The Washington Post reports that Israel’s Olmert Clears Way for Party Primaries.
Under an ethics cloud and facing the possible collapse of his governing coalition, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday cleared the way for his party to hold early primaries that could end his political career.The move may temporarily ease dissension within his coalition. But it also could mean that Olmert’s Kadima party will choose a successor later this summer, which would effectively end his premiership.
However the Jerusalem Post reports that the maneuver may not delay elections as Olmert and Kadima hoped:
Olmert’s associates said that one of the goals of his decision was to try to prevent the passage of Likud MK Silvan Shalom’s bill that would disperse the Knesset and set a November 11 election date. But that goal appeared to have backfired, as both Labor and Shas officials said they would still vote for Shalom’s bill unless a date was set for the primary.
Hanegbi said there was no chance of a date being set by the time the bill was expected to be brought to a preliminary vote, on June 28. He said that due to the challenges of changing Kadima’s charter, it was also unlikely a primary date would be set before the cross-examination of American Jewish financier Morris Talansky, the main witness in the investigation that is undermining support for Olmert, on July 17.
Apparently Netanyahu saw this coming (via memeorandum)
Benjamin Netanyahu may hire former White House adviser Karl Rove.
Citing sources close to Netanyahu, Israel’s Channel 10 reported Thursday that Rove’s name has come up on a roster of strategic consultants that the Israeli opposition leader is thinking of hiring as he prepares for a possible leadership challenge against the embattled Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Well it wouldn’t exactly be a leadership challenge. It would be a general election. This suggests that in this case anyway, Shalom was doing Netanyahu’s bidding.
However the Washington Post also reports:
Israel’s political crisis comes as the government faces tough choices over how to handle daily rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, as well as apparently fruitless U.S.-backed negotiations with the Palestinian Authority over a possible peace deal.
On Wednesday, Israel’s security cabinet, a select group of ministers, announced it would continue to work with Egypt toward a cease-fire with Hamas but would also instruct the military to prepare for major operations if the talks break down.
“We are giving the Egyptian initiative every chance to succeed,” Regev said.
Israel carries out frequent air and ground strikes and small-scale incursions into the small coastal territory to try to contain the rocket and mortar fire that has killed four Israeli civilians so far this year. Many here say they believe that a broad military offensive is inevitable; Mr. Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak threatened last week that one was close.
But for now, the preference is for the Egyptians to try to broker a cease-fire that fulfills Israeli conditions. Those include a cessation of all attacks from Gaza, an end to arms smuggling into the territory and some progress toward the release of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli corporal who was captured and taken to Gaza in June 2006.
Hamas has demanded an end to Israeli military operations in Gaza and an easing of the year-long economic blockade of the territory as part of any cease-fire deal. Israeli officials say that some sanctions could be lifted once there is calm.
Haaretz provides some more details:
To date, the Islamic group has agreed to a cease-fire with Israel but has refused to include in the deal the return of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
Israeli sources said Monday it was possible that Hamas’ decision to hand Israel a letter apparently written by Shalit was an expression of “goodwill,” in an effort to show that the group was willing to take some steps toward a truce deal.
In recent weeks Israel has demanded that any agreement for calm in the Gaza Strip, and the lifting of its blockade on the Strip, would also include progress on the question of Shalit, who has been held in Gaza since his abduction in June 2006.
Hamas has also rejected Israel’s demand it cease smuggling weapons into Gaza. Egypt has pledged to fight the arms smuggling, but Olmert and Livni have expressed their disapproval of reaching an agreement that would leave Hamas free to continue amassing a weapons stockpile.
Hamas is in a fine position to make demands on Israel as Elder of Ziyon found:
Sources in the Hamas movement say that the movement expects Israel to make a number of assassinations of prominent leaders of the movement at the last minute that precedes approval of the “calming” proposal from Egypt.
The Al-Hayat of London newspaper quoted sources as revealing that “a number of Hamas leaders finally vanished from sight for fear that Israel carried out its threats of military action in the sector before accepting the calm”, in a reference to the statements of Minister Ehud Barak, the Israeli army, which threatened to implement a military operation in the sector before the truce.
It would appear that the Israeli government is working harder to stay in power than it is in trying to remove the threat to the country’s south.
Crossposted on Soccer Dad.
