Oops, they did it again. To the horror of progressives so opposed to the possibility they denied its existence, Israeli voters returned Benjamin Netanyahu to the Prime Minister's office over real-world concerns about security and prosperity.
OK, not exactly. Given Israel's ludicrous electoral system nobody "wins" an election. But in giving Likud the same number of seats as whats-his-name's whatever party Israelis seem to have given Netanyahu the whip hand in forming a new coalition. Which counts as winning there.
Nooooo, says the New York Times. Tuesday night the "Grey Lady" blared at me "Israel's elections were a setback for Benjamin Netanyahu, exit polls showed." NBC, more cautious, said "Exit polls show the Blue and White party, headed by former military chief Benny Gantz, has a narrow lead over the Likud, two TV stations say. Another station showed them tied." Or not.
By early Wednesday morning, the Times conceded grudgingly that "After Tight Race, Netanyahu Appears Poised to Form Israel's Next Government". Two hours later "Israeli leader looks poised to win a new term" because "Mr. Netanyahu is widely credited with having built a strong economy and keeping Israel secure. He has also delivered long-sought diplomatic victories, several of them with the help of President Trump." And by breakfast time, the Times spat out, as "Breaking news" no less, "It's Benjamin Netanyahu's Israel now: His likely re-election as prime minister attests to the starkly conservative vision of the nation's voters." By which time NBC admitted "Netanyahu claims 'colossal victory' as he appears set to keep power after tight Israeli election" while offering as a "News Alert" that "The results affirmed Israel's continued tilt to the right and further dimmed hopes of a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
In short, it's Israelis' fault for electing that crooked hard-line dunce Netanyahu over those who would accept the olive branches coming over from Gaza disguised as incendiary balloons and rockets. So first it won't happen, then it can't be happening, and finally it only happened because Israelis are a basket of deplorables. Which isn't news or even analysis disguised as news. It's rubbish.
What's more, it does readers of these outlets a disservice, starting with the nonsensical "starkly conservative vision of the nation's voters". Israelis are all over the spectrum, as anyone who's ever visited knows, and a lot did vote for the vacuously named "Blue and White" party of the distinguished but politically forgettable Gantz. But Israelis rationally favour "a strong economy and keeping Israel secure" and have little time for carping by people who regard such concerns as alt-right.
For all the peculiarities of politics in the only democracy in the Middle East, the Israeli election is not an isolated incident. Including liberals struggling to understand it or, to be blunt, not even making the effort that "struggling" implies. The results did not affirm Israel's continued tilt to the right. They affirmed the left's continued tilt into dangerous, smug fantasy including about a partner for peace across the Wall, something sensible Israelis sadly concluded years ago does not exist.
Sure, liberals talk about the prosperity of the little guy, the average person, the middle class and those working hard to join it. But from Justin Trudeau's indifference to massive job losses in Canada's energy sector to U.S. Democrats' hypnotic fascination with the Green New Deal, which would so obviously torch the economy that its defiance of reality is clearly a feature not a bug, they just don't act like they care. And many Trump backers see Democrats, liberal media and professors as regarding everyone in MAGA hats as racist, sexist homophobic hillbillies finally getting what they deserve. Instead of compassion for an opioid epidemic driven by despair, they see a lot of slick talk from people who won't shut up about how compassionate they are except to unleash a torrent of abuse at anyone they don't like.
Now if you want to be a cold-hearted snob, it's a free country. But please don't also be a loud idiot. We have seen election after election won by people you despised and at some point you have to start admitting it's happening and develop a theory as to why. Including recognizing that Democrats rallying around Bill Clinton for sexual harassment and perjury that got him disbarred and impeached, though not convicted, drastically lowered the tone of American politics in ways that have since come back to haunt them. And us.
As for Netanyahu, his reelection may not prevent his prosecution. But I think many voters' willingness to overlook his peccadillos, or possibly pecados, has less to do with feeling jaded than feeling legitimately worried about prosperity and security. And abused, because Israel is surrounded by ferocious enemies and its friends are few and often unreliable. Including, again, U.S. Democrats, for whom the lure of anti-Semitic anti-Zionism is starting to prove almost as hypnotic as that of the insane Green New Deal. Why else feign outrage at Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib but work hard to keep them in your party?
Even after the Israeli results were in the Times tried to conjure up a different outcome. After snarling about the "starkly conservative vision of the nation's voters" it said "With a new term and an expanded Likud party, Mr. Netanyahu would have the chance to form an even larger right-wing coalition of secular, ultra-Orthodox and even some extremist lawmakers — or, if he chooses, to try to forge a national unity government that brings in centrists."
What? Maybe the centrists secretly won? But if the voters are as starkly conservative as Netanyahu, what is the ideological or partisan appeal of reaching out to "centrists", as the Times habitually labels leftists. (Try to imagine a Times headline about the "starkly liberal vision" of anyone's voters including in the district of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or for that matter Ihlan Omar.) Meanwhile something called Vox responded to the result with "Israeli democracy is rotting from the inside".
Netanyahu, assuming he pulls a coalition together, will be the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history, eclipsing the legendary David ben Gurion, and serving five terms as PM including four consecutively. Perhaps outlets like the New York Times should try to explain why, instead of leaving readers befuddled by fantasy spun as news.
Photo Credit: Vox
