Barak’s Exit Reveals Weakness of the Israeli Left
For those unacquainted with the complex and often exasperating world of Israeli politics, Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s recent announcement that he is leaving the Labor party and forming his own political bloc, to be called Atzmaut (“independence” in Hebrew) may not seem like a particularly big deal. In fact, it is a very big deal, and may spell the beginning of a new era in Israeli politics.
Barak’s announcement was, it must be said, more of a shock than a surprise. He has always specialized in unexpected, game-changing moves, and this is no exception. Nonetheless, the writing was on the wall. His own party has despised him for awhile now, mainly because of his insistence on remaining in the Netanyahu government. Even before Barak’s exit, several major players in the Labor hierarchy had announced they were leaving for the centrist Kadima party. While they have since changed their minds, it is clear that Labor has been coming apart at the seams for some time and a split was inevitable.
To a great extent, the entire affair is a symptom of the overall decline of the Labor party and the Israeli left in general. Labor ruled Israel for its first twenty-nine years, and commanded a large following for many decades after, but it has been moribund since the 2000 collapse of the Oslo Accords it championed. It managed a small comeback under the leadership of Amir Peretz, but after his disastrous performance as defense minister during the Second Lebanon War, its fortunes fell once again.
Barak, for all his faults, has managed to keep the party not only viable and relevant, but a major force in the current government. Competing egos and endless arguments over ideological purity made this unsustainable, however, and the results are fairly clear: leadership of the Israeli center-left has now passed to Kadima, and Labor appears to be sagging toward inevitable irrelevancy.
Leftist fantasies ran into reality. End of story.
As one who is intimately familiar with Israeli politics, I will add the following-
While the premise of the Israeli left becoming increasingly irrelevant-due to pesky facts on the ground imploding in their faces-Kadima is in no way centrist, in fact, it is far left.While it masks itself in a centrist facade, its leader, Tzipi Livni, is so far off the mainstream charts she is willing to give away Israel’s most basic assets.In fact, she is an Obama disciple.In the same manner in which Obama bashes America while abroad, so too does Kadima’s leader.She has NOTHING good to say about Israeli policies, while endearing herself to Euro elitists.
Some centrist…..
You forgot to mention Likud, hardly very right-wing these days. In common with all the other mainstream political systems & their political parties in the Western world, the Israeli political system has reached a dead-end.
Terry, so true.Tragically our system is a recipe for our own disaster as the leaders are accountable to corrupt party lists-the people be damned.
Thus, you can vote right and get left.Remember, it was Sharon, the Likud warhorse(in one incarnation set up a leftists party called Shlomshin which collapsed, and then bolted Likud to form Kadima, the bastard child of Labor,masked as centrist, more like Meretz and veering far to the left) was the first leader to ethnically cleanse an area, NOT of Arabs, but of thousands of Jews, destroying their communities, digging up their graves, and rendering them refugees in the Jewish homeland.
IF someone dropped me on my head and said that a Likud General did that I would have thought they were hallucinating.No more.It was his ‘genius’ strategy that brought Hamas to eventual power leaving them an open door, and it was Barak from Labor who ran like a thief in the night from Lebanon in 1981, leaving Lebanese Falangists in the lurch, army equipment behind, and most importantly, paved the way for the ascendancy of Hizbullah.
So, left or right it matters not a whit.A loser like Barak has more political lives than a skinned cat, Peres too. And this is just the top of the corrupt list.
If not for the general perseverance and acumen of the average Israeli, we would be long gone.Not because of our enemies, but because of our corrupt, inept and post Zionist leaders.
Let me correct your first sentence if I may, Israeli politics is a snakepit of broken promises, dog eat dog opportunism, personal and political treachery and duplicity, and an almost total lack of accountability to the Israeli voter.
There now I feel better, and I entirely agree with you that the Labor Party and the entire Israeli Left is still held responsible for the catastrophic Oslo Accords and the horrifying cost in human life those Accords caused. There are still many Israelis however who still follow the Pied Pipers of the Left, like the renegade Kadima party, many of whom are influenced by the ultra Left wing print and electronic Israeli media.
Indeed, guarding and protecting Israel from our own Leftist social, political, and cultural leaders and our Leftist media is probably more important than guarding and protecting Israel from our Arab Islamic enemies.
What I never understood about a guy like Ehud Barak is he never seems to have learned anything about the Palestinians (and their leadership) after his experience with Bill Clinton and Yasser Arafat, when they were so close to a final agreement over the Palestinian issue. Barak should have realized then that the Palestinians were not interested in peace, even though he and Clinton gave Arafat almost everything the Palestinians wanted. It was the best deal the Palestinians were ever going to get, yet they turned it down. It just proved that the Palestinians are not interested in peace, unless “peace” comes with the distruction of Israel. So it’s surprising that Barak didn’t seem to learn anything from this experience. The liberal left in Israel should know by now you can’t negotiate with people who want you dead.
Is there any policy difference between Kadima and Barak’s new party-to-be? Probably none to speak of… So why are they forming separate parties? Simply because Barak and Livni cannot stand each other on a personal level…
It really exposes the weakness of Israeli political culture. It’s as if Obama and Hilary had split to form separate parties.
It’s so much that Israeli politicians have bigger egos than their counterparts in the US or elsewhere. It’s that Israel has no equivalent to “party registration” and no regional representation. To join somebody else’s party is to place oneself at their mercy and the mercy of their list. It’s worse than just losing a head-to-head primary.
I know nothing of Israeli politics so I defer to those who left posts on it. I believe the United States, Israel and the mature Arab states have a common enemy – Imperial Islam.
I said I defer re politics in Israel as much of those politics seems to me to be questions of territorial, and access issues, with the local real estate.
My view is as follows. Israel biggest problem, from a political moxie and security point of view, is that it is too small. Given this common enemy, and given that words are meaningless and only actions that require commitment are valid, the Palestinian questions has one solution – the absorption of all Palestinians into Arab countries, all vacated land becoming part of Israel proper. Second a common invasion of Lebanon, a route of the guerrilla forces and the absorption of Lebanon into Israel. Perhaps the Sinai as well. And, I should add, any other “open” real estate Israel requires for security – open being defined as any powers friendly to and working for Islam Imperialism – aka all guerrilla, Hamas, Hezbollah, IRA (oddly enough), etc etc forces.
Lastly we need to take out Iran and put their own government back.
I do think these are requirements for Israel’s continued existence. I pray I am wrong.
There is a major flaw in your premises: there is no such thing as a ‘mature’ Arab state. Despotisms, kleptocracies, Islamic fundamentalist nightmares, yes.
good riddance Barak and wishing the same fate to Livni – chickens home to roost and all that-
thanks Adina and Ken for telling like it is
Livni is centrist in name only a leftist traitor to one’s country is a leftist by any other name
yes the comparison to Obama is right on
people dangerous to their own kind. Torah suggests a remedy for them
Isahiah62-nice moniker-the enemy within is always worse than the enemy outside.Therefore, they must be dealt with swiftly and harshly.
The Torah refers to them as Amalek, the bane of Jewish existence from time immemorial.
I would appreciate it if you would both take this garbage elsewhere.
Benjamin, who died and made you king of discourse?
One would think that a free exchange of ideas is exactly what should be taking place at this site.Free thought for thee, but not for me?
IF you are uncomfortable dealing with such trivial pursuits then perhaps you should take your commentary elsewhere.
Soft pedaling the Israeli/Jewish left is NOT in our interest, nor in the west’s.
Deal with it!
Adina: to do as the Rabbis teach and Benjamin the benefit of the doubt, I believe his objection was to references made to the Torah by you and precerssor in support.of your positions. His means of expression were objectionable in tone. Yet, the could legitmately presented if he chose or is capable. You may familiar enough with his past posts to know better his manner and motives.
I believe Israel has made a major policy error (since Dayan) of not annexing Judea and Samaria (she did so of areas of Jerusalem and it’s outskirts in 1967. The country needs to take steps to do so now, to counter the Intcomm’s increasing commitment to creating a palestinian state and making Isreael much more vulnerable (militarily, politicaal, diplomatically). The Arab world around her is imploding, and Israel must stregnthed as a key ally of the US and of reason. Jerusalem will have ‘bargaining chips” shortly and will be able to assert it’s interests more. Patience.
Calling people like Barak and Livni traitors and making veiled threats about killing them is not acceptable. Deal with it.
Speaking as an interested spectator, but as one of “those unacquainted with the complex and often exasperating world of Israeli politics”, I’m afraid that I did not find this essay very illuminating. I presume that the Israeli left follows typical utopian ideals, and represents a faction that would in some fashion submit to the demands of the PLO, conceding either territory or sovereignty in exchange for earnest promises from the Muslims, in the tradition of Hudabiya. In the USA, we now term these types “Progressive”, the only progress they achieve is in the direction of disaster, and any weakening is a very hopeful development.
Barak being a former general, it is easy to understand that he might disagree with this ultimately self-annihilating approach, but that leaves the question of why he is a leftist in the first place. Whatever happened to “never again”.
Strategically, Israel has been fighting a losing battle for the last 37 years, has conceded vast amounts of righteously conquered territory to an implacable and eternally committed enemy, and has received in return only bullets, bombs, rockets and hatred. A major shift in approach is needed, and leftward is certainly not the right direction.
My take is that Barak knows that Kadima is fragile, and this is an interim step in the ‘fracture and regroup’ of what he thinks is the center. From what I see of Israeli demographics, and political parties, I think Likud is now the center.
With the never-ending split between Fatah/PA and Hamas, and what is happening in Lebanon (and now maybe Egypt), if I lived in Israel, I would not be able to vote for anyone to the “left” of Likud.
Of course, I am not wed to any ideology except facing reality, whether it is about security, or the economy.
I just do not see Barak being able to displace Livni, although someone should.
Benjamin, NO one is talking about killing Barak & Livni, surely you jest.
Referring to Amalek in current day parlance is to demonstrate that the enemy within is a lot more dangerous than the enemy outside.They hold the reins ofpower & can cause irreparable harm.
To wit, Zionists who wish to survive, and to hold onto our patrimony, need to toss these losers aside, at least when it comes to jumping off the cliff with them.
Recall, Barak infamously intoned, if he were an Arab he too would resort to terror.What kind of a Jewish leader says such a thing? While he had many exploits while in the army, history has proven that as a politician he has been a disaster.Oslo, giving away Jewish national treasures is his modus operandi. If not for the right wing we would now be in a divided Jerusalem, sans our Golan and without our Jordan Valley.
Tzipeleh, for her part too-once a Betar princess-has put in her lot with the Euro trash, bashing us upside the head at all foreign capitals.
IF anyone has to deal with it it is you.I want them marginalized and I think you understood that too.
Not nice, not nice at all.
I think you know quite well that I do not jest, and neither did you when you used the word “Amalek.” I’m sure you are quite well aware of what the Bible commands in regard to the Amalekites. If you must shill for political assassination, kindly have the courage to own up to it. If you don’t actually know, then I advise you to be much more careful in your rhetoric from now on.
Seems you are the only one shilling here and your accusations are inappropriate and unwarranted. I have read many comments by Adina and she knows her Israeli politics. If that does not agree with your delusion or political view, too bad. I for one want to read more of Adina, Terry and Ken’s take on the puzzling politics of Israel. You obviously do not have anything of value to offer.
I have this to offer:
Thus saith the LORD of hosts: I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up out of Egypt.
Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. (1 Samuel 15:2-3)
And Saul smote the Amalekites, from Havilah as thou goest to Shur, that is in front of Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, even the young of the second birth, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; but every thing that was of no account and feeble, that they destroyed utterly. Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying: ‘It repenteth Me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following Me, and hath not performed My commandments.’ (1 Samuel 15:7-11)
Kindly reread Adina and “Isahiah62″‘s comments in light of this and tell me how I have misinterpreted them.
Claudia, thanks for getting the drift of my insights.
Apparently Benjamin has not heard of ‘poetic license’.In the same manner as an injured party utters, I will kill you, most realize that this is not what they intend to do.Nevertheless, such admonitions are necessary in order to highlight the dangers of said situation.
Again, our leftist politicians are a clear and present danger.They MUST be marginalized, thrown out of office.The more the public understands their double game, the better equipped they are to reject them.Not through direct elections akin to the US, but through making sure that the party they are attached to garners the LEAST amount of seats, and that means NOT voting for said parties!!
Benjamin understands this, I know he does, he is just being difficult.He also knows that it keeps the posts coming at his article as he roils the pot.
More’s the pity…..
If you refuse to take responsibility for your own words, there is no way I can make you do so. Perhaps next time you post you should actually mean what you say. I can only repeat that calling people traitors and threatening them with death (even “poetically”) is not welcome here.
Didn’t someone say he who takes Torah at face value is a fool? Maybe “smite” means defuse as applied in this context. I didn’t realize we took everything so literally. We gave up the slave thing many centuries ago, right?
Unfortunately, the Israeli electoral system gives little power to the voter. It consists of proportional representation by party, which means that Members of the Knesset are not answerable to the voters directly, but only to their party.
I read Adina’s post and was saddened because my first response was to want to defend Livni. I remember how impressed I was when this beautiful, intelligent, charming woman/representative of Israel first came onto the american scene.
Lately, however, I have been horrified by her public statements which I feel undermine not only the government of Israel but the survival of Israel itself. She is like those leftist American Jews who cannot believe that underneath the hateful,racist rhetoric of the Jew haters is a hateful, racist reality – which no loud singing of Kum by ya will eradicate. These people believe Jews deserve extermination because they are Jews. That is their law. All the rest is commentary.
Kadima is not Amalek. That is true. Kadima is post-Zionist water treading.
The real question, Mr. Kerstein, is whether Israel is done with Zionism, with consolidating secure borders and laying claim to vital resources and historical rights. The last is also a necessity in the endless ‘psyops’ of the conflict. An Arab world that sees Israel trying to exit Judea and Samaria (or sees a leadership that would, if it could, repeat Gush Katif on a larger scale), sees its vision of a ‘Crusader’ state being realized, sees an Israeli people that treats the Jewish homeland as a refugee center from European (and ME horrors), not as more.
Of course, the reality that is unspoken and that contradicts this is Israel’s enormous latent power. The enemy is aware of this too. Essentially, though, it sees Kadima as what it is – the party of the ‘disengagement.’ That is how it came into power, as a party of opportunists who care not at all about the patrimony.
The problem for Adina is that Kadima will not be so quickly ‘marginalized’ simply because you and many man Israelis accept its message, and will keep on doing so. In a democracy, there is little she can do about it. It is what it is.
Shalom Larry,
Well put. The real issue is that Jews of the appeasement at all costs milieu endanger ALL of us.It is not as if we are dickering over the price of a car, house or a retirement account. We are trying to save our homeland from destruction, encircled on ALL sides by Islamic throat slitters, and on the other side lie post Zionist leftists who can’t wait to appease the enemy.
Now, from where I sit it is imperative to marginalize these internal betrayers-democratically. of course.
Things are looking grim. I am choosing to view the dust-up between you and Benjamin as a sign of the stress that is descending on us all.
I will heed your admonition and dust off my intent to prayer….take care, Adina.
Shalom Larry,
Well put. The real issue is that Jews of the appeasement at all costs milieu endanger ALL of us.It is not as if we are dickering over the price of a car, house or a retirement account. We are trying to save our homeland from destruction, encircled on ALL sides by Islamic throat slitters, and on the other side lie post Zionist leftists who can’t wait to appease the enemy.
Now, from where I sit it is imperative to marginalize these internal betrayers-democratically, of course.
Say do you think israel could package that stuff and sell it to our befuddled liberals int he United States, so they could self-implode quicker? I’ll even offer to slash any remaining tariffs to such an import!