In the first five lines of the holiday interview Ehud Olmert granted Haaretz and five other media agencies, the word "I" appears five times. "I want to make this clear," "I will run for election," "I will lead," "I will compete," "I will win." Whereas Churchill and Ben-Gurion, in their historic speeches in times of crisis, when their leadership abilities were being put to the ultimate test, never used the word "I," Olmert has adopted the motto of Louis XIV: "L'Etat, c'est moi" - I am the state.
A non-scientific word count of these holiday interviews yielded some 200 "I"s: I promise, I will do, I am doing, I hope, I know. And also: I regret, I respect, I don't care, I'm not sure, I am sure. And last but not least, "I may think many things about myself, but I don't think I'm a cherry" - an indirect stab at Ehud Barak, who uses the phrase "cherry blossom season" to describe the chances for his own prime ministerial comeback.
This "I" wraps itself around Olmert like a creeping vine. It crops up in every interview, on every subject. In the era of TV quiz contests like "1 vs. 100," we could play the "what-was-the-question" game. When Olmert says, "I don't keep count," or "I'm not dealing with that at the moment," or "I'm sorry and angry," or "I'm more experienced than I was," or "I think we're making important strides," or "I won't go into the details, but I recognize my responsibility," or "I don't expect to be coddled, but I'm also a human being," or "I like Roni, I respect the Supreme Court, I think Daniel Friedmann is being wronged" - what was the question?
Olmert's "I" was not born on Passover eve. In his famous speech at the Kadima convention on March 15, 2007, he produced the unforgettable gem about being an "unpopular prime minister."
"The newspapers are always reminding the public that I am an unpopular prime minister. Our friends in the opposition, headed by Mr. Netanyahu, never miss an opportunity to shout it from the rooftops. Even in our own party, there are people who spend their days discussing my popularity.
"I think they're right. I am an unpopular prime minister. Of course, I know how to get popular - I'm an old fox: Spread the money around. The question is what you prefer - a popular prime minister or a prime minister who gets the job done. Because the State of Israel is my workplace.
"This is the job I was elected to do for the next four years, and I have no intention of betraying the voters' trust. I work for you, and make no mistake: I plan to keep working for you for a long time. As long as there is a child in Sderot who can't sleep at night for fear of Qassams, this is my workplace. As long as our kidnapped soldiers have not been brought home, this is my workplace. What do you prefer? A prime minister obsessed with being popular, or a prime minister who does the job?"
A year and one month after that speech, Olmert and his "I" envision themselves running for re-election, winning, and sitting tight for eight whole years.
Maariv's summary of the Olmert interview: Life is beautiful; Iran is not going to be a nuclear power; Abu Mazen is our partner; the government is wonderful; the IDF top brass are brilliant; and hey, leave Bibi and Sara alone already. Olmert is calm and relaxed, and still gets a kick out of life sometimes. He's the prime minister and Winograd is the retiree.
"Yes, I made mistakes, and some of them are a great source of heartache, but quitting is not taking responsibility. Fixing is taking responsibility, and that's what I am doing. Fixing."
"Now is the time to do, not to talk," Olmert tells Yedioth Ahronoth, as he proceeds to talk: "I will head Kadima and we're going to win. Let that be clear. Those who know me know I never run away from a fight." Asked if he still believes Israel is a fun place to live, he replies: "I [who else?] think it's a safer place. The citizens of this country don't always know why, but I do."
"A resurrected prime minister," Haaretz dubbed him, and rightly so.
These six holiday interviews caught Israel at a bad time. Children in Sderot still lie awake at night. Hamas is still alive and kicking. Israeli tourists are still being told not to attract attention while abroad, and are being warned to stay away from Sinai. The country is still paying the price for the mistake of going to war in Lebanon, which exposed Israel's soft underbelly - the home front - prompting its enemies to stock up on long-range missiles that can hit the heart of the country. Israel is still being threatened by Iran.
Olmert's election interviews - half ego trip, half opium for the masses - were premature.
