Livni tries to hold on to her office despite attempting a coup.
Political deaths are always slow things to witness. Only rarely, as in the case of Thatcher, are they carried out swiftly and in the open.
Olmert is facing such a political death, indeed, his head has been on the block since Israel's defeat at the hands of Hizbullah last summer in a war of choice. It was Olmert's decision to wage the war, a war whose aims seemed to continually change, and his tactics grew more cruel and mindless the longer the conflict raged. And, as the war drew to a close, his decision to bombard Lebanon's civilian areas with cluster bombs appeared to many of us to be a war crime.
A recent report into the war has left Olmert on the ropes with few of us thinking that he can survive.
However, even in extraordinary circumstances, Tzipi Livni's decision to publicly call for the Premier's resignation whilst proposing that she remains in office is simply unheard of. It's like Condaleezza Rice calling for the resignation of Bush and yet failing to stand down herself whilst she makes the call. Or Jack Straw demanding that Blair must go whilst thinking that he, himself, could make such a call and retain his office.
And yet there are people surrounding Olmert who are asking that he retain Livni despite her public betrayal.
Public Security Minister Avi Dichter on Thursday counseled Prime Minister Ehud Olmert against firing Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni after she publicly called on him to resign over the damning report into the handling of the Second Lebanon War.I rather think Dichter is missing the point. Heartfelt statements regarding policy are one thing, calling for the resignation of the Prime Minister is quite another. Indeed, Livni has only called for Olmert's resignation because she perceived him to be sufficiently weakened politically for her to be able to do so. If Olmert now allows her to remain in his cabinet - and he might - then he will only be underlining the point that he is weakened beyond repair and that his position is simply untenable.
Dichter said Livni had expressed her views with integrity and courage, and added that he was pleased Olmert had not heeded calls to fire her.
"Woe betide us," he told Israel Radio, "if heartfelt statements are twisted into a sharp-edged sword against those who make them."
People who attempt coups are fired, for if they are not then the coup succeeds. And let's face it, Livni not only called for Olmert to resign but she offered herself as a possible replacement for his position.
"Kadima needs to choose its leadership in a democratic manner, in primaries, and when the time comes I plan to submit my candidacy," Livni said. "Now is the time to restore the public's trust in the government."Readers here will know that I have been thinking that Olmert is bound to fall since late last summer, indeed, his continuing to hold his post simply staggers me.
However, Livni's call strikes me as simply outrageous, especially as she did not resign in order to make the call. It would appear that Livni wants to have her cake and eat it.
Olmert yesterday won the support of the rest of the members of the Kadima Party, which I would have thought must render Livni's position untenable.
Don't get me wrong, I actually agree with what Livni said, I think Olmert has to go. However, Livni has placed him in an unforgivable position. By allowing her to remain in office he will signal to the rest of the country his awful impotence. He really has no choice. He has to fire her.
There are many within Olmert's camp who suspect that the coalition chairman, Yitzhaki, co-ordinated this assassination attempt with Livni, but at least Yitzhaki resigned on a point of principle before he made the call.
Livni has made the call and appears to think there will be no punishment. From Olmert's point of view that simply can't be allowed.
Olmert is already weakened beyond belief, if he allows Livni to stay at her post then he's toast.
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