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Foreign Minister and newly elected Kadima chair Tzipi Livni.
Last update - 00:00 18/09/2008
ANALYSIS / Tzipi Livni is Israel's Barack Obama
By Neri Livneh, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel, Barack Obama 

If, as John Lennon and Yoko Ono said, "Woman is the N----r of the World," then Tzipi Livni is Israel's Barack Obama.

Unlike Hillary Clinton, Livni did not exploit the fact that she is a woman in order to get elected. She is also not married to one of the most beloved individuals in the world.

Instead, Livni won the Kadima primary despite being a woman, and despite being married to a private man who prefers to steer clear from the limelight. (Israeli comics - all of them men, of course - are now busy thinking up new puns on the old "Mr. Tzipi Livni and Mrs. President.")
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And all this while Livni is zealously trying to protect the privacy of her family, and is probably the last person anyone would turn to for a Rosh Hashanah cake recipe.

Livni, after all, strikes the perfect balance between "the beauty and the geek" - an autarkic individual who, albeit not being a beauty pageant runner-up, is nevertheless disinclined to change her wardrobe or haircut, and who still knows more about numbers and probabilities than at least two former generals: Dichter and "alpha male" Mofaz.

These generals have tried everything in their power to stop her. One of them, who, as Labor chair, has only a slim chance of beating her in the general elections, belittlingly called her "Tzipora", while the defeated and deflated alpha male remarked on her hesitancy and military inexperience. As though it's wrong to hesitate - in a true "womanly fashion" - before rushing in to make poor decisions like a regular macho.

They don't want her to pick up the phone at 3 A.M.? Let them find another woman to whisper to at night.

Not only is this the first time in Israel's history that a woman is elected to head a major party (Golda Meir doesn't count; she was appointed by a party committee), but one must also consider the quality of the woman chosen.

Unlike MKs Ruhama Avraham and Esterina Tartman, Livni is deliberately non-coquettish, and not very warm. Yet she managed to single-handedly beat all the polished politicians and generals despite being a woman, and precisely because she acted like an "inexperienced" one at that - by being candid, honest and unwilling to pay fake compliments to Kadima functionaries.

A new wind of hope is now blowing: One small step for Kadima, one giant leap for womankind in Israel. Perhaps it won't be long before the three authorities - judicial, legislative and executive - will all be headed by women.

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      1.   THERE IS A DIFFERENCE: BARACK OBAMA WILL NOT GET ELECTED 14:26  |  Joel Stein 18/09/08
      2.   At least Tzipi has some experience of high office 14:29  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 18/09/08
      3.   Barak Obama I think Not 14:41  |  Ralph Levy 18/09/08
      4.   1. Joel - neither will Tzipi , it will be Netenyahu 15:02  |  S Judah 18/09/08
      5.   She can`t be Israel`s Obama... 15:15  |  Protected civilian 18/09/08
      6.   both ill-fit to run a country 15:25  |  Avi 18/09/08
      7.   Voter Turn Out - says it all folks! 15:34  |  Avi 18/09/08
      8.   Elections 15:36  |  Gerald 18/09/08
      9.   Barack Wins Presidental Race 15:41  |  Barack the Vote 18/09/08
      10.   What`s the difference betwee Livni & Livneh 15:47  |  Nora 18/09/08
      11.   if that`s true.. 15:56  |  jonathan 18/09/08
      12.   Neri, I second almost every word of your paean...... 16:04  |  Esther 18/09/08
      13.   In some ways yes, some no: Part 1 16:08  |  Arie 18/09/08
      14.   #4 Avi, you are so right. 16:10  |  John Allen 18/09/08
      15.   In some way yes, some no: Part 2 16:13  |  Arie 18/09/08
      16.   # 1, JOEL STEIN 16:33  |  indrajaya 18/09/08
      17.   Tzipi is Israel`s Barak 16:51  |  Beryl 18/09/08
      18.   Livni vs Obama 16:57  |  PlanoStu 18/09/08
      19.   Livni is Israel`s Obama 17:06  |  Zalman 18/09/08
      20.   Uh...maybe you mean she`s the Palin of Israel? 17:10  |  No Dice 18/09/08
      21.   Livni an Obama? 17:15  |  cebouano 18/09/08
      22.   Livni/Obama et alia 17:21  |  Zaza 18/09/08
      23.   Vision 17:26  |  Baz Mann 18/09/08
      24.   don`t fret Joel Stein #1 17:29  |  examiner 18/09/08
      25.   Livni is not like Obama 17:45  |  Yariv 18/09/08
      26.   LIVNI`S FATE IN BIBLE CODE 18:00  |  Barry S. Roffman 18/09/08
      27.   The Problem With Livni is Livni 18:02  |  Irv 18/09/08
      28.   Livni 18:12  |  Abraham Wagner 18/09/08
      29.   Livni & Obama 18:15  |  JaneB 18/09/08
      30.   On Livni being a woman 18:36  |  ally 18/09/08
      31.   She has shown more sense than Olmert. . . but 18:36  |  Mark Lincoln 18/09/08
      32.   Like Obama, Livni would divide J`lem/hand Israel to the Pals 18:51  |  JM 18/09/08
      33.   At least Obama is participating in an election 19:06  |  Herbert Kaine 18/09/08
      34.   Livni would become Israel`s Obama if... 19:23  |  Mark B. 18/09/08
      35.   no more dinosaurs 19:52  |  soggy liberal 18/09/08
      36.   Just like Obama......Nobody trusts her! 20:23  |  David 18/09/08
      37.   no 20:58  |  democrat 18/09/08
      38.   Joel Stein #1-- quaking in your boots? 21:42  |  bbl 18/09/08
      39.   Tzipi and Obama 21:46  |  Gary 18/09/08
      40.   Margie #2 -- reading too many Republican talking points 21:47  |  bbl 18/09/08
      41.   Livni & Gordon Brown perhaps? 21:52  |  Outsider 18/09/08
      42.   Tzipi Livni with Dan Gilerman would beat Netanyahu 21:52  |  anyuci 18/09/08
      43.   Democrat #37 -- bwahahahahaha! 21:53  |  bbl 18/09/08
      44.   No dice - cite one example of your asinine statement, please 21:55  |  bbl 18/09/08
      45.   #36 21:56  |  anyuci 18/09/08
      46.   Alert! -- Joel Stein knows how to copy and paste! 22:01  |  bbl 18/09/08
      47.   OOps, my appologize to Joel Stein -- maybe he doesn`t know.... 22:03  |  bbl 18/09/08
      48.   Livneh your 100% wrong 22:11  |  Dish It Out 18/09/08
      49.   bbl since you ask 22:24  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 18/09/08
      50.   The Nordic countries are the most civilized and run by women 22:31  |  Charlie 18/09/08
      51.   Livni like Habama 22:43  |  Barnum 18/09/08
      52.   Don`t ever compare the 2 22:56  |  Cameron 18/09/08
      53.   It should have been: Hillary, Angela & Tzipi 23:07  |  Tulip 18/09/08
      54.   Margie in Tel Aviv -- Just cause you think he is charming... 23:18  |  bbl 18/09/08
      55.   bbl 23:59  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 18/09/08
      56.   so the women want Tzipi... 00:05  |  Nemesis 19/09/08
      57.   # 56 nemesis 01:00  |  Axel 19/09/08
      58.   LIVNI AND OBAMA ARE DEFEATISTS WHO SURRENDER TO TERRORISTS 01:34  |  Joe Rosenthal 19/09/08
      59.   # 1 joel 02:18  |  Axel 19/09/08
      60.   To #50 Regarding Nordic countries 03:06  |  Anebt 19/09/08
      61.   # 60 anebt 03:25  |  Axel 19/09/08
      62.   what on god`s green earth does tzipi livni have to do with obama? 05:44  |  david 19/09/08
      63.   there`s one very possible nightmare come to pass and the other 05:57  |  glenna 19/09/08
      64.   Just like Obama 06:30  |  Shimon Cleopas 19/09/08
      65.   Tzipi Livni is Hubris-woman, not Obama. 06:35  |  Fortuna Benmayor 19/09/08
      66.   What Neri Livneh is really saying 06:39  |  Pete Eriksen 19/09/08
      67.   #59 Axel - I don`t know why anyone wouldn`t believe U 08:32  |  * BEN JABN 19/09/08
      68.   Implying that Obama lacks ideals and experience 09:42  |  Ilan 19/09/08
      69.   TZIPI NEEDS TO BOMB IRAN BEFORE OBAMA GETS ELECTED 05:11  |  Aviva 20/09/08
      70.   #68 2ND TRY Ilan - Tell us about his record 06:40  |  * BEN JABO 20/09/08
      71.   Tzipi Livni is Israel`s Barack Obama? 14:07  |  ZOYIES 20/09/08
      72.   #70 Ben Jabo 17:58  |  mike 22/09/08
      73.   thank you "mainstream" media for maintaining her family`s privacy 08:31  |  Lenny 01/10/08
      74.   Hope in Tzipi Livni 14:35  |  Emmanuel Banda 16/10/08
      75.   Israel`s attack on Gaza 04:48  |  Anonymous 01/01/09
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