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Believing Olmert By Gideon Levy Tags: Ehud Olmert After listening to many of his statements, some of them very impressive, one comes to recognize that Ehud Olmert perhaps truly desires peace with the Palestinians. The fact that he has not zigzagged, not even once, that he only reiterates the same things, speaking like Uri Avnery (even if 40 years late), that he does not backtrack or stutter - only reinforces this feeling. It is permissible, therefore, to succumb to the temptation and believe that the man who told Haaretz on November 28, "two states, or Israel is finished," indeed has undergone a profound change. However, there's a catch: This welcome change of consciousness has not yet been accompanied by any practical action. The settlements are flourishing, 10,000 Palestinian prisoners are rotting in prisons, Gaza is starved and blacked-out, Shin Bet security service investigators are torturing, the checkpoints incarcerating and the acacias blooming in the territories. The conclusion: Olmert wants, but is unable. Or perhaps he wants, but is afraid. The common explanation: If he takes any practical step to implement his intentions, his government will collapse immediately. Olmert is imprisoned in his impossible coalition. If he only dares to do something, Avigdor Lieberman and Eli Yishai will quit, and Olmert will be left without parliamentary support. Well, this is an illusion. Advertisement Olmert's first test, if he survives Winograd, is to dismantle the coalition that is blocking him. He has a suitable alternative: Meretz instead of Shas and Yisrael Beiteinu, for a total of 60 Knesset seats. Another historic effort to bring the Arab factions into the government would create a stable coalition of 70 seats. A coalition that allows you to make peace. This step is not devoid of risks. This type of coalition is liable to be fragile - what will Shaul Mofaz do? How will the Pensioners vote? And it is doubtful whether the Arabs would join. Perhaps they only would provide support from the outside. This coalition would also take a barrage of sharp public criticism. But someone who speaks in terms of "Israel is finished" cannot allow himself - or us - the luxury of preserving his cozy, safe and paralyzing coalition while Israel continues to slide toward the denouement he himself has envisioned. How can Olmert himself rationalize his inaction in light of such a terrifying vision? He failed to save the state because of Lieberman? He did nothing because of Yishai? Enough of the futile courting of Lieberman, enough of fearing Yishai to the point of mobilizing the U.S. president to lobby them. The time has come to show the refusers of peace the door. "Courage to Change before the Calamity" wrote Yitzhak Ben-Aharon in "Lamerchav" in January 1963 in another context, and never has this mighty and archaic sentence sounded more fitting and relevant. Yes, mister prime minister, courage to change before the calamity, which you yourself have so clearly foreseen. And this courage starts with dismantling your government and forming a different government instead, one that is more in tune with your views. With such a coalition and with the determination Olmert expressed in his speeches, an assault could be mounted toward the political goal. Thousands of prisoners could be freed, changing at once the atmosphere in the relations with the Palestinians. A voluntary evacuation-compensation bill could be passed, outposts could be dismantled, funding for the settlements could be halted and the long journey of extracting the most dangerous abscess of all from the territories could begin. The siege on Gaza could be lifted, and Hamas could be called upon to join the process, which would only benefit the miserable residents of the Strip. And it would even be possible to curry favor in the eyes of U.S. President George W. Bush, something that is of excessive importance, unfortunately, for the prime minister. A new government in Israel, whose establishment would underline the seriousness of its intentions to generate a real change in direction, would herald a historic turning point. Olmert would take a risk upon himself in forming it, but what does he have to lose? What is the alternative? To survive another year, to make lofty speeches, to flatter Bush, to sit idly and go down in history as a footnote between one calamity and another? Now is the time and this is the step: a peace government for Israel. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Diskin's faulty math The Shin Bet's estimate of civilian casualties was revealed to be too low. Wooing minorities The color of Barack Obama's skin has returned as an issue to the campaign.   1.   Indeed, the Moment of Truth is defined by Gideon Levy! 10:33  |  Ivar 13/01/08   2.   Olmerts vision of peace 10:38  |  Natallie Durson 13/01/08   3.   No Pal agreement to accept Israel for any concession or condition 10:45  |  Sam 13/01/08   4.   Great Job As Always 11:06  |  Berry "Mahdi Jacob" 13/01/08   5.   Israel will be speaking in Arabic if they listen to Gideon Levy 11:08  |  Ken Jurist 13/01/08   6.   magnificient advice, as always 11:13  |  Leon Rosgarten 13/01/08   7.   Olmert 11:16  |  Ralph 13/01/08   8.   Gideon Levy & PM Ollmert 11:34  |  Alan L 13/01/08   9.   no giddy its time for elections to remove 11:37  |  v hardman 13/01/08   10.   Gideon Levy`s crocodile tears 11:50  |  josef cohen 13/01/08   11.   Ha ha ha, ho ho ho, tee he he, sigh... 11:52  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 13/01/08   12.   Gimme a break, Gideon 12:23  |  Colin Wright 13/01/08   13.   Believing Levy 12:25  |  Rahel from Holon 13/01/08   14.   what was offered to these Arabs in 1947 12:35  |  Joseph E . 13/01/08   15.   Think Again: Prisoner of `the fanatacism of reason` 12:55  |  Joseph E . 13/01/08   16.   Gideon Levy, Yes, it`s all hands on board now ! 12:55  |  Dutch 13/01/08   17.   Think Again: Prisoner of `the fanatacism of reason 12:56  |  Joseph E . 13/01/08   18.   Gideon Levy`s crocodile tears 13:08  |  josef cohen 13/01/08   19.   Gideon Levy & Olmert 13:20  |  Monica Selles 13/01/08   20.   to #% Ken - That`s the Problem Israel NEEDS to speak more Arabic 13:43  |  B`Galil 13/01/08   21.   Tiem for Israeli media to stop the PEACE PROPOGANDA!!! 13:51  |  Ben Uziel 13/01/08   22.   Durson-No Israeli leader will concede on a Jewish-majority Israel 14:27  |  Sam 13/01/08   23.   Peace but not now 14:29  |  Frank 13/01/08   24.   HE WAS LOSING GRIP 14:46  |  indrajaya 13/01/08   25.   Why should we believe Levy ? 14:52  |  Arthur G 13/01/08   26.   Do not believe Levy 14:57  |  S Marshall 13/01/08   27.   B`Galil Don`t be thick git 15:26  |  josef cohen 13/01/08   28.   ISN`T LEIBERMAN A RACSIST FANATIC? 15:43  |  FADI 13/01/08   29.   believing Olmert 15:43  |  Andres 13/01/08   30.   Mr.Levy: Israel is NOT a dictatorship! 15:52  |  AliciaYasmeen 13/01/08   31.   Replacing them with Balad and Ra`am Talal? 16:14  |  Fortuna Benmayor 13/01/08   32.   21 Ben Uziel Don`t expect Haaretz` to comfort you in your shell 16:19  |  DUtch 13/01/08   33.   Time for Haaretz to oust anti-Israel "journalists" 16:21  |  Herbert Kaine 13/01/08   34.   And maybe..... 16:24  |  Esther 13/01/08   35.   And what next Mr. Levy? 16:26  |  Mark Lincoln 13/01/08   36.   Gideon Levy is an idiot 16:41  |  Frank 13/01/08   37.   Reminds me of similar article on Sharon pre-disengagement 16:45  |  Fortuna Benmayor 13/01/08   38.   Mark Lincoln, Then we would declare Israel a terrorist state 17:02  |  Dutch 13/01/08   39.   Needed a better political scheme 17:06  |  Tosefta 13/01/08   40.   PM makes war by giving arms to terrorists 17:09  |  sam 13/01/08   41.   Levys Boorish Mind 17:21  |  B 13/01/08   42.   Levy and Haaretz 17:55  |  Ralph 13/01/08   43.   14-15/17 What a load of BS from Jonathan Rosenblum 18:00  |  Dutch 13/01/08   44.   levy is an idiot 18:18  |  rusty 13/01/08   45.   Joseph E., thanks for your discussion 18:20  |  Sam 13/01/08   46.   To #43 Dutch 18:24  |  Frank 13/01/08   47.   Levy - The Lunatical Lefty`s Support for the Crook 18:29  |  Tod Zuckerman 13/01/08   48.   The only cure for spinal curvatures 18:31  |  David 13/01/08   49.   Both Hope and Prediction 18:35  |  Ron 13/01/08   50.   you speak for americans dutch? 18:35  |  rusty 13/01/08   51.   #46 Say Frank in Canada re Dutch 18:52  |  ballistic 13/01/08   52.   Oh! Please Already! 18:55  |  Danite 13/01/08   53.   #50 Say Rusty 18:56  |  ballistic 13/01/08   54.   #33 Herbert Kaine, Your wish is bloody disgraceful 18:59  |  dutch 13/01/08   55.   #48 David of NY 19:04  |  ballistic 13/01/08   56.   Right! What`s needed is "a peace government for Israel"... 19:05  |  Smadar 13/01/08   57.   palestinian land 19:22  |  rustyp 13/01/08   58.   levy and olmert protection 19:23  |  marcel 13/01/08   59.   Being a leftist means never having to apologise 19:30  |  Rami 13/01/08   60.   Sorry for Gideon 19:36  |  Ibrahim Shvonce 13/01/08   61.   Thanks mr Gideon for your farsighted article. 19:42  |  Arik 13/01/08   62.   Dutch "justifies" Qassams in post 54 20:12  |  Herbert Kaine 13/01/08   63.   #45 Sam, Re : Pushing a settlement 20:12  |  Dutch 13/01/08   64.   Peace at what cost? 20:25  |  Rodney Dezarn 13/01/08   65.   Enough already! Send Gideon Levy to Ramallah 20:34  |  Herzl 13/01/08   66.   The fantasy world of Gideon Levy! 20:41  |  Maurice 13/01/08   67.   A reasonable political development 21:09  |  Tosefta 13/01/08   68.   Hello Maurice ! 21:09  |  bill gordon 13/01/08   69.   #62 Herbert Kaine 21:11  |  Labhras 13/01/08   70.   Core issues to be discussed-So much for Step 1 of Road Map 21:45  |  Sam 13/01/08   71.   to Dutch 21:50  |  Rasputin 13/01/08   72.   #67 Tosefta, oh boy! a political roller coaster we`re not 22:20  |  Smadar 13/01/08   73.   Is Gideon a serious correspondent? 23:44  |  Jenny L 13/01/08   74.   # 69 Labhras 01:42  |  Rasputin 14/01/08   75.   israel will continue in Samaria long after olmert 01:59  |  Yodl 14/01/08   76.   WITH LEVY AS SUPPORTER WHO NEEDS ENEMIES 02:16  |  Emanuel 14/01/08   77.   Frank on Americans - 1st try 01:16 UTC 03:16  |  BBSNews 14/01/08   78.   Herbert on priciples - 1st try 01:53 UTC 03:53  |  BBSNews 14/01/08   79.   To #77 More lies 04:37  |  Frank 14/01/08   80.   #14 Offered? 04:45  |  Denise 14/01/08   81.   Not a Democracy 04:54  |  Denise 14/01/08   82.   General N.Durson: Why don`t you participate in US elections? 05:16  |  Vittorio 14/01/08   83.   Dream on Tosefta 05:55  |  Mark Lincoln 14/01/08   84.   #35 Not according to Levy`s sums, Mark Lincoln 06:02  |  Johnboy 14/01/08   85.   Libel 06:53  |  Howard 14/01/08   86.   At best,one man his name is Abbas changed 07:23  |  Akram Zekaria 14/01/08   87.   Extremist G.Levy proposes to form a coalition of Radicals 07:30  |  Joseph E . 14/01/08   88.   Frank on lies - 1st try 09:25 HT 09:25  |  BBSNews 14/01/08   89.   My advice for Mr. Olmert 09:29  |  Dutch 14/01/08   90.   #27 Josef Cohen - You are living in the 50`s 09:30  |  B`Galil 14/01/08   91.   To #88 Cheap propaganda 14:33  |  Frank 14/01/08   92.   Frank on propaganda - 1st try 19:52 HT 19:52  |  BBSNews 14/01/08   93.   BBSNews, a word 05:44  |  Dutch 15/01/08

Today Online Sources: Barak and settlers reach deal on outpost evacuations Responses: 261 Haaretz probe: Shin Bet count of civilian deaths in Gaza is low Responses: 180 PM says he opposes IDF Gaza onslaught for time being Responses: 135 Zvi Bar'el: The Arabs should stop whining Responses: 131 AJ Congress slams 'Ms'. for rejecting ad on top Israeli women Responses: 60 More Headlines 02:46 Construction begins on new housing units in E. J'lem neighborhood 04:54 Kurtzer: Little chance for Middle East peace by end of Bush term 03:46 Anglo doctors offered $60,000 each to immigrate to Israel 06:53 Historian: I'll reveal attacks on Jews by Poles if tried for slander 20:26 Israel foils bid to take explosive material into Gaza on aid truck 04:36 Ottoman sea wall discovery proves barrier to Jaffa rejuvenation 02:54 Burglars lock elderly couple in freezing basement 02:07 Police chief looks to establish training division by 2010 22:33 Barak meets with bereaved families, makes no promises on Winograd 00:22 University heads: Deal with lecturers in 2 days or semester cancelled Previous Editions Select Day 14 jan 13 jan 11 jan 10 jan 09 jan 08 jan 07 jan 06 jan 04 jan 03 jan 02 jan 01 jan

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