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Sunday Jul 13, 2008
Ehud Olmert's problems have deepened, with accusations that he doubled-, tripled-, and quadrupled-billed for his overseas trips while Mayor of Jerusalem and Minister of Trade and Commerce. His lawyers and supporters assert that the violations are technical, the fault of bureaucrats, and trivial. Countering this are claims that Olmert's profits exceed US $100,000, that he managed the techniques employed, and used the money for family travel.
We hear competing reports of a government that is not functioning alongside claims of business as usual. Some prophets predict that the prime minister will resign this month. Others say he will dig in, and take advantage of legal and political realities that make it difficult to carry him off against his will.
The legal and political work involved in all of this may not end quickly. Pending that, it is interesting to consider the personalities who are jostling to become the next prime minister.
The candidates in the Kadima Party are
- Tzipi Livni, currently serving as Foreign Minister, and who has served in ranking administrative and political positions for more than two decades that include service as Ministers of Justice, Immigrant Absorption, and Agriculture;
- Abraham Dicter, currently Minister of Public Security with responsibility for the police, and formerly the head of the General Security Agency (Shin Bet);
- Meir Shitrit, currently Minister of the Interior, who began his political career as a mayor, and has served in numerous ministerial positions including Justice, Transportation, Education, and Finance;
- Shaul Mofaz, currently the Minister of Transportation and formerly commanding general of the IDF and then Minister of Defense.
The major candidate in the Labor Party is Defense Minister Ehud Barak. He served as commanding general of the IDF, and then a previous term as Defense Minister, and Prime Minister.
Benyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu is the leading candidate from Likud. His background includes service as Ambassador to the United Nations, Prime Minister, and Finance Minister.
Compare these folks to the candidates running for the American presidency. Neither of the Americans has any major administrative experience, and Obama has yet to serve a full term in a national position.
None of the above assures that Israel's government will function better than the American government. The head of government is only one factor in determining national fortunes. Arguably the national fortune is more important, and the American fortune dwarfs that of tiny Israel. Neighbors are also important. Israelis would be willing to trade the Arabs and Persians for the Canadians and Mexicans.
One can think of the comparative benefits of heroes or managers as national leaders.
No doubt that the public admires heroic promises to solve big problems. Think of the Kennedy and Johnson missions to deal with Communism in Vietnam, and George W. Bush's mission to settle the problems of evil and terror coming out of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Management is dull, and gives up the dream of peace or prosperity without blemish. On the positive side, it is less dangerous than heroism. Managers want to improve things, but "Do not make it worse" is a prime motto.
Israel benefits from the small size of its fortune. Neither current nor potential leaders propose to conquer or reform the enemies. Experience has put the emphasis on limited use of the military, and limited occupation of hostile territory.
Things are far from optimal. Hizbullah has rearmed, and that Hamas is doing what it can to prepare for nasty things. Israel's threats against them may be enough to keep them quiet. Each has learned what the IDF can do.
Iran is another story. If an attack comes, we can hope that it is well managed. There has been a great deal of preparation, and extensive discussions of likely consequences.
Again this is a time to envy the Norwegians. They have both fortune and decent neighbors. As far as I know, heroism has not part of the national character since the Vikings.
1 | Michael Assinder, Monday Jul 14, 2008
Norwegians are heroes and you would do well to emulate them. Throw down the sword and live peacefully. Israel should stop its threats and cluster bombing.
2 | Mike Germany, Monday Jul 14, 2008
Don't envy the Norwegians, let the European nations serve as a warning. It took the compeat destruction of the continent bafore Europeans stopped waging war and settled down to building themselves a future.
The Mideast is now n a position Europe was in a century ago - Will it take the compleat destruction of the region to achieve lasting peace?
3 | ben hillel, Monday Jul 14, 2008
Sharkansky says that Israel's potential next leaders have greater experience than the U.S. presidential candidates. That's right, but it fails to note what kind of experience that constitutes. Bibi was a failure as PM, and as finance minister had great success in simultaneously making the rich richer and the poor poorer. Barak was completely ineffective. Then let's take -- well you take, please -- Mofaz, who has done nothing at Transport and whose major accomplishment as chief of staff and at Defense was failing to prepare the army for what it faced in 2006.
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Window on Israel
Hebrew University Political Science professor evaluates the latest happenings in Israel.
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Recent Comments
Daniel San Jose, CA - USA: Sharkansky's article is a dangerous step down a slipery slope. Israelis would be wise not to pick up Amreica's bad habit of analyzing our politician's family lives in the media. First of all - It's an irrelevant distractions to the voters. Worse, it discourages good candidates from running for high office. I wouldn't expose my daughter to the sort of media spotlight that Sarah Pallin's daughter has gotten lately. We probably have a lot of great potential leaders who have stayed out of office for that reason. Israelis are better off not knowing the names of their PM candidates' spouses.
Catherine Denton Atlanta, GA: Wow, I'm quite amazed with what Raz-Tel-Chai said about the Democrat Party in America.
I am an American conservative who personally believes in a sovereign state of Israel.
But I also believe that it should be up to the Jewish people to decide for themselves if they want to share their land with the Muslim community.....not for our leaders to tell them that.
Based on my opinion, I don't understand why someone like Condoleeza Rice will straddle the fence between Israelis and Palestinians.
Raz Tel-Chai Jerusalem: In truth Israeli needs to stop worrying about what is going on in American politics and start looking to our own leadership to do just that ,lead. You this blogger talk of compromise, I talk of leadership who will stand for Jewish rights to the Jewish homeland, no more compromise, 60 years, wars,intifada's I have seen no compromise or change in position from the Arab world(unless we heed to their demands).
There is nothing in the U.S. democrat party today that has anything to do with Jewish values whatsoever, They are 1960 radical socialists,who want to "level the playing field" Marxism 101
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