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Foreign Minister and newly elected Kadima chair Tzipi Livni. ANALYSIS / Livni's victory is a big crack in the glass ceiling By Ruth Sinai, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Kadima, Israel, Livni If Tzipi Livni forms a cabinet, Israel will be the only country in the world with women heading all three branches of government - the executive, legislature and judiciary. However, feminists agree this would be a historic accident, as both Livni and Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik were elected despite, not because, they are women. Neither did the election of Justice Dorit Beinisch as Supreme Court president have anything to do with her views on women's issues. "This is amazing, especially because women's representation in Israeli politics is meager and dwindling," says MK Gideon Saar (Likud), who served as chairman of the Knesset's Committee on the Status of Women. Israel is graded 82nd in the world in women's political representation - 15 percent of Knesset members are women, and only 1 percent of local government heads. Advertisement In contrast, women's representation in the world is rising. In Scandinavia women's places in parliament are reserved; a considerable percentage of France, Spain and Italy's cabinet members are women, and a woman was almost nominated to represent her party in the U.S. presidential election. Another woman is running for vice president. Livni has distanced herself from gender issues in her public work. Feminist journalist Anat Saragosti sees Livni as an outdated model of feminism. "She's stuck somewhere in the '70s, when prevalent opinion called for equality between men and women, arguing there was no difference between them and that women could do whatever men can. This attitude ignores the discrimination of women as a group, merely for being women," she says. Although Livni advanced a number of women when she was Absorption Minister and has recently appointed Professor Gabriela Shalev as UN ambassador, it is not clear whether she did so from a sense of duty to advance women. Livni has no feminist agenda and like other women who made it prides herself on doing it by herself. However, she was elected to the Knesset because Likud reserved high slots on its electoral list for women. "Livni is afraid of owning up to a feminist agenda, thinking it would weaken her. She may be right because the attacks on her have been chauvinistic," says Saragosti. Radio and television moderator Merav Michaeli, however, says Livni's activities for victims of domestic violence have deliberately advanced women. "Her awareness for women's oppression has developed over time," says Michaeli, adding that Livni responds every time she is asked to help assault victims. But the importance of Livni's election is not to be measured in its feminist extent, says Michaeli. "In Israel there is no women's leadership model. Leadership equals being male. Livni provides another model, which is neither male nor female." She commends Livni for not using her security record to ward off the generals' attacks and for seeing peace, not war, as the only chance for Israel's survival. Deputy Tel Aviv Mayor and former Knesset member Yael Dayan, who formed the Knesset's Committee on the Status of Women, believes that no matter how Livni and Itzik define themselves, "the result is good for women." Dayan says Israel is not ripe for feminist candidates and that Livni should enforce existing laws like the ban on firing pregnant women and equal pay for equal work. MK Colette Avital (Labor), who ran for state president, believes that electing Livni, regardless of her lack of a feminist agenda, will bring about real change. "This trinity will change public opinion and show that women certainly can," she says. Rina Bar-Tal, chairwoman and president of the Israel Women's Network, is not bothered by Livni's modest feminist record. "Thanks to her a large crack has formed in the glass ceiling of Israel's political culture," she says. Related articles: ANALYSIS / Tzipi Livni is Israel's Barack Obama Israel falls behind world parliaments on number of women MKs Israel lags behind Sudan, Pakistan in number of women in legislature Bookmark to del.icio.us   'The Mossad dove' Official Syrian state paper says Livni can have peace if she desires it. Abbas the columnist PA Chief: History will judge none of us kindly if we squander chance for peace.   1.   The theory of this silly article 05:11  |  Mark Lincoln 19/09/08   2.   #1 Mark Lincoln - this is a very good article by Ruth Sinai... 05:46  |  Smadar 19/09/08   3.   The USA is no leading example. 06:17  |  Fortuna Benmayor 19/09/08   4.   Women on Top 06:57  |  Kath 19/09/08   5.   When it comes to War.......... 07:31  |  Dagma 19/09/08   6.   Well, Mofaz couldn`t bear hearing the ceiling crack... 09:36  |  Esther 19/09/08   7.   What? Golda Myerson`s crack wasn`t big enough? 10:33  |  Shmuely 19/09/08   8.   Women 11:44  |  David 19/09/08   9.   Let`s hear it for Livni the lite-weight 12:03  |  Ilan 19/09/08   10.   the real crack NEEDS TO FOSTER DEMOCRACY 12:22  |  v.hardman 19/09/08   11.   Israel has never been worse off 13:16  |  Stacy 19/09/08   12.   To #7 Shmuely 13:54  |  David 19/09/08   13.   Agree or Disagree But she`s a Stately Person 14:28  |  Jason 19/09/08   14.   "Despite"?? 17:05  |  Gerry 19/09/08   15.   the crack does not come unless she wins in a general election/and 19:04  |  glenna 19/09/08   16.   Maybe there is no glass ceiling 19:10  |  Colin Wright 19/09/08   17.   Prime Minister is not head of the Executive Branch 06:20  |  Dan 20/09/08   18.   Livni and Women Lib - totally irrelevant 10:45  |  Gabriel 20/09/08   19.   New Zealand already has an all-women team right now, and more 11:31  |  Tikva 20/09/08   20.   women in politics 11:44  |  igal azuelos 20/09/08   21.   You have a new Prime Minister? 19:29  |  lady from USA 20/09/08

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