All of the citizens of Israel were witness this week to a shameful and pathetic performance by the now outgoing president, Moshe Katzav. Katzav called a press conference to respond to the news that after many months of investigation, the attorney general has decided to indict him for rape. Before he goes before the AG for a final hearing, the president chose to address the nation in regard to all the accusations against him.
Katzav was not born great, nor was greatness thrust upon him. He was a bright, ambitious kid from a poor neighborhood whose rising star brought him into the innermost circles of Israeli politics. It's hard to point to any serious imprint left by Katzav on Israeli government, yet somehow this colorless, mediocre politician managed to reach the respectable offices of the president. In his hour-long tirade before the cameras and microphones he painted a picture of himself as a hunted, persecuted member of Israel's trodden mizrahi minority. He attacked the police, the attorney general and the press, blaming the very institutions that form the backbone of democracy, law and order in the state he represents for convicting him of heinous crimes without a trial.
Katzav's performance was extremely emotional but ridden with inaccuracies. Although he read from prepared notes he frequently trailed off without finishing sentences and appeared to be on the verge of breaking down numerous times. He spoke about his deep personal pain but the accusations of sexual harrassment and rape by ten different women who worked for him through the years cannot be ignored. Although he is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, the evidence against him is extremely damning. Despite his crass attempt to manipulate public sympathy in his favor, my impression of his speech was of a criminal offender who has utterly convinced himself that the acts in question never happened. His appeal was not the call of a jaded operator following the advice of his lawyers, but of a man who truly believes that he did nothing wrong by fondling and forcing himself sexually on the women whose livelihood depended on him. Since he cannot admit to the rest of us that he simply took that to which he was entitled, he has erased those squallid deeds from his own personal reality.
Almost as sad as watching Katzav lash out at the world was watching his family watch him. His wife and five children all sat, stiff-backed, in a row to his right, a pillar of support. But who knows what they were really thinking? Can a serial sex offender be a model husband and father? Gila no doubt has sufffered his philandering for the thirty-seven years of their marriage but Katzav made a point of mentioning their loving and idyllic relationship. Although stories and rumors abound about Gila's dealings with her husband's paramours, we will never be privy to the truth about this man's shortcomings as a parent. As much as he has embarrassed himself by his conduct, the forced complicity of the silence of his wife and children is an even greater humiliation.
Many people who worked with Katzav over the years remarked that everyone in his immediate surroundings knew he harrassed women but no one ever spoke up. Perhaps the silver lining of this lecherous cloud is the end of the conspiracy of silence. Hopefully, the trial of the president will broadcast a very clear message of zero tolerance for sexual harrassment in our society.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Monday, January 22, 2007
The Palestinian Altalena
It's hard to get excited about any of the headlines produced by the Palestinians these days. There seems to be little progress on any fronts - the return of captive soldier Gilad Shalit, the formation of a unity government and certainly not on negotiations with Israel. Everything is stuck and each day the factional strife in Gaza and the West Bank brings higher stacks of corpses and deeper sectarian animosity between Palestinians themselves, which is not good for anyone.
Although many prefer to blame Israel for whatever ails our unfortunate neighbors it is impossible to ignore the colossal Palestinian leadership vacuum. While there appears to be little nostalgia for Yasser Arafat on either side(although a visitor to Israel I recently guided claimed to have driven past him in Ramallah), what's painfully lacking is a strong, popular Palestinian leader that can unify the ranks and steer the people towards statehood with a firm hand and a vision. In short, they need a David Ben Gurion.
What are the options? Well, for starters, Abu Maazen has been big disappointment. Although he's relatively moderate, it's clear he lacks the backbone and charisma to unify everyone behind him, and the enormous pressure brought to bear on him by the US to hold elections only served to weaken him even further. Ismail Haniyeh, the current prime minister, is perceived as holding the interests of Hamas over those of the Palestinian people, even though the current Hamas-run government seems to be far less riddled with corruption than the previous ones run by Fatah. In addition, he is subordinate to international Hamas, represented by Haled Meshal in Syria - the biggest obstacle to progress on any front so far, and you can bet that Israeli intelligence is flagellating itself over their botched assassination attempt of Meshal in 1998; the embarrassment it caused Israel then is peanuts compared to the damage Meshal is causing today.
Mohammed Dahlan and Jibril Rajoub are two names frequently mentioned as possible leadership material. Both were extremely powerful under Arafat but neither is in a position today to take over the show. Keep in mind that within Fatah there are numerous secondary rivalries such as West Bank versus Gaza and the Tunis exiles versus the younger, local leadership. It's hard to see a consensus developing around either one of them, especially since they each have their own loyal vanguards.
The only person who seems to be acceptable to the majority of Palestinians as a unifying force and a powerful leader is Marwan Barghouti. His main problem is that he is in jail in Israel, serving out a very long sentence for terrorist activities. His status as a local Palestinian hero has been bolstered tremendously by his sojourn behind Jewish bars; in addition, he was one of the more moderate members of the Palestinian peace camp and retains many close connections to Israeli politicians from the days before he took up arms. If Barghouti's release will significantly tip the balance towards a sustainable agreement between us and them you can bet he will be sprung, and not as the first Palestinian convict with blood on his hands to be released by Israel.
However, if the best case scenario gets Barghouti out of jail and into the Rais' office in Ramallah, the tough work for him (or anyone else, for that matter,) would just be beginning.
If he's going to be Ben Gurion then in addition to doing headstands on the beach, expecting a miracle once in a while and recognizing that the people don't always know what's best for them , he's going to have to unify the ranks under his leadership with some blood. It was, unfortunately, unavoidable for us and seems inevitable for the Palestinians. Identifying the parallels between the birth of Israel in 1948 and the birthpangs of the Palestinian state is a fascinating intellectual exercise. In this case, the event I'm referring to is known infamously as the Altalena Affair, the Altalena being a ship loaded with weapons and ammunition and destined to arrive on the shores of Israel in June, 1948, during a truce in the fighting of the War of Independence. The ship belonged to the Etzel, a right-wing Jewish military organization led by Menahem Begin, who demanded that a percentage of the ship's cargo be delivered directly to Etzel units, which did not consider themselves subordinate to the main Jewish military organization the Haganah, which at this point had become the fledgling Israel Defense Forces with the birth of the State a few weeks earlier. Ben Gurion understood that he could not allow neither the fractionalization of the army by politics, nor the authority of the government to be underminded by yielding to Begin's demands. With Tel Aviv about to be taken over by the Etzel, Ben Gurion ordered his troops to fire on the ship. The end result was eighty-three Jews killed, not to mention a large loss of precious cargo, the immediate cessation of further arms shipments and a bitter factional dispute that has lasted in Israeli government until this day. It was a heavy price to pay for unity and discipline at all levels of the Israeli military, but in retrospect it most agree it was the right decision.
The complicated Palestinian factionalization, often rooted in tribal loyalties, and the massive quantities of arms circulating in the West Bank and Gaza together create an almost impossible situation for a visionary Palestinian leader. If he chooses to lay down arms and sign an agreement which will inevitably require painful compromises with Israel, another monumental struggle awaits him at home. In truth, the price of continuing the armed struggle against Israel might be less costly in individual human lives than a final showdown between the multitude of armed gangs and a Palestinian leader seeking to centralize Palestinian military authority. It will be a bloody confrontation and it will most probably be unavoidable.
Who will be that Palestinian leader, and what will be the Palestinian Altalena? No one knows yet for sure. If only we could convince them to learn from our bitter experience and to take the road not travelled; to look towards the future and sacrifice ideals for the good of the entire nation. But even a realist like Ben Gurion would never imagine a miracle as great as that.
Although many prefer to blame Israel for whatever ails our unfortunate neighbors it is impossible to ignore the colossal Palestinian leadership vacuum. While there appears to be little nostalgia for Yasser Arafat on either side(although a visitor to Israel I recently guided claimed to have driven past him in Ramallah), what's painfully lacking is a strong, popular Palestinian leader that can unify the ranks and steer the people towards statehood with a firm hand and a vision. In short, they need a David Ben Gurion.
What are the options? Well, for starters, Abu Maazen has been big disappointment. Although he's relatively moderate, it's clear he lacks the backbone and charisma to unify everyone behind him, and the enormous pressure brought to bear on him by the US to hold elections only served to weaken him even further. Ismail Haniyeh, the current prime minister, is perceived as holding the interests of Hamas over those of the Palestinian people, even though the current Hamas-run government seems to be far less riddled with corruption than the previous ones run by Fatah. In addition, he is subordinate to international Hamas, represented by Haled Meshal in Syria - the biggest obstacle to progress on any front so far, and you can bet that Israeli intelligence is flagellating itself over their botched assassination attempt of Meshal in 1998; the embarrassment it caused Israel then is peanuts compared to the damage Meshal is causing today.
Mohammed Dahlan and Jibril Rajoub are two names frequently mentioned as possible leadership material. Both were extremely powerful under Arafat but neither is in a position today to take over the show. Keep in mind that within Fatah there are numerous secondary rivalries such as West Bank versus Gaza and the Tunis exiles versus the younger, local leadership. It's hard to see a consensus developing around either one of them, especially since they each have their own loyal vanguards.
The only person who seems to be acceptable to the majority of Palestinians as a unifying force and a powerful leader is Marwan Barghouti. His main problem is that he is in jail in Israel, serving out a very long sentence for terrorist activities. His status as a local Palestinian hero has been bolstered tremendously by his sojourn behind Jewish bars; in addition, he was one of the more moderate members of the Palestinian peace camp and retains many close connections to Israeli politicians from the days before he took up arms. If Barghouti's release will significantly tip the balance towards a sustainable agreement between us and them you can bet he will be sprung, and not as the first Palestinian convict with blood on his hands to be released by Israel.
However, if the best case scenario gets Barghouti out of jail and into the Rais' office in Ramallah, the tough work for him (or anyone else, for that matter,) would just be beginning.
If he's going to be Ben Gurion then in addition to doing headstands on the beach, expecting a miracle once in a while and recognizing that the people don't always know what's best for them , he's going to have to unify the ranks under his leadership with some blood. It was, unfortunately, unavoidable for us and seems inevitable for the Palestinians. Identifying the parallels between the birth of Israel in 1948 and the birthpangs of the Palestinian state is a fascinating intellectual exercise. In this case, the event I'm referring to is known infamously as the Altalena Affair, the Altalena being a ship loaded with weapons and ammunition and destined to arrive on the shores of Israel in June, 1948, during a truce in the fighting of the War of Independence. The ship belonged to the Etzel, a right-wing Jewish military organization led by Menahem Begin, who demanded that a percentage of the ship's cargo be delivered directly to Etzel units, which did not consider themselves subordinate to the main Jewish military organization the Haganah, which at this point had become the fledgling Israel Defense Forces with the birth of the State a few weeks earlier. Ben Gurion understood that he could not allow neither the fractionalization of the army by politics, nor the authority of the government to be underminded by yielding to Begin's demands. With Tel Aviv about to be taken over by the Etzel, Ben Gurion ordered his troops to fire on the ship. The end result was eighty-three Jews killed, not to mention a large loss of precious cargo, the immediate cessation of further arms shipments and a bitter factional dispute that has lasted in Israeli government until this day. It was a heavy price to pay for unity and discipline at all levels of the Israeli military, but in retrospect it most agree it was the right decision.
The complicated Palestinian factionalization, often rooted in tribal loyalties, and the massive quantities of arms circulating in the West Bank and Gaza together create an almost impossible situation for a visionary Palestinian leader. If he chooses to lay down arms and sign an agreement which will inevitably require painful compromises with Israel, another monumental struggle awaits him at home. In truth, the price of continuing the armed struggle against Israel might be less costly in individual human lives than a final showdown between the multitude of armed gangs and a Palestinian leader seeking to centralize Palestinian military authority. It will be a bloody confrontation and it will most probably be unavoidable.
Who will be that Palestinian leader, and what will be the Palestinian Altalena? No one knows yet for sure. If only we could convince them to learn from our bitter experience and to take the road not travelled; to look towards the future and sacrifice ideals for the good of the entire nation. But even a realist like Ben Gurion would never imagine a miracle as great as that.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
A Night Out In Jerusalem
Lately I've been busy wondering why Ehud Olmert, the prime minister of Israel, decided to have some cosmetic surgery done on his eyes while his political ship has been sinking fast. Could he have been planning a second career as an eyewear model?
But the headlines this morning explained everything; that rascal finally allowed the publication of the biggest news around here since the war last summer. Israel and Syria have secretly been negotiating a peace agreement for the past two years. It started out with a chance meeting between Bashar Assad and a low-level Israeli diplomat in a Turkish hotel and ended with a document that turns the entire Golan heights into a park and sends Hezbollah and Iran to hell in a handbag. Of course, Olmert couldn't appear for any 'New Middle East' photo ops with those huge shopping bags under his eyes, hence the browlift. In a classic levantine twist, just when it appeared that the prime minister was chopped liver there's suddenly a new political horizon ahead of us. It will only get more interesting...
This sudden turnaround is a bit exhausting for the average Israeli, so I thought a night out would be in order. Here are the options for reality-weary Jerusalemites looking for a diversion, as they appeared this morning, January 16th, on a billboard at the bottom of Agrippas Street:
*Netivot Tours - transportation to a celebration day at the grave of the righteous one that has delivered blessings to many, Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira, the Baba Sali in Netivot. The excursion will take place on Monday, Jan, 22, the third of Shvat. Buses will leave every hour on the hour from 2 pm until 11 pm from Binyanei Hauma. No need to sign up - just come and get on.
*Har Horev Synagogue - corner of 29 November and Kovshei Katamon. We are pleased to announce to the observant public the opening of the Minhat Horev Center Bet Midrash for the study of the daily Talmud page, under the leadership of Rabbi Arieh Stern, rabbi of the congregation. Schedule of activities, Sun-Thurs: 6 pm - individual study and prep under the rabbi's guidance; 7 pm - lesson on the daily Talmud page with Rabbi Avishai Grussner. Friday lesson takes place in the morning.
*The Interdiscuplinary Arena hosts the virtuoso voice artist Victoria Hanna, in a joint performance with the musician Ilan Ber Ami, Thursday Jan. 18 at 9pm at the Khan Theatre.
*HaDag Nahash with help from The Jam at the Maabada, Thurs. Jan 18. Doors open at 10pm.
*Asaf Avidan and the Mojo Live Cats, live at the Syndrome, Jan. 25 at 9pm.
*The Israel Stage Orchestra of Holon presents a musical experience for the whole family: Pinocchio and the Magic Orchestra, at the Jerusalem Theatre on Jan 16 at 5pm.
*Aeterna Opera, Jerusalem - Don Giovanni, a comic opera in two acts by W.A. Mozart. Conductor - Ilya Plotkin Director - Anna Silores. Grand Opening Monday, Jan. 15, 8 pm at the Khan Theatre.
*Nitzanim Synagogue in Baka, 3 Asher Street, invites the public to a lecture by Rabbi Eli Sadan, head of the pre-military yeshiva at Eli on the subject of 'The Path of Zionism in Our Times,' Jan 14 at 8:30 pm. Next week Rabbi Yirmi Stavitzky, the principal of Himmelfarb high school, whill lecture on 'Modern Orthodox Judaism and Zionism: Can They Walk Together?'
*The Other Dimension - a series of lectures to open a porthole to a fascinating spiritual world. Lectures given by Yoni Elitzur, lecturer in Jewish philosophy and spiritual thought, leader of workshops in Israel and the far East. Wed, Jan 10 - The Hidden World, the Metaphysical Experience: the basis of Jewish thought vis a vis the material world. Wed, Jan 17 - The Genetic Code of the Universe: understanding the secret of the alphabet as a key to the inner dimension of experience. Wed, Jan 24 - What Is the Soul?: the meaning of the soul and its existential test as an independent metaphysical entity. Wed, Jan 31 - From the Tower of Babel to the Twin Towers: the spiritual roots behind human struggle. Arachim - the ICCY, Emek Refaim 12. Doors open at 8:15, lecture begins at 8:30.
*Leah Shabbat in a special performance for women, singing songs of all eras. Jan 16, 8:30 at Shoreshim, 13 Shammai St.
*Steinsaltz Center for the illumination of tradition on the reality of identity, renewal and deepening of faith. New Series - Every Tuesday! At 7 pm with Aviad Cohen, hassidist. Jan 9 - "And the main thing is not to be stubborn" - hints and advice in the writings of Rabbi Nahman from Breslav. Jan 16 - "And the main thing is not to be stubborn" (part 2) - on obstinacy and relaxation in the Mei shiloach book. Jan 23 - "The significance of the month of Shvat on proper eating in hassidic writings." The public is invited. 6 HaRav Iraqi St.
*Jerusalem City Hall presents: A Literary Evening in honor of the publication of Hanoch Bar Tov's book, 'Outside the Horizon, Beyond the Street.' Participants: S. Shifra, Dalia Ofer, Eli Garlitzki, Hanoch Bar Tov. Wed Jan 17 at 8:30 at Authors' House, Gerard Behar Ctr. Free Admission.
*Sivan Shavit in Vanilla - the Exotic Performance. Guitars: Amir Tzorel and Did Erez. Sat night, 9 pm at Syndrome, 18 Hillel St.
*The Giraffes, Live at the Maabada, 28 Hebron Road on Jan 19. Doors open at 10 pm.
*The Land of Israel is Blessed Over all the Lands. We are proud to announce to the observant public that a class in Jewish law will be given by our teacher and rabbi, great leader and keeper of the way of Ben Ish Hai, the glory of his generation, minister of torah Mordehai Eliyahu, Shlita, the Rishon Letzion, who will give a talk on Sat. night of the V'ara torah portion, the eve of the second of Shvat at exactly 8 pm. The Minhat Yehuda synagogue, 10 Navon Street, opposite the bus stop of Mahane Yehuda. Fruit Blessings laws. The public is invited. Women's entrance from Shadal Street.
Which would you choose?
But the headlines this morning explained everything; that rascal finally allowed the publication of the biggest news around here since the war last summer. Israel and Syria have secretly been negotiating a peace agreement for the past two years. It started out with a chance meeting between Bashar Assad and a low-level Israeli diplomat in a Turkish hotel and ended with a document that turns the entire Golan heights into a park and sends Hezbollah and Iran to hell in a handbag. Of course, Olmert couldn't appear for any 'New Middle East' photo ops with those huge shopping bags under his eyes, hence the browlift. In a classic levantine twist, just when it appeared that the prime minister was chopped liver there's suddenly a new political horizon ahead of us. It will only get more interesting...
This sudden turnaround is a bit exhausting for the average Israeli, so I thought a night out would be in order. Here are the options for reality-weary Jerusalemites looking for a diversion, as they appeared this morning, January 16th, on a billboard at the bottom of Agrippas Street:
*Netivot Tours - transportation to a celebration day at the grave of the righteous one that has delivered blessings to many, Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira, the Baba Sali in Netivot. The excursion will take place on Monday, Jan, 22, the third of Shvat. Buses will leave every hour on the hour from 2 pm until 11 pm from Binyanei Hauma. No need to sign up - just come and get on.
*Har Horev Synagogue - corner of 29 November and Kovshei Katamon. We are pleased to announce to the observant public the opening of the Minhat Horev Center Bet Midrash for the study of the daily Talmud page, under the leadership of Rabbi Arieh Stern, rabbi of the congregation. Schedule of activities, Sun-Thurs: 6 pm - individual study and prep under the rabbi's guidance; 7 pm - lesson on the daily Talmud page with Rabbi Avishai Grussner. Friday lesson takes place in the morning.
*The Interdiscuplinary Arena hosts the virtuoso voice artist Victoria Hanna, in a joint performance with the musician Ilan Ber Ami, Thursday Jan. 18 at 9pm at the Khan Theatre.
*HaDag Nahash with help from The Jam at the Maabada, Thurs. Jan 18. Doors open at 10pm.
*Asaf Avidan and the Mojo Live Cats, live at the Syndrome, Jan. 25 at 9pm.
*The Israel Stage Orchestra of Holon presents a musical experience for the whole family: Pinocchio and the Magic Orchestra, at the Jerusalem Theatre on Jan 16 at 5pm.
*Aeterna Opera, Jerusalem - Don Giovanni, a comic opera in two acts by W.A. Mozart. Conductor - Ilya Plotkin Director - Anna Silores. Grand Opening Monday, Jan. 15, 8 pm at the Khan Theatre.
*Nitzanim Synagogue in Baka, 3 Asher Street, invites the public to a lecture by Rabbi Eli Sadan, head of the pre-military yeshiva at Eli on the subject of 'The Path of Zionism in Our Times,' Jan 14 at 8:30 pm. Next week Rabbi Yirmi Stavitzky, the principal of Himmelfarb high school, whill lecture on 'Modern Orthodox Judaism and Zionism: Can They Walk Together?'
*The Other Dimension - a series of lectures to open a porthole to a fascinating spiritual world. Lectures given by Yoni Elitzur, lecturer in Jewish philosophy and spiritual thought, leader of workshops in Israel and the far East. Wed, Jan 10 - The Hidden World, the Metaphysical Experience: the basis of Jewish thought vis a vis the material world. Wed, Jan 17 - The Genetic Code of the Universe: understanding the secret of the alphabet as a key to the inner dimension of experience. Wed, Jan 24 - What Is the Soul?: the meaning of the soul and its existential test as an independent metaphysical entity. Wed, Jan 31 - From the Tower of Babel to the Twin Towers: the spiritual roots behind human struggle. Arachim - the ICCY, Emek Refaim 12. Doors open at 8:15, lecture begins at 8:30.
*Leah Shabbat in a special performance for women, singing songs of all eras. Jan 16, 8:30 at Shoreshim, 13 Shammai St.
*Steinsaltz Center for the illumination of tradition on the reality of identity, renewal and deepening of faith. New Series - Every Tuesday! At 7 pm with Aviad Cohen, hassidist. Jan 9 - "And the main thing is not to be stubborn" - hints and advice in the writings of Rabbi Nahman from Breslav. Jan 16 - "And the main thing is not to be stubborn" (part 2) - on obstinacy and relaxation in the Mei shiloach book. Jan 23 - "The significance of the month of Shvat on proper eating in hassidic writings." The public is invited. 6 HaRav Iraqi St.
*Jerusalem City Hall presents: A Literary Evening in honor of the publication of Hanoch Bar Tov's book, 'Outside the Horizon, Beyond the Street.' Participants: S. Shifra, Dalia Ofer, Eli Garlitzki, Hanoch Bar Tov. Wed Jan 17 at 8:30 at Authors' House, Gerard Behar Ctr. Free Admission.
*Sivan Shavit in Vanilla - the Exotic Performance. Guitars: Amir Tzorel and Did Erez. Sat night, 9 pm at Syndrome, 18 Hillel St.
*The Giraffes, Live at the Maabada, 28 Hebron Road on Jan 19. Doors open at 10 pm.
*The Land of Israel is Blessed Over all the Lands. We are proud to announce to the observant public that a class in Jewish law will be given by our teacher and rabbi, great leader and keeper of the way of Ben Ish Hai, the glory of his generation, minister of torah Mordehai Eliyahu, Shlita, the Rishon Letzion, who will give a talk on Sat. night of the V'ara torah portion, the eve of the second of Shvat at exactly 8 pm. The Minhat Yehuda synagogue, 10 Navon Street, opposite the bus stop of Mahane Yehuda. Fruit Blessings laws. The public is invited. Women's entrance from Shadal Street.
Which would you choose?
Monday, January 8, 2007
Guess Who's Back
The only encouraging news in Israel is the rainy weather; three days of torrential downpour after a long, dry November and December is just the metaphor some people around here would like to apply to the flashy comeback of Ehud Barak, erstwhile IDF chief of staff and former prime minister of, let's say, limited success.
The political leadership is up the creek with no object that could possibly substitute for a paddle in sight. When Ehud Olmert and Amir Peretz were elected last March they expected to be running a country in search of creative political options for peace and economic alternatives that would eliminate poverty. Instead, they were completely blindsided by the outbreak of the Lebanon war this summer. Together with the IDF, they've all received failing grades for their handling of the conflict and not many people are confident they will rise to the potentially existential challenges roiling around us - the imminent Palestinian civil war, the political crisis in Lebanon and, of course, the Iranian nukes.
Olmert's tenure has been a non-stop roster of scandals: questions regarding the legality of several of Olmert's real estate transactions; the president and the justice minister accused of sexual harrasment; the bumbling ineptitude of the police in capture of escaped rapist Benny Sela; and now, a fresh crack in the facade of quality government - a corruption scandal at the highest levels of the Israeli equivalent of the IRS, suggesting that businessmen were involved in tax official appointments to protect their personal interests. Amongst the implicated is Shula Zaken, Olmert's personal assistant and office manager, which looks really bad for the prime minister even though he had nothing to do with it. At the moment it's not clear just who's guilty and who's been badmouthed. It's worth mentioning, however, that the political witch hunt is a popular sport in Israel. The trauma of the Yom Kippur War in 1973 created a fissure of faith in the elected leadership, a condition which has morphed into screaming headlines and breaking news over the slightest suspicion of official impropriety. These accusations are often not substantiated enough to indict and after prolonged investigations the accused politicians ultimately return to the fray, leaving a whiff of manipulative victory trailing behind them. Olmert has managed to brush off most of these scandals but many Israelis view him as a corrupt leader who reached the prime minister's office in order to further his personal agenda.
To make matters worse, there is a complete disconnect between Olmert and Peretz; the prime minister and the defense minister aren't talking to one another, like two boys in junior high feuding over a lost soccer ball. They are incapable of cooperating, yet each one clings ferociously to his seat, refusing to budge. At this point Peretz also appears to have lost the support of his own party members, not only as defense minister but also as leader of the Labor party. They're all screaming at him to get off the field - he's a colossal failure as defense minister. However, Peretz's skin is as thick as an elephant's and he's dug his fingernails deep into his seat. He's not leaving the defense ministry unless he is offered an alternative position of equal prestige and influence, meaning the finance ministry, with which Kadima will never part.
Into this hopeless morass saunters Ehud Barak, after six years of exile in the political wilderness after his stinging defeat by Ariel Sharon in 2001. It's a new, updated version of Ehud Barak; he still sports that pompous smirk but he claims to be contrite. Amid the fanfare of his announcement to run for head of the Labor party in the upcoming May primaries, he issued a blanket apology for all of his mistakes as prime minister:
"It is possible that I became prime minister too soon. I made many mistakes, and my lack of experience was to my detriment. Today I know that there are no shortcuts, certainly not in public and political life, and that leadership is a shared burden, not a solo mission. It is impossible to succeed alone and coherent thinking, will and talent on their own are insufficient to run a state."
So the Jewish Napoleon is back - should we consider ourselves lucky? When surveying the Israeli political leadership today one can't help but wonder why there are so few people to admire, although anyone familiar with the biographies of the 120 members of Knesset knows there are many quality individuals sitting under that roof. However, the nature of the Israeli political system means that wheeling and dealing, manipulation, horse-trading and back stabbing are the keys to survival here. It seems impossible to pass through the Knesset doors and come out untainted by the Israeli political culture. Therefore, the 2007 version of the want-ad for prime minister is: a double-crossing schemer with a deep understanding of our security needs. Of Begin, Rabin and Sharon, the three prime ministers who made significant concessions for peace, two of them came from long military careers. Ehud Barak is far more qualified to make the important decisions on the prime minister's table this year than the two disappointing men currently in charge. He might be the right guy for the job, even if we can't stand him.
The political leadership is up the creek with no object that could possibly substitute for a paddle in sight. When Ehud Olmert and Amir Peretz were elected last March they expected to be running a country in search of creative political options for peace and economic alternatives that would eliminate poverty. Instead, they were completely blindsided by the outbreak of the Lebanon war this summer. Together with the IDF, they've all received failing grades for their handling of the conflict and not many people are confident they will rise to the potentially existential challenges roiling around us - the imminent Palestinian civil war, the political crisis in Lebanon and, of course, the Iranian nukes.
Olmert's tenure has been a non-stop roster of scandals: questions regarding the legality of several of Olmert's real estate transactions; the president and the justice minister accused of sexual harrasment; the bumbling ineptitude of the police in capture of escaped rapist Benny Sela; and now, a fresh crack in the facade of quality government - a corruption scandal at the highest levels of the Israeli equivalent of the IRS, suggesting that businessmen were involved in tax official appointments to protect their personal interests. Amongst the implicated is Shula Zaken, Olmert's personal assistant and office manager, which looks really bad for the prime minister even though he had nothing to do with it. At the moment it's not clear just who's guilty and who's been badmouthed. It's worth mentioning, however, that the political witch hunt is a popular sport in Israel. The trauma of the Yom Kippur War in 1973 created a fissure of faith in the elected leadership, a condition which has morphed into screaming headlines and breaking news over the slightest suspicion of official impropriety. These accusations are often not substantiated enough to indict and after prolonged investigations the accused politicians ultimately return to the fray, leaving a whiff of manipulative victory trailing behind them. Olmert has managed to brush off most of these scandals but many Israelis view him as a corrupt leader who reached the prime minister's office in order to further his personal agenda.
To make matters worse, there is a complete disconnect between Olmert and Peretz; the prime minister and the defense minister aren't talking to one another, like two boys in junior high feuding over a lost soccer ball. They are incapable of cooperating, yet each one clings ferociously to his seat, refusing to budge. At this point Peretz also appears to have lost the support of his own party members, not only as defense minister but also as leader of the Labor party. They're all screaming at him to get off the field - he's a colossal failure as defense minister. However, Peretz's skin is as thick as an elephant's and he's dug his fingernails deep into his seat. He's not leaving the defense ministry unless he is offered an alternative position of equal prestige and influence, meaning the finance ministry, with which Kadima will never part.
Into this hopeless morass saunters Ehud Barak, after six years of exile in the political wilderness after his stinging defeat by Ariel Sharon in 2001. It's a new, updated version of Ehud Barak; he still sports that pompous smirk but he claims to be contrite. Amid the fanfare of his announcement to run for head of the Labor party in the upcoming May primaries, he issued a blanket apology for all of his mistakes as prime minister:
"It is possible that I became prime minister too soon. I made many mistakes, and my lack of experience was to my detriment. Today I know that there are no shortcuts, certainly not in public and political life, and that leadership is a shared burden, not a solo mission. It is impossible to succeed alone and coherent thinking, will and talent on their own are insufficient to run a state."
So the Jewish Napoleon is back - should we consider ourselves lucky? When surveying the Israeli political leadership today one can't help but wonder why there are so few people to admire, although anyone familiar with the biographies of the 120 members of Knesset knows there are many quality individuals sitting under that roof. However, the nature of the Israeli political system means that wheeling and dealing, manipulation, horse-trading and back stabbing are the keys to survival here. It seems impossible to pass through the Knesset doors and come out untainted by the Israeli political culture. Therefore, the 2007 version of the want-ad for prime minister is: a double-crossing schemer with a deep understanding of our security needs. Of Begin, Rabin and Sharon, the three prime ministers who made significant concessions for peace, two of them came from long military careers. Ehud Barak is far more qualified to make the important decisions on the prime minister's table this year than the two disappointing men currently in charge. He might be the right guy for the job, even if we can't stand him.
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Women and the Peace Process
A great deal of interest has been generated lately by Tzipi Livni, Israel's foreign minister, as evidenced by the publication of a cover story interview with her last weekend in Haaretz magazine. Livni is one of the few women today in a position of power in Israeli politics (together with Dalia Itzik, also from the Kadima party, who now serves as the first woman speaker of the Knesset. She used to be a teacher, so when she calls all those unruly Knesset members to order, you better believe they listen!).
However, beyond the curiosity of a successful woman in what is traditionally a man's world, Livni has grown to be one of the most popular politicians in Israel today. Her personal record is impeccable; she is untainted by any of the corruption scandals that have left a coating of unremovable slime on many of Israel's current leaders. In fact, she received the Quality of Governance award already back in 2004 and she projects an honest, earnest, no-nonsense persona. She's extremely bright and ambitious and has worked discreetly, yet successfully to garner support from the international community for the freeze on contact with the Hamas government and sanctions on the Iranians, but without the macho bravado exhibited by so many of her predecessors. She's honest, level-headed and straight-forward, so much so that when I finished reading the article I considered giving up my guiding career to go to work for her.
Her stellar personal qualities notwithstanding, I think Tzipi Livni excels at being foreign minister for Israel in large part because she is a woman. In fact, I believe that the entire political arena in the Middle East would be transformed if the decisions here were made by women leaders instead of men. First of all, women are more conciliatory by nature; they are far more likely to seek compromise and avoid going to war than their testosterone-propelled male counterparts. If women were handling the negotiations over the return of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, chances are he would have been home long ago, together with the requisite number of Palestinian prisoners released in exchange. As mothers, women see the safety and happiness of their children as an ultimate objective. They have no need to flex muscles and make a show of strength - they just get the kids home as quickly and as efficiently as possible, and usually in such a way that there is no winner and loser - both sides come out victorious.
More importantly, however, all women of the world are members of the oppressed majority. Whether they live in the most liberated, enlightened societies or the most dictatorial, reactionary regimes all women have experienced fear and helplessness in the face of male aggression in one way or another. This common denominator creates a global sisterhood that reaches beyond language, culture and politics to foment a deep desire to heal the ills of the world and make it a better place for everyone.
I can already hear the men protesting through my dial-up connection, but please remember this: thus far, no combination of male leadership has managed to make serious headway in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Guys, move over and give the girls a chance. After all, 'conflict resolution ' is our middle name.
However, beyond the curiosity of a successful woman in what is traditionally a man's world, Livni has grown to be one of the most popular politicians in Israel today. Her personal record is impeccable; she is untainted by any of the corruption scandals that have left a coating of unremovable slime on many of Israel's current leaders. In fact, she received the Quality of Governance award already back in 2004 and she projects an honest, earnest, no-nonsense persona. She's extremely bright and ambitious and has worked discreetly, yet successfully to garner support from the international community for the freeze on contact with the Hamas government and sanctions on the Iranians, but without the macho bravado exhibited by so many of her predecessors. She's honest, level-headed and straight-forward, so much so that when I finished reading the article I considered giving up my guiding career to go to work for her.
Her stellar personal qualities notwithstanding, I think Tzipi Livni excels at being foreign minister for Israel in large part because she is a woman. In fact, I believe that the entire political arena in the Middle East would be transformed if the decisions here were made by women leaders instead of men. First of all, women are more conciliatory by nature; they are far more likely to seek compromise and avoid going to war than their testosterone-propelled male counterparts. If women were handling the negotiations over the return of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, chances are he would have been home long ago, together with the requisite number of Palestinian prisoners released in exchange. As mothers, women see the safety and happiness of their children as an ultimate objective. They have no need to flex muscles and make a show of strength - they just get the kids home as quickly and as efficiently as possible, and usually in such a way that there is no winner and loser - both sides come out victorious.
More importantly, however, all women of the world are members of the oppressed majority. Whether they live in the most liberated, enlightened societies or the most dictatorial, reactionary regimes all women have experienced fear and helplessness in the face of male aggression in one way or another. This common denominator creates a global sisterhood that reaches beyond language, culture and politics to foment a deep desire to heal the ills of the world and make it a better place for everyone.
I can already hear the men protesting through my dial-up connection, but please remember this: thus far, no combination of male leadership has managed to make serious headway in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Guys, move over and give the girls a chance. After all, 'conflict resolution ' is our middle name.
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