Israeli Politics Roundup - 2006-08-21
After more than four months, we're back home in California. No time like the present to get to the politics roundup - because seriously, if we weren't here to tell you that Effie Eitam has a nonzero chance of being Israel's next Prime Minister, how would you sleep at night? Seriously, Benjamin Netanyahu and Eitam are on their way to being the most respected and liked politicians in Israel. Our small contribution while you try to cope with this realization: beer before liquor, never been sicker - liquor before beer, you're in the clear.
In fact, if you read nothing else about Israeli politics for the rest of the month, read Attila Somfalvi's overview of the entire Israeli political spectrum. You already know all the stuff about Olmert and Peretz being totally screwed, but at the very bottom is extended analysis about the rising political tide that is the newly-friendly, rightwing Effie Eitam.
Likud
We actually kind of like the idea of a Netanyahu vs. Eitam vs. Kadima-candidate-to-be-named-who-is-not-Olmert election, because it would make it almost impossible for journalists to write stupid stories like Annette Young's Scotsman piece describing Netanyahu as a "right-wing hardliner". Netanyahu is working to rebuild the Likud by recruiting ex-IDF officers. New poll has Likud at 20 - but Kadima still at 29. Meaning all those votes are coming from Labor voters.
Labor
So you're Defense Amir Peretz. The entire country thinks that you're a Jimmy-Hoffa-turned-bumbling-military-idiot. You have to do something - quick - to restore public confidence in your ability to stare down Arab foes. Obviously, you suggest talks with Syria. Brilliant! But somehow, this actually lost Peretz support, even in his own party:
Senior Labor members are criticizing their party leader, Defense Minister Amir Peretz, for advocating talks with Syria. Peretz called for negotiations with Syria on Wednesday, the day Syrian President Bashar Assad delivered a belligerent speech against Israel. The officials termed Peretz's call "embarrassing," adding that it was politically unwise and seemed like political spin.
Someone needs to explain to Amir Peretz that he can't just settle all political negotiations by having his union friends stuff ballots for him. Negotiating with Syria over the Golan isn't like winning a Labor primary.
Kadima
So you're Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. The entire country thinks that you're potentially the only person who screwed up as much than Olmert or Peretz, but since you weren't important enough to sign military orders about pushing to the Litani, no one has really been able to pin you with "weak on security". And just in case they were trying, Peretz made a grab for the "no really, I'm the weakest person in the government" prize with his suggestion that Israel should give the Golan back to Syria. So what do you do? You suggest that Israel should... wait for it... give the Golan back to Syria:
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni appointed a special "project manager" for possible negotiations with Syria. Yaakov (Yaki) Dayan, who until recently was head of the diplomatic desk in the Foreign Ministry, met last week with Tel Aviv University President Prof. Itamar Rabinovich, who headed the Syrian negotiations team under Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in the mid-1990s.
Sometimes we really don't know why Arab countries even bother trying to destroy Israel. All war does is make Israeli politicians shut up for like 2 weeks, which is 2 weeks before they can go back to trying to wreck the country on their own.
In fact, if you read nothing else about Israeli politics for the rest of the month, read Attila Somfalvi's overview of the entire Israeli political spectrum. You already know all the stuff about Olmert and Peretz being totally screwed, but at the very bottom is extended analysis about the rising political tide that is the newly-friendly, rightwing Effie Eitam.
Likud
We actually kind of like the idea of a Netanyahu vs. Eitam vs. Kadima-candidate-to-be-named-who-is-not-Olmert election, because it would make it almost impossible for journalists to write stupid stories like Annette Young's Scotsman piece describing Netanyahu as a "right-wing hardliner". Netanyahu is working to rebuild the Likud by recruiting ex-IDF officers. New poll has Likud at 20 - but Kadima still at 29. Meaning all those votes are coming from Labor voters.
Labor
So you're Defense Amir Peretz. The entire country thinks that you're a Jimmy-Hoffa-turned-bumbling-military-idiot. You have to do something - quick - to restore public confidence in your ability to stare down Arab foes. Obviously, you suggest talks with Syria. Brilliant! But somehow, this actually lost Peretz support, even in his own party:
Senior Labor members are criticizing their party leader, Defense Minister Amir Peretz, for advocating talks with Syria. Peretz called for negotiations with Syria on Wednesday, the day Syrian President Bashar Assad delivered a belligerent speech against Israel. The officials termed Peretz's call "embarrassing," adding that it was politically unwise and seemed like political spin.
Someone needs to explain to Amir Peretz that he can't just settle all political negotiations by having his union friends stuff ballots for him. Negotiating with Syria over the Golan isn't like winning a Labor primary.
Kadima
So you're Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. The entire country thinks that you're potentially the only person who screwed up as much than Olmert or Peretz, but since you weren't important enough to sign military orders about pushing to the Litani, no one has really been able to pin you with "weak on security". And just in case they were trying, Peretz made a grab for the "no really, I'm the weakest person in the government" prize with his suggestion that Israel should give the Golan back to Syria. So what do you do? You suggest that Israel should... wait for it... give the Golan back to Syria:
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni appointed a special "project manager" for possible negotiations with Syria. Yaakov (Yaki) Dayan, who until recently was head of the diplomatic desk in the Foreign Ministry, met last week with Tel Aviv University President Prof. Itamar Rabinovich, who headed the Syrian negotiations team under Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in the mid-1990s.
Sometimes we really don't know why Arab countries even bother trying to destroy Israel. All war does is make Israeli politicians shut up for like 2 weeks, which is 2 weeks before they can go back to trying to wreck the country on their own.
