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She deserves to win By Yoel Marcus Tags: Tzipi Livni, elections  A few hours before her meeting with President Shimon Peres, I told Tzipi Livni over the phone that I was thinking of calling my next column "Integrity and naivete." Her response was immediate and unequivocal: "I'm not exactly naive. I know very well that there's a price that, if you aren't willing to pay it, you aren't worthy of being what you are." So why, I asked, didn't you use the nine days you had left for forming a government? Once again, she responded quickly: "There are moments when dragging things out would not only not help, but would disgust all those involved. When you put not only money, but also the peace process, up for discussion, the time comes when you ask yourself whether you're willing to pay the price." Sounding confident and determined, she added that she doesn't want to be a prime minister who can be blackmailed; that's a bad message to send to both our enemies and our interlocutors in the peace process. "I say, this far and no further. The election will be advanced? I'm not here to survive, I'm here to carry out my program. I'll run, and I'll win." Just like in Frank Sinatra's song - "I did it my way." Advertisement Political pundits and observers discerned a tone of unwarranted arrogance - the first of the seven deadly sins - in her conduct, decisions and statements. Nevertheless, her behavior attests to a different kind of politics. She scorned the horse-trading that was previously the norm when forming a government. To therefore accuse her of failing in the coalition negotiations is idiotic. She did right to begin the coalition talks with her senior partner, Labor. It is not she who was responsible for the foot-dragging, but Ehud Barak, who for days and weeks didn't know precisely what he wanted. Both Labor's situation and his personal situation are disastrous. Yet instead of talking with her about the key problems involving matters of war and peace, he focused on his own personal status: Becoming the deputy premier to end all deputies, a kind of capo di tutti capi. Passing a law stipulating that even someone who isn't a Knesset member can serve as leader of the opposition. Barak, even according to his close friends, behaved childishly. Making it a condition that he be a party to all decisions and have veto power was more contrarian than pertinent. Livni admittedly has quite a bit of power in her own right, but she is wise enough to know that on matters of war and peace, Barak is the man to consult and engage. And by dint of circumstances, the same is true of Shaul Mofaz, who also understands security and is a drawing card for Mizrahi voters to boot. The straw that broke the camel's back was, as always, the negotiations with Shas, which has become used to the fact that every new premier comes begging to it and capitulates to its demands. Last week, I advised Livni via this column to swallow the frog called Shas, because without it, she would have trouble forming a stable government. But the frog had no intention of being swallowed. Now, in hindsight, it is clear that the matter was not in Livni's hands at all: Shas never intended to join her government. Whether this was because of Aryeh Deri, who is due to be released this summer from the stain of moral turpitude, or because Benjamin Netanyahu waved all sorts of promises at them, the fact is that Eli Yishai torpedoed the talks when he demanded that at no stage should the status of Jerusalem be brought up for discussion in negotiations with the Palestinians. This diplomatic sine qua non on Shas' part is better suited to a partnership with Netanyahu than to a government "ready to divide Jerusalem." It could be that the old Mapainiks would have known how to kiss the 89-year-old rabbi's beard and find a formula that, whether put into writing or only agreed on verbally, would in any case not be honored. But Livni was right to put an end to this circus. It is not clear how many steps ahead Livni thought, or whether she took into account that instead of a government of "continuity and change," to quote Levi Eskhol's famous statement when he inherited David Ben-Gurion's government in 1963, elections are liable to bring a right-wing government headed by Netanyahu to power. In the Israel of 2008, it is very hard to embark on a different kind of politics. There are rabbis. United Torah Judaism and Degel Hatorah and the rivalries within them are such that if Yaakov Litzman were invited, Avraham Ravitz wouldn't join, and vice versa. The level of cynicism there knows no bounds. Livni tried to forge a new kind of politics. Was she too rigid? Yes. Her decision to go to the president before she had to, for instance, was hasty. But in any case, there is no doubt that she is at peace with herself. She proved that she acts according to her own conscience, and that she speaks from her heart - something that can definitely be termed a different kind of politics. What remains to be seen is whether in the coming election, voters will grant her the victory she expects - and which she certainly deserves. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Damaging remarks Right-wing MK Lieberman says Egyptian president Mubarak can "go to hell." Joe on Israel Overnight media sensation says Obama presidency would spell "death of Israel."   1.   Yes to Integrity, but... 08:44  |  Shalom Freedman 28/10/08   2.   yoel needs acourse in realpolitik and arithmetic 08:52  |  victor hardman 28/10/08   3.   Deserves to win? 08:55  |  Ben 28/10/08   4.   Tzipi Livni has only ONE chance to win..... 09:00  |  Swiss (Dino) 28/10/08   5.   Tzipi is no Deborah 09:15  |  Shechinah 28/10/08   6.   tzipi livni has shown that she has backbone 09:19  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 28/10/08   7.   #1, Shalom Freedman 09:25  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 28/10/08   8.   Livni and Kadima 09:28  |  Reuven Nof 28/10/08   9.   #2, victor hardman 09:31  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 28/10/08   10.   The inimitable Yoel Marcus.... 09:43  |  Esther 28/10/08   11.   Bought journalists: world oldest profession 10:10  |  Ilan 28/10/08   12.   a natioal unity government 10:55  |  ronnie 28/10/08   13.   If in doubt,do opposite Y.Marcus advices,he`s been a disaster 11:19  |  Absolute Sweden 28/10/08   14.   to CJ Kohn #9 11:21  |  zeev 28/10/08   15.   Too bad the least of the evils is Nuttin` Yahoo (tm)! 12:08  |  Yaakov K. 28/10/08   16.   Livni to continue Olmertization of Israel 12:12  |  Jonathan S 28/10/08   17.   WHY "deserves" to win? 12:14  |  Yaakov K. 28/10/08   18.   on Jonathan S #16 12:43  |  zeev 28/10/08   19.   I still don`t know what her policies are. Do you? 12:51  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 28/10/08   20.   Breath Of Fresh Air 13:05  |  Neil 28/10/08   21.   livni doesnt deserve to win 14:03  |  fad , egypt 28/10/08   22.   to Neil #20 14:16  |  zeev 28/10/08   23.   Deserves to win what? Inherits it like Olmert did! 14:24  |  Harvey 28/10/08   24.   Yoel is in love....with his job and dictates 14:32  |  sptz 28/10/08   25.   Livni`s Integrity? 15:04  |  JoJo 28/10/08   26.   This lady LIVNI is not for turning.She will WIN 15:54  |  Arthur 28/10/08   27.   Tsipi 16:28  |  StevieT 28/10/08   28.   The only reason Yoel likes Livni 17:03  |  Gee 28/10/08   29.   For Zeev about brain damage 17:07  |  Jonathan S 28/10/08   30.   She will `deserve to win` if she is able to 17:12  |  Mark Lincoln 28/10/08   31.   i like the integrity of tzipi livni 18:14  |  scallywag 28/10/08   32.   `Words` do not win Wars...... 18:51  |  Dagma 28/10/08   33.   Livni deserves to be soundly defeated and put on trial. 19:00  |  Chaim 28/10/08   34.   livni should and will win 19:02  |  balanga 28/10/08   35.   Ultra-Orthodox parties and a woman premier? 19:51  |  Manny Goldstein 28/10/08   36.   Reply ro 13 and 16 ( Absolute Sweden and Jonathan) 19:59  |  Tod Zuckerman 28/10/08   37.   Vic Hardman needs a course in REALITY 20:53  |  Ari ben Yisrael 28/10/08   38.   Cipora you are such a Lady "Livni has Backbone" 21:02  |  Ari ben Yisrael 28/10/08   39.   BIBI for Prime Minister Tzipi for Freign Minister,,,, 21:14  |  Dolly 28/10/08   40.   How to get out of our OWN way 21:23  |  Marcus ELiYAhu Man 28/10/08   41.   #14, zeev 21:24  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 28/10/08   42.   #34, Ari Ben Yisrael 21:32  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 28/10/08   43.   Natanyahu is our `Man in Israel` today..... 21:52  |  Josephus 28/10/08   44.   #38 Cipora. As I said you are a Lady & more refined than I 22:02  |  Ari ben Yisrael 28/10/08   45.   Josephus on "Livni for times of PEACE" 22:07  |  Ari ben Yisrael 28/10/08   46.   Waiting for Bibi 22:24  |  Yoav Naor 28/10/08   47.   A time for change 22:30  |  Berchmans 28/10/08   48.   Re# 1 Believe or hope not ... 22:31  |  Ines 28/10/08   49.   Livni today may be just a `flash in the pan`..... 22:31  |  Dagma[Second time] 28/10/08   50.   Re# 2 I won`t be so sure 22:36  |  Israel 28/10/08   51.   Tzipi`s inclinations towards the Arabs ... 22:50  |  Natasha 28/10/08   52.   Cipora #38 22:53  |  Esther 28/10/08   53.   Re# 10 This is a real circus... 23:10  |  Ines 28/10/08   54.   Marcus is mistaken: WE, the people deserve a competent PM 23:19  |  Simha 28/10/08   55.   #33 arie arent you the one who wrote and said livni would be 23:35  |  victor hardman 28/10/08   56.   a well-done piece... 00:30  |  saul a. readner 29/10/08   57.   Livni should retire immediately 03:56  |  Moshe 29/10/08   58.   Just proves how difficult it is to lead in Israel... 04:01  |  Smadar 29/10/08   59.   Yet another election 05:34  |  Yoav Naor 29/10/08   60.   So what is the care-taker govt. going to be doing incoming months 05:43  |  Sarah 29/10/08   61.   on victor hardman #55 07:42  |  zeev 29/10/08   62.   to Jonathan S #29 - about defeatist world view 10:08  |  zeev 29/10/08   63.   LIVNI ,THE DEFEATIST, AND KADIMA LEAD ISRAEL TO NATIONAL SUICIDE 01:59  |  ROB GOTTESMAN 30/10/08   64.   to rob gottesman #63 09:27  |  zeev 30/10/08

Read & React Lieberman: Mubarak can 'go to hell'; Peres, Olmert apologize Responses: 101 Meron Benvenisti: Peres Center training Palestinians to accept Jewish superiority Responses: 2 Barak cuts services to outposts in response to settler violence Responses: 9 Ari Shavit: The next government will not bring Israel to peace Responses: 2 More Headlines 10:03 Syrian riot police encircle U.S. embassy ahead of raid protest 08:46 Haaretz poll: Likud, Kadima tied at 31; Labor down to 10 seats 09:32 Qassam rocket hits west Negev in fresh Gaza truce breach 09:31 Israeli businessman kidnapped in Ghana escapes captors 07:21 Lieberman: Mubarak can 'go to hell'; Peres, Olmert apologize 07:55 Barak cuts services to outposts in response to settler violence 09:55 Is Old City of Jerusalem discovery King David's waterway? 20:05 Biden, in Florida, stresses his, Obama's commitment to Israel 06:33 Livni, Barak to vie for support of peace camp at Rabin memorial 06:36 Police fail to stop Ultra-Orthodox 'modesty patrols' 07:25 Israel's business barons lost NIS 60b over last seven months 06:39 Deadbeat Knesset members owe cafeteria NIS 400,000 09:56 After 25 years, mystery of daring clock heist finally solved 05:26 IDF reserve officer to sue Ch. 10 for associating him with gunrunning 05:37 Hundreds of students block Knesset in protest over university funding 23:28 Kosher U.S. meatpacker fined $10m over labor law violations Previous Editions Select Day 29 oct 28 oct 27 oct 26 oct 24 oct 23 oct 22 oct 21 oct 20 oct 19 oct 17 oct 16 oct

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