Avigdor Lieberman

Bad Day for Bibi? David Horovitz, Times of Israel. "For all that this is not the government he would have chosen, it still finds Netanyahu where he wanted to be: at the center of a coalition that runs from Jewish Home to his right to Hatnua at the center-left."

It's Not the Electoral System, Stupid! Raphael Ahren, Times of Israel. Israel's electoral system is often made the scapegoat for its political problems.  But for retiring MK Einat Wilf, Israel's issues are no different from those of any other democracy. 

Lieberman On Trial Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom. As the odds against Avigdor Lieberman’s being cleared of charges before Israel's elections increase, so do the odds of Likud-Beiteinu’s abandoning him.

Home Truths David Horovitz, Times of Israel. Whereas Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu once hoped to win 50 seats together, now they are hemorrhaging support to Netanyahu’s one-time chief of staff, Naftali Bennett, and his party, Jewish Home.

Bloc Parties Jonathan Rynhold, Atlantic. Far from guaranteeing a resounding victory in the elections, Netanyahu's decision to create a rightist bloc provides an opportunity for parties on the Left—but only if they remain separate.  

Looking for Apartheid in All the Wrong Places Benjamin Pogrund, Guardian. Israel’s move to the right leads some people to charge that it is nearing South African-style apartheid.  These people have no idea of what real apartheid was like. 

Betraying Jabotinsky Jeff Barak, Jerusalem Post. By forming an electoral pact with Yisrael Beiteinu, Likud may guarantee victory in the upcoming election; but will that come at the expense of the values on which the party was founded?

The EU’s Israel Problem Daniel Hannan, Jewish Chronicle. “The reason most Euro-enthusiasts resent Israel is that it is the supreme embodiment of the national principle—that is, of the desire of every people to form their own state.”

Hizballah’s Holiday Home Nicholas Kulish, New York Times. Europe has cultivated a tacit détente with Hizballah, whereby if Hizballah does not stage attacks, European governments do not interfere with its fundraising and organizational work.