07/16/2003 Archived Entry: "Adventures in proportional respresentation"

Ronnie commented on the Palestinians are not Israelis entry:

Hi Woty. Thanks for your insights. You are correct in implying that the current legal and political stati of the autonomical areas are very unclear, and that these inconsistencies need to be cleared up.
Unfortunately, the constant alternation between Avoda and Likkud coalitions is still delaying a solution that could have been found years ago. Each party has a different agenda in regard to resolving the Palestinian situation, and I believe that either solution could be effective. The problem is that the implementation of either plan would take at the very least longer than the 4 years of office, and that each political turnover deletes the years of work made by the previous, opposing party.
In this light, I am advocating a coalition that includes BOTH Likkud and Avoda. Only together can these two very strong parties work towards a lasting and effective peace.

I agree that a coherent solution is important and that it is important to find the right approach and stick to it. However, I don't think a government consisting of parties with very different agendas is a very good idea with this aim in mind. Even if both parties have viable strategies, there is no particular reason to believe a combination between the two will work well. The difference between Labor and Likud is not something that can be compromised on easily; it is a matter of principle. Both sides think they are right, and neither side is willing to betray their ideas about how to defend the country without being convinced that they are wrong. Nor should they be -- how could it be right to advocate a policy that you think will lead your country into disaster? They can't just decide to work together, and have a coherent policy that everyone can agree on -- that takes convincing people to change their mind on matters of principle. Both sides are already trying to do that. But to join a coalition together involves agreeing to work together without a coherent aim in mind, and that won't improve things.