Likud, Kadima support aliya cabinet

[bemildred]

Amid the intense efforts of Kadima and Likud to bring Israel Beiteinu on board a future coalition, the issue of aliya has mostly escaped the limelight, even though it appears as one of five central policy points in a document sent by Israel Beiteinu to its courters.

In the fifth and last place on Israel Beiteinu's list of demands, below calls for toppling Hamas and for a citizenship loyalty law, the party calls for the creation of an "emergency aliya cabinet" to discuss how the government will absorb Jewish immigrants "from Europe and America," adding that the issue is especially relevant "in light of the increase in severity of anti-Semitism in the world."

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The Likud added that aliya rates fell to "an unprecedented low under Kadima... and the issue was unfortunately pushed aside. A government led by the Likud, which would be guided by a Zionist approach, will put aliya and absorption at the center of the government and the national agenda."

Earlier this week, Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon submitted Kadima's reply to Meseznikov's demands, in which Kadima also backed the call for an emergency aliya cabinet.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1233304821495&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[leveymg]

1. There is the danger that these fundamentalist nut balls will make Israel go the way of the Shakers.

Remember the Shakers? Religious sect that was so pure in their beliefs they refused to join the rest of the human race or even to reproduce. Made great chairs.

[henank]

2. I'm sure that would make you very happy

But in what way would you classify Likud or Kadima as "fundamentalist" or "nutballs"? I would appreciate an explanation because it seems that you are just throwing out these words as a sort of mantra without any deep thought being put into them.

[leveymg]

3. Quite the opposite. This is the third in a string of great historical tragedies.

You have to give deep thought to expect it in return. What do you bring to the table? How are they not - and if, in arguendo, they really aren't, why are they so unsuccessful at convincing the rest of the world of their rationality and tolerance?

[henank]

4. I'm not sure which historical tragedies you are referring to

but you did refer to Likud and/or Kadima and/or the idea of an "aliya cabinet" as "fundamentalist nutballs". I asked you to explain why you think they are so. You ask me for my explanation but first I'm waiting to hear your argument.

[leveymg]

5. There's a wall in Jerusalem that reminds us of those tragedies.

Fundamentalist nutballs don't know the value of restraint. Not everyone in Israel is a fundamentalist nutball, but the exceptions rarely have power. There's precious little in recent years to convince me otherwise.

[henank]

6. It is true that fundamentalists

don't know the meaning of restraint. But you cannot classify either Likud or Kadima as fundamentalist in any sense, certainly not politically (they are secular in nature) or politically: Kadima is center-left, Likud is center-right. The fact that Likud is regularly slimed on DU and called fundamentalist and worse does not make it so. Remember, it was Likud under Begin who gave back the Sinai, and Likud under the demonised Sharon who withdrew from Gaza. And Likud under the even-more demonised Netanyahu who signed the Wye Agreement to hand power over Hebron to the PA.

[azurnoir]

7. I've heard there are a numbeer of Americans making Aliya

to the West Bank