The article at left, appearing in the Thursday, January 18, 2007 edition of USA Today highlights some of the internal problems Israel is facing in the wake of this summer's military failure and the very recent resignation of the country's military chief, Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, already weakened by accusations of foul play in the privatization of Bank Leumi, Israel's second largest bank, in 2005 as the country's finance minister, as well as calls from numerous colleagues to step down, regretted Halutz's resignation.Hamas leaders have picked up on the stress within the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) since this summer's conflct with Lebanon and see this "Zionist weakness" as a possible opportunity to gain American support, as well as an opportunity "to continue resistance and jihad," or in other words, the string of violence and contention that has defined the Palestinian/Israeli relationship through the generations.
The commission looking into this summer's conflict is expected to release a preliminary report within the coming weeks, but Halutz seemed to have no interest in sticking around to see the findings, and handed in his resignation earlier this week, pushing the pressure further onto the shoulders of Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz. According to Alex Fishman of the Yedioth Ahronoth daily, no Israeli chief of staff has ever stepped down of his own free will because of a military failure. Noting the stubborn disposition Israelis have come to be known for, this may very well be the case in the current situation, with approval of Olmert and his administration currently dropping among his colleagues.
4 comments:
You used the term "stubborn disposition"- just wondering what you meant by that? Doesn't any country need to be stubborn sometimes to stand by what they feel is right and get something difficult accomplished?
I meant that, typically, Israeli people are characterized as stubborn and strong willed. No Israeli Chief of Staff has resigned because of military defeat, and this tipified personal characteristic most Israelis claim themselves to posess could be a factor in that. It adds to the notion that Olmert, too, will probably not step down because of what happened this summer.
And do you think that Olmert should step down? Just curious on your personal opinion?
Probably not, but I think this probably more for the sake of national solidarity than anything else, especially since I haven't heard anything about possible successors. It is important for neighboring countries to see that Israel has strength and solidarity in leadership, and at this point they already see the lack of strength, and have commented on how they will use it to their advantage. The last thing the country needs is a shift from one weak administration to another. What are your opinions on this?
Post a Comment