|
Commemorations, Negotiations and Political Machinations(50:32)
|
At last night’s ceremony commemorating the fallen soldiers of Operation Protective Edge, President Rivlin said: “The State of Israel will not accept a situation in which our towns are subjected to repeated and ongoing attacks.” The panel understands why he would make that statement, but was not sure the government is living up to it.
As the Iran nuclear negotiations are extended once again, the panel discusses a conference call the US administration staff made to try to solicit support for the pending agreement and disagrees with a statement made during that call, which predicts the Iranian regime will spend the $150 billion that could be released when sanctions are lifted on “bolstering the Iranian economy,” and not into funding worldwide terrorism.
As the Muslim holiday of Ramadan enters is final 10 days, the Israeli government has shut the Temple Mount to all Jews until the end of the holiday. The panel debates whether this will reduce potential violence, or whether it shows weakness, which could lead to more violence.
In addition to his position as prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu also holds the foreign, communications, health and regional cooperation portfolios. The Supreme Court has weighed in with its disapproval. The panel talks about why he has taken on so many roles, and whether this is positive or negative.
In the final segment, the panel addresses survey results presented by American Republican pollster Frank Luntz to VOI’s Gil Hoffman, in which he states, among other things, that 88% of US Republicans, in contrast to a mere 48% of Democrats, believe Israel wants peace. The panel agrees that nearly 100% of the Israeli public wants peace, yet disagrees on the best way to achieve it.
Host: Glen Ladau
Panel: Mottle Wolfe, Daniel Seaman, Eve Harow and Yishai Fleisher