The news in Israel has gotten so boring recently. I guess we should all be thankful for that. no news is good news.
The coalition building continues, with each party trying to squeeze as much as possible out of Netanyahu, and holding out with threats until what looks like the coming last minute. Every couple of hours there are new headlines about crises in negotiations with a party that until now looked ready to sign, and then headlines come out contradicting the previous headlines. It is all spin, and nothing is to be believed, until it is all over. The headlines and statements issued are there to put pressure on the Likud, Netanyahu, other parties, and none of it is to be believed.
Nepal is devastating. The place is in utter shambles. The count of deaths has risen dramatically, while the search and rescue teams continue their work. Israel is busy evacuating Israelis at the same time it has teams helping with search and rescue, while other countries have basically abandoned their people in Nepal and only sent small teams with a bit of aid and assistance.
Syria, ISIS, Hillary, Jeb, Rubio, coalitions, Baltimore riots, blah blah blah.
It is all the same, all the time, all over again. I look at the news and see nothing interesting. The most interesting news item happens to be the decision taken by MLB to play the Chicago White Sox vs Baltimore Orioles game in an empty stadium, not open to the public.
We need to get the government back up and running so that they can start producing crazy news again!
I'm so sick of this system of horsetrading, where the small parties hold the Likud hostage to the point that the large party gets mostly scraps and has to sweat for so long that I would really like to see a unity government that will deal with electoral reform. Electoral reform will not be on the agenda of any small party, as the necessary reform would only hurt, at least in their perception, them, so it can only be done through a unity government.
The reform I think I'd like to see is now a combination of sorts. I've said before that we should move to a system more similar to a presidential system like the United States has. I understand some of the concerns. I think instead now that it should be some sort of hybrid.
There should be candidates who declare that they are running for Prime Minister. Anybody can compete (within regulations - age, nationality, number of signatures of support, whatever).
Separately, parties can run for Knesset.
The relationship between the winner of the prime ministerial race and the results of the Knesset race need not be an issue - there should not be a government coalition. No more horse trading, no more appointments just to form a government. The Prime Minister should have the power, and the Knesset should function as lawmakers, similar to Parliament and Congress in other countries. The PM can appoint people from other parties to his cabinet and to ministerial positions, should he so desire, and he might want to as parts of deal for support in knesset to get laws and public policy passed, but it will not affect the formation of a government, as there will be no such thing.
Checks and balances should be put in place, so power is not abused.
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