The Only Democracy? » Entries tagged with "j14"
Israel’s Tahrir[3]: Ripple Effect on Politicians, Financiers Continues…
In late August, after first sending proxies to defame Israel’s social-justice protesters as “radical lefties” – a move that backfired spectacularly; then trying the silent treatment, hoping that the Israeli public known for its short attention span will lose interest – only to get served with repeated bouts of unprecedented nationwide protests; Prime minister “Bibi” Netanyahu tried a third trick: appoint a committee. The move won him a partial reprieve, mostly from the mainstream media. And using the quiet and the back-to-school period, local governments began dismantling the tent cities one by one. Now the committee, headed by Prof. Manuel Trachtenberg – a well-meaning, former-Argentine-radical, but nevertheless neoliberal economist – has submitted its conclusions. They include partial restoration of some of the social safety net that Bibi has worked so hard … Read entire article »
Filed under: Victories for Democracy
Israel’s Tahrir [2]: First effect on electoral politics – Labor Party Revived
Away from the drama in Georgia and at the UN, a potentially major electoral development took place in Israel yesterday. Knesset Member Shelly Yachimovich was elected Wednesday night to lead Israel’s Labor Party. In the final round she defeated her former political mentor, Amir Peretz (who led Labor to the 2006 elections) by 54% to 46%. Yachimovich is the second woman to lead Labor in the party’s century-long history. The first woman was world-famous, US-raised Golda Meir, party leader and Prime Minister from 1969 to 1974. But the two women are almost diametric opposites. Whereas Golda was a calcified, conservative, elitist nationalist and anti-feminist who rose within party ranks – Yachimovich is a fast-rising star, a journalist who entered politics only six years ago (ironically, it was Peretz who recruited her … Read entire article »
Filed under: Victories for Democracy