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Last update - 08:20 21/09/2008
ANALYSIS / Even Assad has a better opinion of Livni than Barak
By Yossi Verter
Tags: Tzipi Livni, Ehud Barak 

At the end of her first weekend as Israel's intended prime minister, it became clear to Tzipi Livni that she would have an easier time forming a coalition with Syrian President Bashar Assad than with her colleagues back in Israel.

Judging by the editorial about her in the Syrian daily Tishrin - which represents the official line - Assad has a better opinion of her than does Ehud Barak. Unlike Barak, Assad thinks Livni does possess the "suitable skills" to pick up that phone at 3 A.M.

Before finding time to meet up with Tzipora, Barak opted to meet opposition leader and Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu - an unmistakable, unequivocal sign pertaining to Livni's chances of actually forming a government.
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Neither Barak nor Netanyahu are particularly interested in affording Livni much time in power, in which she would set about gaining some badly-needed legitimacy as the premier.

It is Barak, not Netanyahu, who holds Livni's key to the Prime Minister's Bureau. And judging by what we saw Saturday, he has no intention of handing it to her on a silver platter.

Barak is contending with a cruel dilemma: Either he goes to elections and risks the polls actually being right for once, or serves as the ladder up which Livni will climb to the prime minister's throne.

Whether Barak is actually striving to go to elections or whether he's just using Netanyahu to up the ante for eventually joining a government under Livni, the "Mossad beauty," as the Syrian daily dubbed her, is now realizing that she was naive to believe she could realize her vision of forming a government without encountering too many hitches, along the same basic lines as Ehud Olmert's government and based on the same coalition agreements.

Thinking she could achieve this without having to replace Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann and renegotiating the national budget was no more than wishful thinking on her part.

She is not the only player on the court.

The factors that eventually led to the Barak-Netanyahu meeting have been at work for a long time, but the meeting took place only now. Perhaps Livni's moves after her election had something to do with that.

In her first address as Kadima's new chairperson, she already made two mistakes. The first was urging Olmert to resign, for which she was reproached by her senior-most supporter, Finance Minister Roni Bar-On.

The second mistake was urging Labor to "act responsibly and not waste time on political nonsense." Her preaching got straight on Barak's nerves, confirming his suspicions that he is already in the midst of an election campaign in which Livni will try to depict him as Mr. Politics, compared to the role of Ms. Responsibility to be played by Tzipi Livni herself.

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      1.   TZIPI LIVNI 04:43  |  Zyskandar A. Jaimot 21/09/08
      2.   The "big three" 05:04  |  Robert Haymond 21/09/08
      3.   Barak and Netanyahu: "mirror, mirror on the wall" 05:31  |  Fortuna Benmayor 21/09/08
      4.   Sadly, Livni`s the best choice... 06:23  |  BBSNews 21/09/08
      5.   Tzipi: The Enemy`s BEST FRIEND 06:54  |  Dr. Dave 21/09/08
      6.   She`ll prevai even in a national context... 07:15  |  Esther 21/09/08
      7.   Reply to #4 ( Dr.Dave) - Spot On 07:21  |  Tod Zuckerman 21/09/08
      8.   The-morning-after... 07:25  |  Esther 21/09/08
      9.   Assad`s response shows how much Livni is prepared to give away! 07:44  |  redmike 21/09/08
      10.   Ehud Barak 08:05  |  Dov G 21/09/08
      11.   I`M SURE HE DOES HAVE A BETTER OPINION;SHE`S GOING TO BE MUCH 09:00  |  glenna 21/09/08
      12.   Glenna # 5 says Olmert and Livni are the same. 09:18  |  Fortuna Benmayor 21/09/08
      13.   Both Livni and Barak are both are defeatists and leftists losers 09:27  |  Isaac Rubinstein 21/09/08
      14.   #3 Fortuna Benmayor, John Wayne and McCarthy 09:37  |  S 21/09/08
      15.   #4 Esther 09:43  |  S 21/09/08
      16.   Barak and Netanyahu = The 2 "perpetual betrayers" of Israel 09:46  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/09/08
      17.   #10, S 09:52  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 21/09/08
      18.   LIVNI=CIVIL WAR IN ISRAEL......................... 10:02  |  LEFT=TERRORISM 21/09/08
      19.   Cipora #15 10:10  |  S 21/09/08
      20.   Backlash If Old Boys Bring Her Down? 10:30  |  Mark of Lewiston 21/09/08
      21.   esther must throw away her rose coloured spectacles 10:51  |  v.hardman 21/09/08
      22.   why livni is the one 10:57  |  judah 21/09/08
      23.   barak sold out 10:59  |  judah 21/09/08
      24.   mr barak we lead by example 11:03  |  judah 21/09/08
      25.   and yet barak is the best leader we have 11:07  |  judah 21/09/08
      26.   swiss dino your country ran a campaign 11:10  |  swisswatch 21/09/08
      27.   livni i have no doubt is virginal and pure 11:13  |  judah 21/09/08
      28.   #14 -- unlike the black men who run Switzerland? 11:13  |  McQueen 21/09/08
      29.   # 13 to "S" re: john wayne 11:30  |  eric 21/09/08
      30.   OLMERT LEGACY OF FAILURE 12:14  |  indrajaya 21/09/08
      31.   # 24 Toby and also # 26 the McQueen guy..... 12:32  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/09/08
      32.   Barak, Bibi in bed with US dispensationalists empowering AIPAC 13:00  |  Ivar 21/09/08
      33.   Even Assad has a better opinion of Livni 13:15  |  ralph 21/09/08
      34.   Syria Needs Israel, Israel Does Not Need Syria 14:25  |  Baruch Gold 21/09/08
      35.   swiss dino 14:48  |  swisswatch 21/09/08
      36.   redmike # 9 14:54  |  kameel 21/09/08
      37.   eric #29 re John Wayne 15:42  |  S 21/09/08
      38.   As iran and syria strengthen their relationship 15:43  |  Arie 21/09/08
      39.   Livni, barak, Netanyahu 15:45  |  sabra 21/09/08
      40.   Tzipi Livni 16:17  |  The Teacher/Instruct 21/09/08
      41.   Is There Any Chance 17:21  |  Jeff Northridge 21/09/08
      42.   PM Livni is Israel`s only rational person. 18:13  |  Lou Medel 21/09/08
      43.   #34 Baruch Gold 18:29  |  Lou Medel 21/09/08
      44.   LIVNI IS PRO-SYRIAN. WE NEED MOSHIACH, PRO-ISRAEL,TORAH, HOLYLAND 18:49  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 21/09/08
      45.   Assad only sees livni as a way to surrender the Golan 19:22  |  Shepherd 21/09/08
      46.   Without substance 19:23  |  bronxite10 21/09/08
      47.   Assad/Barak 19:42  |  Paul 21/09/08
      48.   Well, Assad doesn`t have to work with her everyday 20:23  |  5th generation 21/09/08
      49.   # 46 bronxite 10, little correction...... 21:31  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/09/08
      50.   #25, judah 23:40  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 21/09/08
      51.   #18, "civil war" 23:53  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 21/09/08
      52.   Thank you S (# 14), I invite you not to label me. 01:36  |  Fortuna Benmayor 22/09/08
      53.   # 37 to "S" re: dreams 06:10  |  eric 22/09/08
      54.   10# Dov G : Are you afriad of Democracy ? 06:52  |  Akram Zekaria 22/09/08
      55.   18# Israel is divided from the middle ! 07:12  |  Akram Zekaria 22/09/08
      56.   53# eric Yours are not dreams but just nightmares. 07:42  |  Akram Zekaria 22/09/08
      57.   Because she is a woman. She is not easier 20:12  |  De 22/09/08
      58.   # 56 to akram re: dreams 08:37  |  eric 23/09/08
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