Posted on 10/04/2006 9:48:29 AM PDT by Alouette
Elder statesman can bring peace and stability, avoid war
It isn't easy to come here and propose that an 83-year-old man should be elected to the post of prime minister, but that's exactly what I intend to do: Shimon Peres for prime minister.
Considering the current state of the country – the terrible disappointment over the leading Olmert-Peretz team and the big fear of the Netanyahu-Lieberman alternative – choosing the perennial Peres is the lesser of evils. If Kadima wishes to remain vital, its grand mission now is to replace the prime minister. Olmert won't be delivering. He may take his entire party down with him, as the polls show.
If Olmert goes, what other feasible options among the ruling party are there? Two people: Tzipi Livni and Shimon Peres. Both of them aren't ideal – she's too young for the job, he's too old. But at times of no alternative, we must choose.
And in choosing between the two of them, I would prefer Peres at this junction. He, as an interim prime minister until elections, would be able to stabilize the political system, which so much needs calm. He will bring quiet.
Peres is a man of peace, and even at his old age, if there's an opportunity for negotiations, he won't miss it. At the same time, he's wise enough to realize that war can and always should be missed. If they listened to him, we wouldn't have found ourselves entangled in the second Lebanon war.
In any case, Olmert must go home. He has nothing more to sell us. In the past two weeks he opened his heart to any newspaper and channel across the country. I read most of the interviews and asked myself: What did he actually say?
There was talk about his controversial Jerusalem apartment (ranging from the blueprints to the receipts,) about the captives (he swore not to leave Lebanon until we release them,) about the war (just and legitimate,) about Amir Peretz (a worthy partner,) and about the fact that even today he's certain, completely certain, that all his decisions were wise and proper.
He has no diplomatic vision, no insights regarding what happened, and no pangs of consciences. All he has is a wise guy's legal maneuvering, which is certainly not wise.
No credibility
Arik Sharon had Dov Weisglass for this kind of talk. Ehud Olmert is his own Weisglass. The problem is that the seat above him is vacant. Empty. There's no leadership here. There's no vision here. There's certainly no credibility here. After reading through those many interviews, not only wouldn't I be buying a used car from this man - I wouldn't even buy a valve for my bicycle from him.
We must replace Olmert with Peres and go for a grand diplomatic movie. Syria is signaling that it wants negotiations. It's hard to exaggerate the importance of such talks for us. Syria, Iran's ally on the one hand, and Hizbullah's arms supplier on the other, is a central link in what we like to refer to as the "axis of evil."
And yet, Syria declared, and not once but rather, in a series of statements, and not by low-level officials but rather, from the horse's mouth, that it's interested in peace, and that this peace can be reached quickly, possibly even within six months.
Olmert doesn’t want to hear about negotiations with Syria. He apparently realizes that a prime minister with a seven percent approval rating cannot go for such a dramatic move. Shimon Peres, with the authority of the elder statesman and with the insight that such move could be the highlight of his long diplomatic creation, can certainly face this challenge.
Kadima officials are already starting to realize there's a problem here. The coalition chairman already spoke about Olmert's lack of leadership. Now, all that's left is to carry this out. Because if they don't undertake a cleanup and replace their leader - the public will replace them.
As for Amnon Levy, who the hell is he, and how does YNet keep scraping the bottom of the barrell for these retards?
Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.
Sort of like replacing Hillary with Bill.
It just shows that they have no clue.
-Eric
No, Olmert is the Israeli Jimmy Carter.
Peres is the Israeli Alfred E. Newman
Sounds like an excellent alternative to me.
He has never won the big race. If kadima dumps Olmert and replaces him with uncle Shimon, its an almost guarantee for a Likud comeback.
Oh my word...out of the frying pan and into the fire... No way... please no...
She is completely unqualified and totally clueless, which seems to be some sort of requirement for Kadima.
Big mistake to give the Golan back.
The sources of the Jordan at Banias, the Heights,
Hermon, Hermonit, Bental, the outposts, The Vale of Tears, all places IDF men fought and died for.
I can imagine what the Syrians would do with the memorial
to the 77 Brigade. For what? The Syrians don't want peace,
they want all Israelis dead.
Bibi Bibi Bibi Bibi Bibi. What are they smoking over there? They learn no lessons from anything that they are doing.
I propose instead to replace Peres with Sharon.
Both are brain dead but at least Sharon is quiet and can do no harm.
Is this anything like a French general complaining that he needs tanks with more reverse gears because he can't retreat fast enough?
It looks as if Israel is now kind of like New York City. They keep electing worse and worse mayors until things can't get any worse, and then every 20 years or so they elect a good mayor who straightens things out.
How much worse can things get in Israel before they come to their senses? Frankly, I don't know. I thought they had seen the light when they threw Barak out, but then Sharon betrayed his own legacy, and now it seems as if the cycle is heading downward again.
The problem is, NYC just goes bankrupt or has a recession. Israel risks destruction.
Peres is a man of peace, and even at his old age, if there's an opportunity for negotiations, he won't miss it. At the same time, he's wise enough to realize that war can and always should be missed.
Omert, the Black Shirt liberal, got exactly what he wanted out of the war, an international force on the border with Israel. Omert wanted that before the war but was shouted down in the Kenesset. What he can not get by hook, he can get by crook, (and blood).
Omert is a typical liberal, laws are for the unenlightened, because the ends justify the means.
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