5061

Looks like it is working as well.

5062

I’m actually surprised that Netanyahu backed down. I thought he was a very firm Trump-ish “never-apologize” guy who doubles down on everything no matter what.

5063

Wait for it, he’s addressing the nation in 20 minutes.

5064

Uh oh. Pray for Dave Perkin’s balls. That sounds like a real “buckle up” moment.

5065

They were having general strikes, with the two biggest sea ports shutting down in support of the strike.

Bibi lost control of this.

5066

Are they? Haven’t they tried to provide material support or financial trade with Russia over the past 10 years?

5067

The thing is, I suspect for the good folks in Israel, this is a now or never moment. Demographics are not on their side, unless they can somehow do a 100% alliance with the Arab Lists, which is very very unlikely.

5068

One of the things we have there is an early warning radar installation, which is important. I do not know if there is another ally in the region which would support that.

5069

Jordan might, if it was on the more or less down-low. And as we apparently occupy part of Syria now, we could put it there!

5070

The fact that he allowed his country to fall apart just to serve himself proves that he is exactly that. He could have stayed the course, but the Israeli state would likely have ceased to exist within a month, and in that case he could face a lot worse than jail.

He also hasn’t apologized, he also hasn’t withdrawn the legislation, he’s just fucking around and playing cute, so that could still happen.

It reveals him for who he is, in case anyone was still in doubt. If the choice is between Israel and Bibi, Bibi chooses Bibi.

5071

The Sex Pistols sang about the Great Rock and Roll Swindle. These days, we are deep into the era of the Great Democracy Swindle it seems.

5072

Yes, this. He’s just going to wait a bit, then move ahead.

5073

Bibi is like the smart Trump that everyone is afraid we’ll get here next time in the States.

5074

Unless some big miracle happens during Easter, I don’t think waiting will help Bibi much :-)

5075

I don’t know either way, but I’m sure what he’s thinking is that it is damned hard to get people mobilized on this scale, so if you can calm them down and buy some time, the chances are fairly good that they won’t react the same way again when you move ahead with what you were doing.

5076

Yeah, he’s hoping folks will lose their motivation over time, and he can start boiling the frog again.

Or maybe it’s that he had the heat up too high, so he’s just turning it down to boil it more slowly.

I’m sure there’s some frog boiling analogy here.

5077

I’d be surprised if Netanyahu dares to restart the protests outright (I think people would respond in exactly the same way) but I don’t think there’s any question that he is currently scheming to find a way around it that gets him what he wants anyway.

Meanwhile convicted racist Ben-Gvir gets his own personal army.

5078

Bibi promises a lot of things. Rarely do they ever pan out. He’s a master of empty words and outright lies.

5079

I don’t know why I expected Ramadan to be less violent this year… Lots of social media posts outraged over soldiers using stun grenades in AlAqsa and temple mount.

5080