political Intrigue in Israel

Some in Israel are questioning the national restrictions to fight the Corona virus. Are they really based on science or alarm which goes too far? For example, who is it dangerous for someone to take a walk outside for more than ten minutes if they keep six meters away from those they pass? How is ten minutes safer with this two meter rule than 30 minutes? We are allowed to go to the grocery store or to take out stores, other food stores and pharmacies. That is more dangerous than a walk outside. Some people are required by their health conditions to go for walks.

Or here is another question. Why wouldn’t it be more prudent, once there is sufficient testing to know virus location spots, to put the strict restrictions on cities and towns that have the virus and allow those within a town without any cases to have freedom, but to not leave the town except to commute to a safe workspace. We know where the hot spots are. There are places with no infections. Within those enclaves, there could be more freedom. In the United States, why wouldn’t this work really well for small cities and towns with no cases, rather than restricting the whole country? In Israel there are places with no infections. Should they be under the same standards as the areas where there are infected people?

In the midst of all this the political chaos in Israel continues to be even more amazing. I am asking my Facebook constituents to be praying for us, especially this week. Here is a little summary. Last week, Benjamin Netanyahu’s (Bibi) justice minister (Ohana) unilaterally postponed the trial of Bibi until May 24^th. The corona virus was the given reason. However, many pointed out that at this point the trail would be sharing information and dealing with preliminaries that could have been done safely. It seems that this will not be challenged in the Supreme court.

The second amazing thing is the speaker of the Knesset (Parliament), Yuli Edelstein, shut down the Knesset. The virus was given as the reason. However, most believe that the reason was political. If the parliament meets, though there is not yet a new executive government with the ongoing stalemate, the Knesset can vote to remove Edelstein and choose a new speaker that is not Likud. There are probably 61 votes, a one vote majority, to do this. The big issue then would be to form an arrangements committee. If the anti-Bibi 61 have require a one vote majority on this committee than they can arrange for laws to be voted on. The big fear from Bibi and Likud is that they will then arrange the passage of a law stating that an indicted person cannot serve as Prime Minister. President Reuven Rivlen (Likud) has called on Edelstein to open the Knesset and said democracy is at stake. The legal advisor to the Knesset has given the same opinion. Blue and White lead by Benny Gantz says that they will go to the Supereme Court to see that the Knesset is open. Now Edelstein is relenting and says he will open the Knesset on Monday.

In the midst of all this, the Times of Israel says that Gantz is now open to serving in a unity government with Netanyahu leading for either an emergency 6 months or in a three year unity with Bibi serving 18 months, but then having to relinquish leadership to Gantz after that. This would have to be made law so Bibi could not back out. However, two of his Blue and White partners, Boggie Yaalon and Yair Lapid, say they are against this, and if Gantz does this, it will break up the party.

All this is going on in the midst of the virus plague. I think Gantz is seeking to be a stateman and wants the best for Israel in this plague situation. He is willing to give up his pledge to not serve with an indicted Prime Minister for the sake of Israel’s present need. Of course, if Bibi is found guilty (who knows how long the trial would take) he would have to step down.

Israel is now in a terrible situation politically and economically. Sectors of the government can not function without a normal government. Major sectors of the economy are shut down. People are in isolation. Businesses are going out of business and many people do not have back up funds to survive. We have people in our own congregation who are in very difficult straits. Meanwhile we, in our connected network, pray for revival. Do pray much with us!

Israeli Politics and the Coronavirus

It is most amazing to note that Israel is in the midst of its third political stalemate after inconclusive elections. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party, Likud, is already talking about another election! At the same time, Israel has embraced the most severe restrictions of any country to try to manage the threat of the virus. The planes are not flying, and the schools will now be closed. Closing the schools will be a terrible trial for working parents! There are to be no meetings of over 100 people. The hotels are mostly empty. Israel’s tourism industry is suspended. The economic consequences are terrible. All this is happening at the same time as the United States is holding its presidential primaries. History may note them as the virus primaries. The United States itself is embracing greater and greater restrictions. Even the National Basketball League has suspended games!!

What is God up to in allowing this terrible situation worldwide? Could revival follow? Some are praying for this.

It seems amazing that in the midst of such a plague that Israel is in political limbo. We really need to see our helplessness and our need for God, for we cannot even form a government. It is not only that the vote failed to put either the Likud or the Blue and White, the two largest parties over the top. A government could be formed but for the rigid positions taken by some politicians, an amazing stubbornness. My two favorite Israeli English language newspapers, the Jerusalem Post and the Times of Israel are in agreement, and I agree with them. Just where are the points of stubbornness?

Benjamin Netanyahu (Bibi) bears responsibility by insisting on remaining the head of his party though under indictment. The trial procedures begin on March 17^th. There are several things that could be negotiated. Blue and White would be in a unity government with Likud if not led by Bibi due to the indictment. They say they will not be in a government led by him due to the indictment. Several solutions could be found. Likud could choose a new leader and even say that after his trial, if found innocent, Bibi could return to leadership through a new party vote. Likud could commit to this.
Benjamin Netanyahu insists that all his right-wing partners be included in any government. This is a non-starter. This right wing includes the Ultra-Orthodox who have a stranglehold over the government. I have written many times on how their welfare state within the state is bleeding the government. They also say that they will not be in a government with Blue and White. My view on this? Good. Let there be a unity government without them. This would be very helpful.
There are two Blue and White Party members and one Labor-Gesher member who will not allow a government to form through the votes of the Joint List Arab party because the Arabs are not Zionists but want a bi-national state. This seems really foolish on the part of these three members, since after the vote, Bibi will be gone and there could be a unity government. At any rate, the Joint List will not be part of the government but only give the vote to end Bibi’s reign. All they are asking is parity in government services spending. Indeed, this coalition could pass a law that a person under indictment could not serve.
Blue and White could change their position and accept Bibi in a rotation for Prime Minister with Benny Gantz due to the very bad situation of not being able to form a government and to avoid a fourth election. It seems dire enough to defend such a change. They could promise pardon to him for allowing General Gantz of Blue and White to lead the government in the first rotation. Bibi can lead again if found innocent. For this to happen, Bibi has to let the Ultra-Orthodox go. Shas cannot control the interior department. There has to be a cut in welfare for men to study Talmud and Rabbinic arguments all day!
The Joint List, including Balad, the more anti-Israel faction, could vote to form the government with Blue and White and accept that only some of their demand can be met since the budget will cannot immediately provide all their demands. The government can take significant steps. How about a cut in Ultra-Orthodox welfare to finance classrooms, roads, police and hospitals in the Arab areas! Balad refuses to support a government and has an all or nothing stand.

There are many possible solutions, but so many are being stubborn. It is amazing! And some speak of a fourth election which again would likely be inconsequential. Can Bibi stay in power by having elections forever?

Meanwhile, the country is in turmoil not only in politically but with the virus. What a time for us to pray, exercise faith, heal the sick and share the Good News! What a great time for the Spirit to be poured out.

The Bizarre Israel Political Situation

On the night of the Israel elections, the exit polls and early counting gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party and the other parties that would join his coalition 60 Knesset (Parliament) members. It looked like he would be able to flip one vote somewhere to gain the 61 votes necessary to form a government. With these results, we went to sleep that night. The next morning Bibi had slipped to 59 and then the next day to 58. These are now the official results. The certainty that he would form the next government evaporated. Amazing!

Now another new and strange twist is taking place. With the Arab Joint List Party, the opposition has 62 votes. They will not form a government together since the centrist Blue and White Party will not join with the Arab Party in a government since they are not Zionists. However, they are now putting forth the idea that they might vote to pass legislation to preclude Benjamin Netanyahu from forming a government. Blue and White under General Benny Gantz has said they are willing to form a government with Bibi’s Likud Party but not with him as the leader because he has been indicted for bribery, fraud and breach of trust. They could pass a law stating that an indicted Prime Minister cannot form a government. If this happens, it could solve the dilemma for many Messianic Jews. I will explain.

Messianic Jews in Israel are ardent Zionists. They like the idea of annexing the towns in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). They think that Bibi can now do this because the Trump peace plan has been rejected by the Arabs and negotiations are rejected as well. This opens the door for unilateral annexation. The right parties are correct that the old two state solution making the ‘67 armistice lines the border is no longer possible. The Zionist left is not facing reality. Yes, their rational position of separation and two states is reasonable in that it seeks to keep a large Jewish majority though a separation of populations and the elimination of the many towns except for the larger cities. They hope that the Palestinian Arabs would accept such a plan but they have proven by the past peace offers that they would. The Trump plan does this separation but with Israel keeping the West Bank towns and cities. Some still oppose even the limited state that Trump proposes. Since the Arabs have rejected the plan some other solution for the West Bank Arabs needs to be found. Some still wait for them to have citizenship in Jordan and residency in Israel. This is unlikely in the near future.

Messianic Jews, however, are ambivalent about Bibi for other reasons. It is that he is fully in bed with the Ultra-Orthodox and especially the Sephardic Shas Party that controls the Interior Department and opposes Messianic Jews. The Ultra-Orthodox control conversion, weddings and Jewish status issues which makes life very hard for 400,000 Russian Jews who are not accepted as Jewish by Rabbinic law. They make their conversion too hard, and they cannot marry in Israel! Plus, the Ultra-Orthodox do not serve in the army. Most of their men do not work. They receive welfare so they can split hairs on Rabbinic discussions and arguments in the Yeshivas. This will someday lead to bankrupting the country, and it presently undercuts funds for services and salaries in Israel.

However, if Likud has a new leader who would apply the same policies on the Trump plan and could join with Blue and White, and Liberman’s Russian Jewish anti-Ultra Orthodox but conservative party, Yisrael Bateinu, then we could see policies that most Messianic Jews would support. This includes both the issue the Land in Judea and Sumaria, and on the issue of the control of the society by the Ultra-Orthodox. This is a possibility but not at all certain.

I for one was disappointed by Gantz saying that he supported the Trump plan but would want international support plus support from Jordan and Egypt to implement it. Well, that would be the end of the plan. But if Likud leads the next government without Bibi, it could solve the problem. Bibi’s indictment is not political as he claims. How do we know this? Because the indictment comes from his former supporter who did not want to do this, Attorney General Mendelblit. This Likud conservative did not want to do this, but the evidence forced him into it. Bibi has served his country well, and I believe he would get a pardon from the Knesset if he stepped down before such a law would pass. This is where things stand this evening. Amazing! What a saga!