Tomorrow, unless something truly extraordinary happens, the Knesset will vote to disperse itself, setting the scene for November 2008 elections in Israel. As we all know, the American public is scheduled to go to the polls in November 4th, but unlike their Mid-Eastern counterparts, they’ll be doing it willingly.
It’s been said time and time again in the Israeli media over the past couple of weeks that no one in the political arena is truly interested in initiating such a dramatic move, especially at such a critical point in time. Nevertheless, it seems we’re heading there anyway.
This isn’t debating
I think I’ve probably said it before: Whoever wins the American elections in November will be a better president, just by going through the elections process, than he could be if he was elected today. The political arena is the perfect training ground for any national leader — but only when this arena features the issues and not the backstage transactions.
Having to undergo 26(!) televised debates, the Democratic candidates had sufficient opportunities to clearly describe to the public their stance on all the major issues. In fact, candidates who had started this campaign with vague platforms and relatively little public experience, had to become savants in economics, foreign policy, and health care — naming just a few of the issues — if they wanted to survive the process of primary elections and to present themselves as viable and serious candidates. They also had to literally “go to the people”, hold local gatherings, tour the country, get to know their constituents first-hand. The American voters have come to know these people rather well, being acquainted with their style of behavior, type of personality — and most importantly — knowing exactly where these candidates stand when it comes to the issues, and how well they understand what they’re talking about.
Additionally, required to clearly state their platform time and time again, these candidates also demonstrate whether they hold an honest agenda or whether they constantly change their positions according to the recent opinion polls. This is crucial information for constituents.
This entire process happens before an American president enters office! He has plenty of time and opportunities to make noticeable mistakes and to learn from them before these mistakes have the potential to cause national instability. Here in Israel, the same process tends to happen after a Prime Minister has been put in office by his party.
In short, what I’m trying to say it this:
The Israeli public deserves to have a series of televised debates where all presumptive PM candidates face each other and publicly answer questions.
This is debating
It is frighteningly amazing how a man such as Ehud Barak can be chosen to lead a major political party in Israel without actually saying anything clear about the issues! Or how both he and Ehud Olmert allow themselves to go public with peremptory announcements every now and then — and then to never go through with their own promises! What’s even more regrettable is the fact that no one expects them to be clear or consistent anymore!
This is absurd. And I’d like to see both the Israeli public and the Israeli media pushing forth the notion that Israeli politicians must follow the example of their American counterparts and publicly clarify their positions during face-to-face televised debates — before they enter office.
In recent years, the Israeli media is steadily growing more and more cynical. Leading commentators (both on air and in print) have become accustomed to label practically any move by Israeli politicians as a “spin” — i.e., a statesman’s attempt to distract the public attention from his wrongdoings by generating an alternative “buzz”. As a result, the Israeli public now takes the regular use of “spinology” for granted. We’ve become indifferent, and many of us won’t bother to even cast our vote next time.
Olmert says he will resign if indicted. Dramatic as it may sound, it would be impossible for any prime minister to stay in office if investigation continues.
Ehud Olmert , the Israeli Prime Minister, is 
I am getting the feeling that as we approach our 60th anniversary we are moving closer towards some sort of corruption climax. As an optimist I would like to think that we are cleaning house before the special birthday (this Wednesday night…). Today our Minister of Finance (Ex) was finally accused of theft – big time theft. In his capacity as Chairman of the Employees Organization he allegedly store 4 Million Shekel – 2.5 of which ended in his pocket. He is also charged with faking expenses and restaurants receipts for over 115,000 Shekels. Among the various charges (and there are a few) he is charged with money laundering, theft, embezzlement, forgery of corporate documents and breech of trust.
Today we mark the Holocaust Memorial Day. Last year, the entire country was shaken after watching the documentary film “
Many of the pictured individuals are either government cabinet or former cabinet officials, including Shas Party MK 
Rice met with both Palestinian Authorities in Ramallah and Israeli leaders in Jerusalem to try to deal with a situation that is beginning to look more like the character in the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme, rather than an optimistic solution to an ongoing problem in which there just doesn’t seem to be a solution – at least as long as both Israel and the USA refuse to deal with the Hamas organization in Gaza. 
Israeli Prime Minster Ehud Olmert has announced a new plan to bring Israeli and Diaspora Jewish communities closer together. The plan, announced at a special meeting held in the P.M.’s office last Wednesday, involved the establishment of a special tack force to devote itself to helping to bridge the present gap between Jewish communities in the Diaspora, especially in America, and Jews living in Israel. Recent findings that young Jews living abroad are becoming alienated from their Israeli brethren have become more evident in the decline of Jewish visitors to Israel, as well as the numbers of Jews who come to settle in the Jewish State. 
One of America’s most popular daytime talk show hosts, Dr. Phil McGraw, coined a very popular saying: “you either get it or you don’t”. And Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert still apparently doesn’t seem to get it as the Winograd Commission’s final report considers him largely responsible for the outcome of the 2006 war in Lebanon. Speaking at the recent Herzelia Security Conference, which took place at the Daniel Hotel in Herzelia Petuach, the Prime Minister said that although lessons can be learned from the 34 day war:
U.S. President George Bush’s first official visit to Israel is only days away, but many political analysts are already speculating on whether the President’s two day visit will result an any improvements in the current state of relations between Israel and the Palestinians. Coming virtually at the same time as the outcome of the New Hampshire presidential primary, Bush’s visit will probably not have an influence on the political chances of any of the Republican candidates, including present front runner 
For those who have been watching Israel’s version of the successful American reality series, The Survivors, the vote has come in as to who is the most successful ‘survivor’ in Israel for the year 2007. And the winner is none other that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Just as those in the T.V. series have to survive the greatest tests of their endurance and tenacity, Mr. Olmert has certainly done this and has so far been able to out flank both his critics as well as the commissions appointed to investigate his alleged wrong doings.
Recent Comments