Pray for a Republican Victory on Tuesday

Usually, I'm impressed with Gil Hoffman's reporting and analysis. His articles are characterized by a clear and logical line of reasoning, linking observations with qualitative insights. As such, I was surprised by his analysis and conclusions in his article today, which stated that a Democratic loss in the midterms would translate into greater problems for Israel.

The 2010 U.S. midterm elections for Congress (, for both House and Senate,) are widely viewed as a referendum mainly on domestic policy, but also, to some degree, on foreign policy.

When Democrats lose control of the House, and moreso if they lose the Senate majority as well, President Obama, his facilitators, and handlers, will face a sobering reality. They can either defy the great majority of Americans and continue to push unpopular, economically disastrous policies, or they can concentrate on bolstering enough support from the mainstream and struggle to secure a second term in the White House. Clinton faced this choice in 1994 and drastically changed his policies to win a second term.

Given the priority of the economy, especially jobs, on the U.S. public's agenda, the executive branch of the U.S. will not be concentrating on foreign policy. They will certainly not be squandering any resources on any "peace process" unless a clear breakthrough is on the horizon.

While the economy is foremost on Americans' minds, polls indicate that the majority is very unhappy with Obama's foreign policy direction. His aggressively antagonistic posture towards Israel angers a majority of Americans, who are pro-Israel. They are by and large opposed to gestures which appear to appease imperialist and extremist elements in the Muslim world. Obama's kowtowing to the Saudi Prince and his support for the building of the Mosque at 9/11's Ground Zero have demonstrated to most Americans, including those who voted him into office and now suffer "Obama Remorse," that he is out of touch with his public. The pragmatic leaders in the Democratic party know this and it scares them.

The revitalized elements in the Republican party, which are successfully and effectively promoting many candidates for the Congress, are also staunchly and characteristically pro-Israel. With a Republican Speaker of the House, and perhaps a Republican Senate Majority Leader, Obama is going to find funding difficult for even the most miniscule expenditures if he tries to pressure Israel. The President may set foreign policy, but the Congress controls the government's purse strings for implementing those policies.

A Democratic defeat will go a long way in neutralizing the motivation for the Obama Administration to pressure Israel. To the contrary, a Republican victory will revitalize the spirit of kindred alliance that links Israel and the U.S. and defang the far left's open hostility towards the Jewish State.

Dan Halutz: Ignorance and Politics

Dan Halutz has announced his entry into politics. This former IDF lieutenant general distinguished himself through his disastrous and lethal incompetence in the last Lebanese War. He wasted no time in demonstrating his total ignorance of Israeli-US relations by opening his mouth.

Halutz opined that by refusing to extend the ban on housing starts in Judea and Samaria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would anger US President Obama, and the result would be to harm efforts to prevent a nuclear Iran. Halutz's abysmal disconnect with reality is remarkable, but not wholly unexpected.

As Jonathan Rosenblum pointed out so well in this week's Jerusalem Post Magazine, only an ignoramus regarding U.S. politics would assume that Israel has to placate the ego of the U.S. Commander in Chief in order to safeguard bi-national relations. And only a political imbecile would be blind to the fact that Barack Obama's demonstrated foreign policy incompetence has made him almost irrelevant to long-term U.S. foreign policy.

Israel has, for ten months, instituted a building freeze in Judea, Samaria, and parts of Jerusalem. In other words, Netanyahu gave in to Obama's initial demand to discriminate against Jews in their own land. In return, Mahmoud Abbas delivered Netanyahu's meeting his requests, even at significant political expense.

How fitting that an ex-general who bought into the concept of planned mediocrity when it came to his military decisions would hitch his wagon to the apex of Israeli political mediocrity, the Kadima party.

It is no anomaly that the left wing in Israel constantly seeks to ingratiate itself with the left wing in the U.S. and, of course, Europe. That is the way of political elites. They regularly seek to bolster their counterparts and, by so doing, cement the concept that elites should have disproportionate influence.

Putting it All Together

Three years have past since I started this blog. Truth be told, I've written sporadically. Since I started my job, I've barely had time even to think. Perhaps, I've been escaping the challenge ahead, avoiding the regular commitment that comes with infusing real meaning in my life. So, I'm back. Which leads me into the theme of this blog, "Putting it All Together."

If there is going to be a movement to change the form of government in Israel, it's got to be bigger than just changing the form of government in Israel. It's got to be about changing the way Israelis think of themselves. It's got to be about principles and why principles are important. It's got to be about the effects of principles - and the lack of principles - on our lives and our country.

A Shelanu movement could do so much for this country. Defining the things that are important to us, clearly, directly, and significantly, will help us address so many issues.

I need to be better at this. No matter how good I get, I'll need help.