Now is not the time to punish Olmert

In a respectful, official and honest manner, without bold statements and dramatic speeches, Ehud Barak announced that despite the political temptation to oust Olmert and present himself a political alternative, he was choosing to stay in the government for the good of the country and to achieve personal goals.

There are no objections to the fact that in the short-term, the option to dissolve the coalition is the best possible scenario Barak could face; crushing Kadima, fulfilling his promise to go to elections and displaying responsibility and moral values which would have played to his advantage mere hours after he would have announced his resignation from the government.

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Lieberman - a strategic threat

At the end of March 2006, Israel's citizens voted unambiguously for compromise and national agreement and awarded the "Kadima" party leadership of the country. For the first time in 2 decades, the 'Center-Left' - including Kadima, the pensioners' party, Meretz, Labor and the Arab parties - had the majority in government, with 70 Mks. The Likud, with Binyamin Netanyahu at its head leading a hawkish, right-wing stance, was crushed and won only 12 mandates, while Lieberman followed closely  with 11 mandates.

Based on the results of the votes, Israel Beitenu's (Israel Our Home) entry into the government was, in fact, a slap in the face for the average voter who expressed, again unambiguously, deep mistrust for the politics of the Right-wing extremists.

From the first day of his entry into the government, Avigdor Lieberman behaved as if it was his party that won the vote and as if the 'fundamentals of government' was but an unworthy, decorative document, not to be given any meaning whatsoever. Instead of accepting the general population's decision and taking his place on the opposition's bench, Lieberman decided to act from within by joining the government in an effort to torpedo any political progress.

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Olmert must remain the PM

In preparation for the publishing of the final Winograd Report on the Second Lebanon War, the legitimate demand from Labor Chairman and Defense Minister Ehud Barak to announce that he intends to leave the government if and when Prime Minister Ehud Olmert remains in his position is resurfacing. 

I admit that it is not easy to deal with the simplistic and popular catch-phrase which argues that those who failed should "take responsibility" and go home, as if we are talking about a soccer coach or a government clerk who erred.

The attempt to portray the issue as if it were Olmert's personal matter buys him wide leverage in the battle with many who turn a blind eye to the dramatic consequences of such a move.

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