Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Umm. How About Ours?

But Israeli politics always has an extra wrinkle or two, and in this case there is talk that Netanyahu may have trouble bringing in Yisrael Beitenu wihout losing UTJ. That's because, of all things, right-wing Yisrael Beitenu strongly favors the right to civil unions for homosexual couples. UTJ has indicated that its rabbis would direct the party to walk away from a coaliltion government that supported civil unions. A coalition that included Yisrael Beitenu but not UTJ would have the support of only 60 Knesset members.

I guess it's possible to conceive of a democratic form of government more flawed than Israel's, but I don't seem able to do so.