Israelis Try To Start Their Own Tea Party
The turnout at its inaugural rally wasn’t great — only 100 activists showed up — but Israelis displaying piles of tea bags and “Say No to Obama” signs were still an unusual and interesting sight.
The newly anointed Israeli Tea Party movement has adopted the symbols of the American Tea Party movement to express their dissatisfaction with both the Middle East policy and the economic philosophy of the Obama administration. But the focus of the inaugural event was addressed to both Washington and Jerusalem — it was a call for the U.S. president to stop pressuring Israel on the issue of renewing a settlement freeze, as well as a message to the Israeli government to resist that pressure. Said Likud MK Danny Danon, a member of the group of Likud activists behind the Tea Party initiative:
We are here today to send a very clear message to Mr. Obama: Stop bullying our prime minister!
The true godfather of the Israeli Tea Party is former Knesset deputy Michael Kleiner, an activist in the Likud Party who intends to send a strong anti-Obama message both to the Israeli public and to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu — whose resolve Kleiner fears may be “crumbling,” and who Kleiner fears may make concessions as a result of Obama’s “arm-twisting.” A continued freeze, Kleiner told reporters against a backdrop of black curtains and red-and-black balloons, is a “death trap for Israel.”
Kleiner was emphatic in his insistence that this did not represent an effort to influence the U.S. elections. But the timing of the event, just days before the midterms, was certainly not a coincidence. At a time when all eyes are on the United States, Kleiner is clearly hoping that a weakened Obama will be in less of a position to twist Netanyahu’s arm in negotiations with the Palestinians.
In an interview with the British Telegraph before the rally, Kleiner compared the U.S. president to King George III. He said — like the real Boston Tea Party said of the king — that Obama was a force from abroad pressuring Israel to take steps that work against its own interests:
We believe President Obama is trying to force us to do things that most Israelis believe are very dangerous. We are being blackmailed to sacrifice our security and vital interests by another country.
The new movement appears to be a marriage between two groups. Those like Kleiner see themselves as part of an effort representing a front within Likud who want Netanyahu to stand up to pressure from the U.S. on the issue of reinstating a freeze on settlement construction. This isn’t the first time that Kleiner has applied pressure on Netanyahu from the right. In 1999, during Netanyahu’s first go-round as prime minister, Kleiner, at the time a Knesset member, and two other Likud MKs broke off from the Netanyahu-led Likud in protest of territorial concessions Netanyahu made. Their rebellion was one of the factors that contributed to the weakening of Netanyahu politically and his subsequent defeat by current Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
Israel needs a tea party movement desperately.
So does Canada. I wear my “Don’t Tread on Me Pin” on my jacket and hat. So far, one has asked me what it means or made any comments. Canadians are clueless, unless it relates to the latest hockey scores.
Allison dear, fret not. Even though there were ‘only’ about 100 activists, there are those behind the scenes ready to participate, in more ways than are readily obvious.
ANY viable movement must have front and center face-time leaders, but it is what takes place behind the scenes that makes the difference.
Ra’anana has proven to be fertile ground too. I am close enough to smell it….
I’m just saying…..
Adina, as I recall, Ra’anana has a high Anglo community. Perhaps the TP movement will catch on there. How I wish I was in Israel to witness this!
Right ON!
I was invited to this event. I did not go for personal reasons. But I also believe it’s just a gimmick and it will not generate anything.
1. The Tea Party is based on US history and means nothing to Israelis.
2. The ruling party in Israel is right-wing and pro-business, at least in theory. It’s easier to gain momentum when you are in the opposition, much harder when people with ideas close to yours are in power.
Netanyahu did a great job or lowering taxes and cutting public spendings in 2003-2005 and this policy is still valid today, more or less. They was no stimulus, the unemployment figures are low, growth is solid.
3. The liberal “elites” in Israel do control the media, the universities, and the judiciary. A Tea Party won’t change that but the growing of new right-wing and religious elites will and is changing that, slowly.
Israel is not the USA, and the Tea Party will not succeed here. As much as Israelis are truly happy (except for the media of course) that the Republicans won, what happens here has nothing to do with US politics.
One roadblock to a USA-like Tea Party movement is that Knesset members are elected at-large, so every campaign is nationwide. It’s hard to see where local “small government” activists would get any traction. Starting some new mini-party, among the many that already exist, also looks useless.
However, the “Tea Party” described here is a whole other thing, simply a group within the ruling party that wants to stiffen its Prime Minister’s resistance to dictation from abroad. As long as Israel wants or needs to lean on America for military and diplomatic support, the PM is boxed in. How exactly would this Tea Party rescue him from this box?
Small, quiet starts are much more auspicious, I think, than large, orchestrated, heavily marketed ones.
Auspicious means “conducive to success” and small steps in which you feel your way along is always more conducive to success than taking a large leap where your not sure you’re going to land.
Anyway, good luck in Israel.
“The event also lacked the Barack Obama as the Joker/Karl Marx/witchdoctor posters commonly seen at such events in the United States.” J-Post
J-Post neatly plays into the US liberal media’s portrayal of the Tea Party participants as racists. Most, if not all, such signs found at the Tea Party events are carried by trolls trying to get on TV to show how racist the Tea Party is.
As Benjamin pointed out above, “Tea Party” in the US is based on American history and probably means little to an average Israeli. But even if the name is not very appropriate, I think the idea is very similar. Israeli people need to voice their opinion and make Obama hear that Israel will not be bullied around by another country’s ruler looking out for his own interests whatever the consenquences may be. It is up to the Israeli people to make decisions regarding their country’s security issues, especially when negotiating a peace agreement with terrorist-associated organizations.
I’m glad that there are still people in Israel who are ready to come out and voice their opinion. People who think alike should go out and support the movement.
Good luck with the initiative…
Israelis only need to copy the American way of speaking out against poor policy and use their combined vote to stop splitting it up into tens of parties with no hope of getting serious.
Maybe the new Israeli Tea Party should name itself after the sabra, instead. In any case, it’s a positive message to Israelis that the role of the U.S. is to support, not to dictate. Good luck.
Israel needs a capitalistic movement to free the economy from its burden of high taxes, high government spending, and a bloated administration.
Israel desperately needs to reform itself with regard to the manner in which the coalition members blackmail the country to extract tax payers money.
As for the Jpost, well how can one treat it seriously when their headline appears to proudly announce Jewish candidates secure major wins in House, Senate
And follow it with
Boxer and Blumenthal win important Senate seats;
whom given their behaviour I’d be ashamed to admit are Jews.
All the best to this movement. I expect the name will change to reflect historical opposition to foreign tyranny and submissive Jewish leadership. The Gadsen flag still works.
Until Israel goes back to the biblical model of tribes (shevutim), with representatives being responsible to a constituency, and thus, having the electorate able to ‘throw the bums out’, the TEA party type of movement is an objective futility. (sorry for the run-on sentence)
The original united states was patterned after the biblical tribes.
If/when Israel becomes a republic and not a democracy, the electorate and the country as a whole will be empowered.
In a very real and practical sense you are correct. In fact, the eminent political scientist, Professor Paul Eidelberg, has been talking about the bane of Israel’s existence-its non representative ‘democracy’ for years.He has written books on the topic, and has taught many courses on it.
However, as the saying goes, there is more than one way to skin a cat. The Tea Party in Israel has things in common with the US, but also many differences. It will be a balancing act between the two to make some headway. It is not an all or nothing proposition.
Your point though is very well taken
“Israelis only need to copy the American way of speaking out against poor policy”
They already do it. They demonstrate, speak up, protest. And have been for decades.
“Israel needs a capitalistic movement to free the economy from its burden of high taxes, high government spending, and a bloated administration.”
Yes but as I said, this has already started. Israel is more capitalistic and has lower taxes than most European countries. Things have changed a lot in the last years.
“1. The Tea Party is based on US history and means nothing to Israelis.”
Just the same, if y’all need any live rattlesnakes, let me know!
history means nothing to Israelis? i find that hard to believe. do they keep making the same mistakes over and over?
You are correct about the Biblical model, it worked then and it was designed by a Greater Mind than any Knesset members or humans of any kind. To continue in that vein, why not quit depending on the US for weaponry, etc. in exchange for land given up to the Palestinians, Catholics, and whoever wants it today, and go back to the Biblical model of trust in the Creator? He can send a swarm of hornets or a sandstorm if anyone recalls 1948 and other ancient battles.
Finally, if the Tea Party symbolism helps the people stay strong and faithful, I say go for it.
If an Israeli Tea Party was led by a Marco Rubio then political life here could be transformed; after all his experience is no different than that of most Israelis, just listen to him. http://hotair.com/archives/2010/11/03/rubios-acceptance-speech/