Prime Minister Ehud, President Olmert

Do you pay any attention to Israeli politics these days? It might be an ugly scene, but it is still one worth watching. Those who believed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is on his way home ought to think again. As it seems now, his unity coalition will form much earlier the Palestinian new government - the one Abbas has been trying, and failing, to form for a couple of months now.

Here are some things you need to know if you really want to understand what's going on:

System

Whenever the prime minister is in trouble, expect some calls for change of the political system - as if it was the system responsible for the many shortcomings of the Olmert government, as if he had some political problem holding him back from better execution of the war in Lebanon.

Olmert, meeting with the Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman, backed Lieberman's call for changing the system from a parliamentary to a presidential one - but this is no more than a cynical political ploy. Luckily, in most cases the call for change doesn't survive for long enough as to materialize. In those cases when it did (see the late 1990s), it ended badly.


Change

And there's an irony here: If Olmert survives long enough he might try to change the system (he said he was "determined" to do it). On the other hand, if he doesn't survive, it will only prove the need for change: you can't have election every two years and expect to have a political stability. That's a tricky situation.

Politics

Those who said he was not a capable "leader" used the wrong derogatory terms by calling him "politician." People always run the danger of getting what they asked for.

Lieberman

Uzi Benziman wrote today: "In the eyes of a fifth of Israel's citizens, Lieberman constitutes a tangible threat to their ability to continue living in the country, but that does not stop the prime minister from wanting him to join his government. What, in Olmert's opinion, should the Arab citizens conclude from his initiative? How does he think Arab Israelis will relate to the state once Lieberman and his party are part of its leadership?"

I couldn't agree more.

Olmert

On the other hand, I don't buy to the notion that Olmert is somehow entertaining the thought that Lieberman's ideology might be the one to support. Olmert doesn't buy it - and I'm not even sure if Lieberman himself does. The only reason for this possible political marriage is, well, politics.

Coalition

Israel is sometimes very quick with its demands from other countries not to form any government which includes racist elements. Lieberman's party might make it more difficult in the future.

Engagement

On the other hand, I find it hard to feel sorry for those expressing shock and dismay regarding talks with Lieberman. Aren't they in the party that preaches engagement with the enemy? If we can talk to Assad, or Hamas, we can definitely talk to Lieberman.

More about Israel on Rosner's Domain: