The fire sale giveaway of Israel's strategic assets
If any of you thought that the clear and present danger that the Olmert-Barak-Livni-Yishai government poses to the State of Israel will suddenly dissipate on Wednesday if the law to disband the Knesset passes a first reading, Caroline Glick reminds us that it won't.Until Olmert was elected prime minister in 2006, Defense Minister Ehud Barak enjoyed the distinction of being the worst prime minister in Israeli history. And Barak's behavior in his waning days in power is instructive for understanding what we can expect from Olmert and Livni and Barak today.Yes folks, even if the government is turned out on Wednesday, the
In July 2000, after he lost a no-confidence vote in the Knesset, Barak went to Camp David and shot for the moon, offering PLO chieftain Yasser Arafat a state in all of Gaza, 90 percent of Judea and Samaria and parts of Jerusalem. Arafat rejected his offer and went to war. Facing the rejection of the Israeli electorate at the polls, rather than curtail his capitulation efforts, Barak redoubled them. As Arafat's soldiers were busy blowing up buses and lynching Israeli soldiers, Barak offered Arafat still more land in Judea and Samaria and the Temple Mount.
And today, with Barak at his side, Olmert - who similarly has been rejected by the electorate - is repeating Barak's move fourfold. And he can be expected to continue on this course until elections are held and he is sent packing.
Next week the Knesset is expected to vote on a motion to disband and move to general elections. It is far from clear that the vote will pass. Barak and his Labor Party may well decide that capitulation suits them just fine and remain on board Olmert and Livni's sinking ship.
As the Israeli public stares at the wreckage and danger that has marked this disastrous week, hopefully it understands that this is what happens when we elect bad leaders. All of this was eminently predictable in 2006 when Kadima and Labor both ran for office on capitulationist platforms. Choices have consequences. And we will be suffering with the consequences of the 2006 elections until its winners are finally thrown from office.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:53 AM
1 Comments:
That's true since Israel's political system has no means of enforcing accountability. So even a lame duck Prime Minister can do a lot of damage since a caretaker government has all the full powers of one that enjoys the confidence of the Knesset. Since the two Ehuds know they won't be re-elected, they have no incentive to refrain from giving away Israel's assets until the election. Just the opposite.
Post a Comment
<< Home