Loosen That Tie, Mr Olmert: Political Disaster Narrowly Avoided
February 2nd, 2008
By JEB KOOGLER
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The Israeli press is alive with discussion of the Winograd Report, a study that assessed the conduct of Olmert’s government during the Israeli-Hezbollah war. Most analysts agree that the findings are much less harsh than had previously been expected. Via Reuters:
The Winograd Commission’s final findings issued on Wednesday described “serious failings” by political and army leaders during the war, but did not blame Olmert personally. It endorsed key and controversial decisions he made.Olmert’s political rivals had been positioning themselves for a resignation that could have triggered an early election. But the report was widely regarded by commentators as a reprieve for the man who once described himself as “indestructible.”
Most of Olmert’s supporters view the overall assessment as an “exoneration” and a boost to the Kadima government. Indeed, in light of the relatively-tame nature of the report’s findings, Olmert has made clear that he will not step down but that he will, instead, merely work to carry out the commission’s recommendations.
Following the report’s release, Olmert also suggested that he will try to re-strengthen his governing coalition. Ehud Barak, both the Israeli Defense Minister and the leader of the Labor Party, has indicated that his party might withdraw their support, a blow that would leave Olmert’s government without a parliamentary majority. Despite the threat, most analysts now believe that Olmert has dodged a bullet and that his coalition - and his leadership - will remain intact. As former Israeli negotiator Daniel Levy notes, “The Report was nowhere near as politically devastating as had been anticipated. The PM is breathing a sigh of relief, and the wind has gone out of the sails of the protest campaign of his political opponents.” In fact, in response to the report’s findings, Olmert’s popularity has actually gotten a nice boost, with 42% of respondents suggesting that they’d like him to remain as prime minister. (This is a huge jump from where he was at last April — 17% approval.)
So what does the Winograd Report mean for the peace process? The report’s findings actually appear to have strengthened the possibility of a renewed peace effort. While Olmert was politically vulnerable in the lead-up to the report’s release (and therefore unable to pursue credible initiatives with the Palestinians), he now has much more political capital to follow up on Annapolis.
This entry was posted on Saturday, February 2nd, 2008 at 12:19 pm and is filed under Hezbollah, Palestine, Israel. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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