Getting rid of Olmert and his government
1. The demonstration which I attended on Thursday night was important precisely because it had mostly secular and left wing attendees and the keynote was struck by Meir Shalev.
2. We have all attended enough right wing demonstrations to know that they do not carry the public and the media, even though they make us feel more comfortable. On the other hand, the media was all out in favor of this demonstration and maximized its effect (whatever that may turn out to be).
3. If any minister resigns, the government carries on, but if the Prime Minister resigns the government falls. That means new elections unless a new government can win a vote of confidence in the Knesset. It is the best chance of replacing the government.
4. Olmert will not willingly resign unless his health forces him to occupy the bed next to Sharon. However, if his cohorts believe that their political careers are in great danger of going down with his, enough of them will abandon him to force him out.
5. From the day he became PM all of Olmert's actions and words have been only to keep himself in office. He had no time or interest left for anything to benefit the state or its people. For only one example, nothing has been done to stop kassam rockets on Sderot or to protect its buildings and population. If he did nothing about THIS, then what did he do?
6. Olmert's most essential advisers are his PR people. They rely completely on Orwellian double-speak. They believe that you can fool all the people all the time. On a professional level there must be sneaking admiration for the Chutzpa it took to coin the phrase, This government made the mistakes so this government will correct them.
7. We should not make the mistake of putting any reliance on Olmert's Betar background. We have learned over the years that many Betarim turned into the worst enemies of the movement.
8. We may not be able to elect the exact leaders we would prefer, but we must get rid of this bunch before they drag us all down to destruction.
Yitzhak Heimowitz
3 comments:
While I can't disagree with the thrust of what Yitz
has written, nevertheless, some questions need to be
asked - and answered:
1. The demonstration which I attended on Thursday
night was important precisely because it had mostly
secular and left wing attendees and the keynote was
struck by Meir Shalev.
True. But how do we assure that the next time, given
the fact that Beilin and others were proud of the
combined right/left front, that someone like Eyal
Megged, for example, will speak? That would be a test
case.
2. We have all attended enough right wing
demonstrations to know that they do not carry the
public and the media, even though they make us feel
more comfortable. On the other hand, the media was
all out in favor of this demonstration and maximized
its effect (whatever that may turn out to be).
Except that the media also highlighted the fact that
if the only alternative is Bibi, then is it worth all
the effort to rally and this, in order to (a) scare
the middle people, i.e., those with little opinion;
and (b) promote Barak/Peres?
3. If any minister resigns, the government carries
on, but if the Prime Minister resigns the government
falls. That means new elections unless a new
government can win a vote of confidence in the
Knesset. It is the best chance of replacing the
government.
Well, after Tzipi's complete capitulation and today's
victories over the non-confidence mothions, is the
only way to dislodge Labor? And if so, what can the
right-wing do, if anything? And if not, does Barak
slip back in?
4. Olmert will not willingly resign unless his health
forces him to occupy the bed next to Sharon. However,
if his cohorts believe that their political careers
are in great danger of going down with his, enough of
them will abandon him to force him out.
I will repeat an idea I floated before: we/someone
collect enough money for a big ad which will read:
"Olmert is suspected of embezzlement.
He is suspected of X
of Y
of Z.
He is a failure as Prime Minister.
His mistakes have cost lives.
His mistakes will cost lives.
We need an honest citizen, a patriotic citizen, one
who can come forth with the evidence needed for a
charge sheet, that will lead to an indictment, that
will lead to a successful trial.
Where are you Mr. or Mrs. Citizen?
We promise we will support you and work for your
immunity from prosecution.
Come forth and save the country!"
How's that for an idea?
5. From the day he became PM all of Olmert's actions
and words have been only to keep himself in office.
He had no time or interest left for anything to
benefit the state or its people. For only one
example, nothing has been done to stop kassam rockets
on Sderot or to protect its buildings and population.
If he did nothing about THIS, then what did he do?
So, if anyone has a concrete better idea, we need it
in a hurry.
6. Olmert's most essential advisers are his PR
people. They rely completely on Orwellian
double-speak. They believe that you can fool all the
people all the time. On a professional level there
must be sneaking admiration for the Chutzpa it took to
coin the phrase, This government made the mistakes so
this government will correct them.
No problem there.
7. We should not make the mistake of putting any
reliance on Olmert's Betar background. We have
learned over the years that many Betarim turned into
the worst enemies of the movement.
Let's say the worst enemies of the idea of Tziyonut
Rommema. If the movement has followed other misguided
people, it'll do so again.
8. We may not be able to elect the exact leaders we
would prefer, but we must get rid of this bunch before
they drag us all down to destruction.
Amen.
good points
I wanted to Yitz to have this forum, because it's important for his side to be heard.
It's a very complicated situation.
The true opposition from the Right is not functioning.
There is an oligarchy which runs things in this country. It is supported politically, diplomatically and economically from outside the country. Already 20% of the major companies in the Israeli economy are owned by foreign individuals or corporations. The oligarchy includes the economic power, the judiciary, the elite in the military and of course the media. The hareidim did something great a few years ago. They held a gigantic demonstration against the Supreme Court, whose anti-Torah legislation from the bench was awesome but pretty much ignored until the fall of Gush Katif. Then the second shoe dropped for the national religious public. The late NRP MK, religious kibbutznik and dove Moshe Unna, wrote in his memoirs about how Ben-Gurion constantly and with great success played off faction against faction in maintaining power. But no two factions were so reliable at letting their buttons be pressed than the religious zionist and hareidi parties, at that time Mizrachi and Aguda, now NU/NRP, Yahadut Hatorah and also Shas. Eventually the religious public will be the majority, but if their representatives continue their fractious behavior the minority secular faction with the Arabs and one religious party will still rule. Forget licking the sandals of those who hate us. The courts and media should be the target of all Torah-faithful Jews. Media go home! Judges and prosecutors go home. Restore our judges of old, the rule of Torah law!
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