Israel Matzav

Why Tzipi Feigele would be a disaster for Israel

I've already told you that if Ehud Olmert is ousted as Prime Minister of Israel, one of the worst things that could happen would be for the country to be stuck with his deputy - Foreign Minister Tzipi Feigele Livni. In Tuesday's Jerusalem Post, Caroline Glick brings us Livni in her own words. You all must read this to understand that this 'politician' is unique, even by Israeli standards:

On the face of it, Livni is best positioned to seize the reins of leadership. If Olmert is forced out of office, as vice premier Livni is legally the next in line. And as the inevitability of Olmert's political demise has sunken in, supported by much of the local media, Livni has been priming the public to accept her as Olmert's replacement. The media constantly reminds us that unlike many of her party and coalition colleagues, Livni is not suspected of having committed any criminal felonies and so, we are led to believe, we should be relieved to have her in charge. Her 51-percent job approval rating versus Olmert's 14-percent approval rating indicates that the public has bought this line of thinking.

BUT DO we really want her to lead us? In Livni's press appearance with Rice Saturday night she was asked whether she supports moving ahead with Palestinian statehood before the Palestinians end their involvement in terrorism, in contravention of the principal guideline of the US-backed road map peace plan. Livni's response illustrated at once her unique rhetorical skills and the unmatched analytical acumen she brings to bear today as Israel's chief diplomat.

In her words, "And but yes, I do and I was not talking about jumping or skipping or bypassing some of the phases of the road map, but I do believe that talking with the Palestinians today what are the best steps that we can take and maybe to make some visions or some - what we say the political horizon more concrete if this can help, so this is something that we have to do. But there's a difference and we can distinguish talking with the Palestinians and implementing parts one before the other, and I believe that this is the difference maybe and maybe the kind of misunderstanding that was in the understanding of talking or implementing the phases in a different order."

Anyone want to take a shot at what that last paragraph means? If I had written a paragraph like that in law school, I probably would not be a lawyer today. But Caroline Glick took a shot at trying to explain it:

It is not simply that this statement is garbled to the point of incoherence. It is not simply that Livni uses phrases and watchwords like "some visions" and "political horizons" and "misunderstanding that was in the understanding" in an attempt to cover up cognitive foolishness and disconnect from reality.

There is the pretension of know-it-all snobbery running through this - and indeed every statement that Livni makes - which demonstrates that Livni is altogether convinced that her grand designs for Palestinian statehood are so grand and designer that she will never allow the reality of the total Palestinian commitment to Israel's destruction to disturb her.

Glick then goes on to cut both Livni and Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman - who also has pretenses of being Prime Minister - to shreds.

Read it all.

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posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:12 AM