2 thoughts on “Livni Breaks from Olmert War Leadership? – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم
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  1. Richard,

    Do you think think Olmert-Livni brouhaha might be a sign of things to come in Kadima? Unilateral convergence must surely be off the table now, and that was the party’s raison d’etre. I wonder if they will find a new glue strong enough to hold them together, especially through all the recriminations that are going to follow from the war. What do you think?

  2. It’s a really good & tough question to answer. I completely agree that the coalition now has little if anything to hold it together. Fr. everything I read in the Israeli press, convergence (or whatever the hell Olmert is calling it this day) is DOA. I just don’t see any major initiatives coming fr. Olmert after the Lebanon debacle. Why he couldn’t foresee the enormous damage Lebanon would do to his legacy & to his ability to maneuver the shoals of Israeli politics I have no idea.

    I think this is why Livni is staking a claim to ground slightly to Olmert’s left. Perhaps she still believes in the possibility of a moderate centrist party like Kadima under diff. leadership (her own, doubtless). Stranger things have happened.

    What happens to Peretz? He’s stupidly hitched his wagon to Kadima-Olmert’s star & now he’s yoked together w. him with Lebanon like an albatross around both their necks. Peretz seemed like such a hopeful candidate at one time. I knew all along that taking Defense was a big mistake for him (& wrote that here). But he did it & I don’t see how he recovers politically. And w. his political petrifaction, I don’t see how Labor presents any sort of viable alternative.

    Likud is on the ascendancy for the time being (a horrid thought). I think it will take time for Israel to digest the tragedy that was inflicted upon it by their leadership–just as it will take time for the Lebanese to do the same regarding Hezbollah. Until then, politics in Israel becomes a hopeless mishmash of recriminations, crossfire, etc. It’ll be like the “Who lost China” debate here in the U.S. after “Red” China went Commie in 1949. Ugly!

    One small thing I do find hopeful. A Haaretz commentator & Itamar Rabinovitch have both said that the Separation Wall is also dead as a viable policy since Hezbollah has proven the inadequacy of such a barrier to rockets. Of course, the Palestinians do not yet have the rocket power or expertise of Hezbollah to deliver that kind of pain to Israel. But given Hezbollah’s example, perhaps it’s only a matter of time. At any rate, perhaps–just perhaps w. the death of convergence AND the Wall almost simultaneously, Israeli moderates will begin seeking a viable alternative. This might just lead to a dawning realization that talking, negotiating & compromising is the only way out. Out of bitter defeat sometimes comes the need to confront reality w. a different approach than the one that failed. Who knows. Maybe it could happen. I’m not holding my breath though.

    Wish I could be more optimistic & think that Israel will think its way out of this mess. Can’t say it’s managed to do that up till now. Though I’d always love to be proven wrong in my pessimism.

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