As the new Netanyahu government moves in, Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert is moving on.
As such, he deserves a requiem of sorts.
What sort of music would go well with the exit of the most corrupt and weak leader in Israel's history?
Verdi's Otello? The Simpson's theme? Black Sabbath's first album? Maybe a Hebrew version of 'Jailhouse Rock' ?
Olmert, you see, is that rare bird who crapped in his own nest.
He's not renowned for building anything or achieving anything.
No, his fame comes from sleazy dealings that would embarrass a Chicago alderman, from kicking Jews out of their homes and beating and imprisoning teenagers, and from being the first Israeli PM to lose one war and essentially draw in a second.
Unlike most of Israel's leaders, Olmert had no military background. Instead, he was just anothe rcrooked lawyer who saw plitics as a way to enhance his lifestyle.
Olmert's tenure in office relied on lying and deceiving his countrymen, when he wasn't hitting them up for 'expenses' and ' contributions'. And while that Chicago alderman might actually deliver something for the money, Olmert delivered nothing, because he felt like it was all due him. He specialized in personal agrandizement and ineptness.
He presided over an equally inept troika, which included Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Amir Peretz who combined with Olmert to throw the IDF into a war with Hezbollah in Lebanon without any particular plan in mind, and without the strength needed to get the job done on the ground - and finished it with a meaningless 'ceasefire' that saw accomplished nothing and saw Hezbollah fully re-armed within months.
Peretz at least had the dignity to resign from this trainwreck, but Livni stayed on to make a trip to Annapolis and sit by while the Saudi 'peace' ultimatum became legitimized in US policy. Even worse, the two of them combined once more to fumble a chance to destroy Hamas and the threat on Israel's southern border in one swoop. As it is, Olmert has left Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran for his successor to deal with.
Along with Olmert, Livni is gone now too, back to the rock she crawled out from under, but not before the two of them did enormous damage.
Olmert finished up with a real bang.Even with multiple indictments piling up, the cops interrogating him and his associates around the clock and approval ratings that suggested his support was limited to his immediate family, he didn't have the simple decency to resign earlier and let the country go to elections. Instead, he held on to the last possible moment, finally doing a pro forma 'resignation' and going through the farce of letting Tzipi Livni try and form a government when he knew it was impossible - so he could stay on a caretaker until the new PM was sworn in.
Ehud Olmert is finally gone. He was a vicious, foul scumbag of a man,the truth was not in him and he was so crooked that he needed a couple of aides to screw his pants on in the morning so he could get dressed.
Ehud Olmert has finally left the building and removed a foul stench in the process
Il ya un peu moins mal dans le monde...
Selah.
Maybe a Hebrew version of 'Jailhouse Rock'
ReplyDeleteWTH
and just how would "if you can't find a partner use a wooden chair" come out in hebrew?
myself being gentile, and having my own opinion of the goings on that ff has discussed. these are my thoughts.
i was surprised this went to elections. given the knesset doesn't care about israel, only staying in power.
i am surprised olmert is gone this soon.
i was surprised, and that, given the number of seats that kadima got
i think livni came closer to forming a gov't than ff states.
if not for the minority of whatever lieberman's party's name is.
israel beiteinu(sp) that i view as liberal, bibi, that i view as ultra liberal, would not have been able to form this gov't.
granted, there were some leaders of the parties that despised tzipi.
i'm just glad to see olmert go.
israel just seemed impotent with him in office and i got tired of hearing ff describe how far left his family is.
I believe that would be "eem atah lo limtzo ben zoog le reekodeem limtzo 'asooley kise."
ReplyDeleteI'm sure someone who's Hebrew is a bit better will correct me.' The term for 'dance partner', BTW uses the male form...since we are talking about 'Jailhouse Rock'.
I have to disagree with you about Livni. In her attempt to do this before the election, Shas distrusted her on Jerusalem ( with good reason) and the only other major party she could have gotten to join her would have been Labor...who's leader Ehud Barak has had a personal hatred for her for years.
Afterwards, Labor didn't have enough seats to help her and wouldn't do so anyway. When Peres polled the parties after the vote, the only party that would endorse her for the PM's job was her own Kadima party...many of whom she's now pissed off because she was unwilling to negotiate with Netanyahu to come into the government. so they're out in the cold.Kadima's history IMO.
I actually think Netanyahu planned it this way. He wanted Labor in, not Kadima to broaden his coalition, but this way he looks good.
This was due to go to elections one way or the other. With what Israel's facing, they need to pull together now.
There are certainly many things you could say that Ehud Olmert did not do very well. On balance he was probably the worst Prime Minister in Israeli history. At least the Israelis appear to have some better in this office now in Benjamin Netanyahu. This is in contrast to America. We are coming off the worst president in American history in George W. Bush and the current President is so far even worse!!
ReplyDeleteAs stated before there are certainly many negative things one could say about Mr. Olmert that would be correct, I don't think it is his fault that the outcomes against Hezbollah were not what we would have hoped for. To defeat an enemy as powerful, well armed, and entrenched as Hezbollah is would have required a minimum of six months of fighting and possibly longer. Neither war effort was allowed enough time to have any hope of success.
The next time Israel fights these people, and their will be a next time, the enemy will see to that, Israel needs to budget for time and resources of at least six months and probably longer. Pressure from the Amerians, Europeans, and the Russians should be ignored. Resisting American pressure is easy right now. America does not have the military capability to match up against Israel and with its massive debt it has little economic clout at this point. The EU is a large trading partner of Israel, as such resisting pressure from them will require some fortitude. As for the Russians, Israel gets about 80%of their oil from them. This could cause huge problems for Israel. Hopefully the natural gas find they have recently discovered will help here. In any event, Israel needs to be prepared for a fight that will last at least six months and probably longer next time around.
C'mon B!
ReplyDeleteW. the worst prez in history?
Worse than Buchanan or Andrew Johnson? What about Harding? I had problems with him too, but in all of history?
FF, as far as the music question, how about "Jailhouse Rock" played by a klezmer band? I can almost hear it now. Uh oh. I think it's a..... BRAINWORM!
You're welcome
Hi CA,
ReplyDeleteIf it was a klezmer band, they'd be speaking Yiddish, not Hebrew!
Not that it matters, but if you're interested in my take on the four worst presidents, it's here.
I use a slightly different criteria than others would, an dth eonly one you mentioned that would be on my list is Buchanan.
Regards,
Rob