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David Bitan

It’s been a while since I presented a Golda.

Let me put this right and award an honorary Golda to Likud MK David Bitan.

If someone had suggested a couple of months ago that I would be agreeing with David Bitan, my reaction would have been “you’re crazy, mad, barmy”. And yet hells-bells, supportive of him. It is certainly a topsy-turvy world we live in, here in Israel.

I’m no fan of David Bitan but amongst a group of BiBi yes-men, Bitan appears to be the only one with balls, standing up as he has and making the point, time and again that something stinks in the Land of BiBi.

“He Crossed the Line’: Likud Lawmaker Slams Netanyahu’s Conduct in Coalition Talks.” “MK David Bitan isn’t happy with the Likud head’s handling of negotiations and doling out top government positions in Israel’s next government, believing that ‘there is not much left for Likud’.” https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2022-11-22/ty-article/.premium/likud-mk-slams-netanyahu-for-coalition-talks/00000184-9e60-df75-afa6-fffe05210000

“Likud MK David Bitan: Likud has lost it, West Bank annexation 'won't happen'.” https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/likud-mk-david-bitan-likud-has-lost-it-west-bank-annexation-wont-happen/ar-AA15Do3h

“Likud’s Bitan says won’t vote to end ban on racist MKs, pans concessions to allies.” MK criticizes his own party for ‘only thinking of forming a government,’ says too many senior cabinet portfolios either gutted or given to intended partners.” https://www.timesofisrael.com/likuds-bitan-says-wont-vote-to-end-ban-on-racist-mks-pans-concessions-to-allies/

Many in the Likud and elsewhere will pan his outbursts as ‘sour grapes’. Knowing that he has zero chance of a position of influence in BiBi’s government, he is blasting in all directions. While there may be a flicker of truth in his actions, Bitan is making sense. Although wanting a Likud-led government, many Likud voters are disappointed in the way that BiBi has given so much power to the Smotrich, Ben Gvir, Moaz axis, and the Haredim.

Despite what he says, too many it looks like the Axis is in the driving seat and not the Crime Minister.

Of course, it should never be overlooked that BiBi is the master of spin and deception. Tricky-Dicky can’t hold a light to BiBi.

It is also worth reviewing and comparing what BiBi says in Hebrew and what he says in English.

The Axis of Evil may well be in for a shock further down the road. Watch this space.




I am currently reading Ken Follett’s “A Column of Fire”, the fourth book in the Kingsbridge series. And before any reader wants to correct me, yes, “A Column of Fire” was the third book published in the series. Follett then wrote a prequel to book #1, “The Pillars of the Earth”. The prequel “The Evening and the Morning” then leads into “The Pillars of the Earth”.

All clear I hope.

“A Column of Fire” focuses on the conflict between the Catholic and Protestant elements of the Church and how each views the other. A reoccurring theme is an assertion that ‘religion is an institution devised by man to control man’. Just think of the Spanish Inquisition, which by the way is still alive in 1558 when “A Column of Fire” opens.

While this matter has been with me for a long while, it has only come to the front in more recent years. Apart from “A Column of Fire”, the notion of religious control in Israel appears almost every day through the outbursts of Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, as well as the Axis of Evil and the others in the Haredim community. It would appear that only they are real Jews.

“Chief Rabbi Yosef: Reform, Conservative Judaism is a new religion.” "Have you ever seen a Reformer [Jew] who repented? I didn't see any, there are none. They feel they are okay; that they have a religion, but they have a new religion." https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-724567

It echoes exactly the conflict between the Catholic and Protestant elements of the Church.

And what about?

Israel's Chief Rabbi Should Be Disciplined for Racist Comments, Judicial Ombudsman Says Controversial comments by Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef targeting Israelis from former Soviet state prompted backlash, with Netanyahu labeling them 'outrageous' https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2020-03-07/ty-article/.premium/israels-chief-rabbi-should-be-disciplined-for-racist-comments-ombudsman-says/0000017f-dc8b-d856-a37f-fdcb7c8e0000

“Chief rabbi calls black people ‘monkeys’” “Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef uses pejorative term ‘kushi’ for African Americans in weekly sermon” https://www.timesofisrael.com/chief-rabbi-compares-african-americans-to-monkeys/

It is worth remembering that this gentleman is a public servant, paid a salary by the State of Israel, i.e. taxpayer money.

And here is an idea that this so-called rabbi could introduce, he, along with the Axis of Evil and the rest of the Haredim clans could hold at the Kotel (Western Wall) Plaza an Auto-da-fé. Now that would be fun.

They burn at the stake all those who they deem to be heretics. Following this, they can burn all the books, magazines, paintings, and whatever else they judge as ‘not suitable’. After all, they know better than anyone else.

The Axis of Evil and the rest of the Haredim may wish to read the thoughts of Prof. Yonatan Adler. Although they would no doubt call him a heretic.

When Did Judaism Emerge? Far Later Than Assumed, New Theory Suggests. Vast review finds no evidence that the Torah laws were commonly observed before the second century B.C.E. https://www.israpundit.org/when-did-judaism-emerge-far-later-than-assumed-new-theory-suggests/

Repeat the mantra ‘religion is an institution devised by man to control man’.




While I don’t believe it will come to it, there is plenty of talk about civil unrest, demonstrations, and million-men marches leading to a form of civil conflict between the left and the right.

There is an abundance of interpretations to stoke the fires of rebellion and revolt.

Tzipi Livni warns incoming government advancing ‘destruction’ of Israeli democracy. Former justice minister under Netanyahu calls on center-left politicians to 'put differences aside' and battle new right-wing and religious coalition https://www.timesofisrael.com/tzipi-livni-warns-incoming-government-advancing-destruction-of-israeli-democracy/

Hanukkah: Will Netanyahu's gov't cause Israeli civil war? Will the theocratic extremism of Smotrich, Maoz and Goldknopf result in another civil war between the Jews? Will our enemies take advantage of our infighting? https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-725567

Will coalition deals spark civic revolt? Netanyahu expects the silent majority to accept their money’s theft, their children’s re-education, their government’s deformation and their Zionism’s demise. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-724423


What is a fact is that we are on the threshold of interesting times.



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