Page 34 - Jewish News_January 2020

34A January 2020 COMMENTARY

Arab protests challenge Iran’s Middle East desires

By Rabbi Howard A. Simon By Harold M. Halpern

ecent mass protests in Iraq and pictures of Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s leadership is Hezbollah, a military n April 9, 2019, elections
Lebanon pose a major threat to famous commander and a frequent group that is Iran’s closest partner in were held for the 120-member
RIran’s desire to exert greater in- visitor to Iraq. These actions have been the region and a major threat to Israel. OKnesset. Never in the history
fluence and control in both countries. followed by Iraqi anti-government pro- The opposition groups feel too much of Israel has any party won a major-
Iraqi protesters have attacked the Ira- testers storming Martyrs’ Bridge over power rests with Hezbollah and that and presence in the Middle East. Saudi ity. However, the parties were always
nian consulate in the city of the Tigris River. Twenty- this has caused many of the economic Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emir- able to negotiate an agreement for the
Karbala. Protesters scaled nine people were wound- and social problems that affect the lives ates, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait have required 61 votes to designate a Prime
the walls carrying Iraqi ed after being attacked by of Lebanon’s population. joined the U.S. in imposing sanctions Minister and a government.
flags proclaiming, “Iran batons and exposed to tear The result of the actions in the on a financing network controlled by However, in April, the 61 votes
shall not rule this country gas. Tens of thousands of Middle East have led Jasmine El- Iran’s military and several men linked couldn’t be nego-
or its people.” people have marched in Gamal, a non-resident senior fellow to the Tehran-backed Hezbollah group. tiated. This was
In the wake of these Baghdad protesting wide- at the Atlantic Council, a non-partisan The world observes these events, the first time there
protests, Iraq’s Prime Min- spread corruption, lack Washington think tank, to say, “What’s monitors the changes in these countries was a failure of
ister, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, of employment and poor happening in the Middle East should and asks the following questions: Will negotiation. The
pledged to resign in the basic services. be a wake-up call. We should learn the governments of Iraq and Lebanon Knesset dissolved.
hope that this would tem- In Lebanon, Prime from this round of protests that you change their leadership and how will A new second
per the actions of those at- Rabbi Howard A. Simon Minister Saad Hariri re- cannot get away with subjugating and they govern their people? What will election was called
tacking his leadership. This has not had signed over the continued protests in prosecuting and humiliating the people Iran’s actions be in the face of possible for September.
the desired effect, testified to by the his country. The protesters demanded you are elected to serve. changes in the two countries? Will the Harold Halpern Israelis elect-
continual protests in Baghdad, where changes to a political system that has Iran’s leadership views the unrest influence of Iran be diminished be- ed their Knesset on September 17,
shouts went up, “Iran out, out.” Bill- been in power for years dividing au- in both Iraq and Lebanon as a major cause of these protests? 2019. Very soon after the election, we
boards featuring Iranian leaders were thority between Christians, Sunnis threat to their desire to have greater Questions abound and, in time, an- knew the results. The Right group of
torn down and shoes were thrown at and Shiites. A major part of the Shiite influence throughout the Middle East. swers will be forthcoming – answers parties, led by Benjamin Netanyahu,
Concerns over these protests and the that could change the very structure of head of Likud, had 55 votes. The Cen-
reaction of the United States, France, life in this ever-so-volatile part of the ter-Left, led by Benny Gantz, head of
the European Union and Great Brit- world. Blue-White, had 44 votes. The Israeli
ain to Iran’s decision to resume ura- Rabbi Howard A. Simon is the found- Arab coalition (the Joint List) had 13
nium enrichment at its Fordow site has ing chair of the Robert and Esther (10 of which they said would be voted
only made matters more difficult for Heller Community Relations Commit- for Gantz), and Yisrael Beiteinu led by
Iran, thus curtailing its goal to domi- tee, formerly known as the Heller IAI. Avigdor Liberman had eight votes.
nate the area and extend its authority In both my recent monthly columns
FELDMAN What do you think? in this paper, and in my columns in the
Sarasota Herald-Tribune, I wrote of
WEALTH ADVISORY the disparate positions of the parties
but felt that the publics distaste for a
The Jewish News third election and the critical social and

JOSEPH M. FELDMAN, CFP ® wants to know! existential needs of the country would
push the parties to a unity coalition
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ber 25, there has been no success.
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edited for length and content. Netanyahu demanded he go first. At
the time, Netanyahu was under inves-
build. advocate. with a Prime Minister under investiga-
tigation for crimes. Gantz refused to sit
tion.
remember. support. fused to vote for either Gantz or Netan-
Liberman had the key but he re-

yahu, and only for a coalition of Right,

There is one last gasp to form a
Bridges Center-Left and his party.
government. Any 61 Knesset members
We build bridges between people by visiting synagogues, churches and civic may designate a Prime Minister. They
have until mid-December to do this.
groups to make presentations about Israel, anti-Semitism and the Boycott, But from where commeth the votes?
Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS). In addition, we send clergy It’s unlikely any member of Center-
and community members on missions to Israel to experience and learn Left, Yisrael Beiteinu or Joint coalition

about the land while forging friendships that deepen and continue will sign up for Netanyahu.
However, there is a new consider-
back home in Sarasota-Manatee. ation. Netanyahu has now been pub-
licly notified that he will be charged
with three crimes, namely: accepting

^ Builds Bridges a bribe, fraud and breach of trust. This
has led to a stirring within his party and
Robert and Esther Heller ^ Advocates through a demand for a primary within Likud
CRC Government Affairs to elect its leader. If a new leader were

elected, Gantz will join a coalition and

tanyahu has agreed to a primary but
COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE ^ Remembers the Holocaust a government would be formed. Ne-
^ Supports Hillel for a time after mid-December when
another and third election must be
fixed. Any change in leadership after
mid-December will not avoid the elec-
Hillel tion. So the only possibility is if there’s

Hillel is the “Jewish Home Away from Home” for Jewish enough pressure to change the primary
date or if there’s an act of courage from
students in college. Your CRC and Federation support a breakaway from a group of Likud to
Gulf Coast Hillel in its pursuit to create meaningful vote for Gantz. Not likely.
If the last gasp effort to form a gov-
and engaging holiday and educational programs ernment fails, a third election will take
on local college campuses. place in March. In the interim, Netan-
yahu remains as Prime Minister as the
holdover Prime Minister. He doesn’t
have to resign except if he is convicted,
HELLER CRC’S MISSION and he doesn’t need to take a leave of
absence. The outcome of a third elec-
To build relationships within tion may shed no more light on form-

the Jewish and non-Jewish ing a new government. Netanyahu has
communities and to advance indicated he will run again, fully ex-
pecting to be running as the reelected
common interests through Likud leader.
The inability to agree to a coalition
education and advocacy. jfedsrq.org/HellerCRC represents not only the desire for power
but also the divisions in Israel society: