Last night, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stated he intended to resign immediately after the Kadima primaries being held on September 17th. So what does this mean?
As I stated in an earlier piece, I was eagerly awaiting what was going to transpire politically in Israel. The day following Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s return from the United States, PM Olmert resigns which seems to imply that the Israelis will wait at least a few months before they strike Iran.
Now the question remains who will the Kadima party vote for in September?
Right now, I’ll be watching the race between former General and Chief of the General Staff of the IDF, Shaul Mofaz and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. This primary will be interesting to watch because of the very different stances that Mofaz and Livni hold.
Mofaz has stated in recent weeks the need to attack Iran, despite the fact that he was actually born in Tehran, Iran. His family immigrated to Israel in 1957 when he was just 9 years old. He is likely to pledge no return of the Golan Heights to Syria, no division of Jerusalem ever, and no territorial compromise with the Palestinians until they defeat terrorism.
Livni is quite different, being one of Sharon’s strongest allies when Israel disengaged from the Gaza Strip. She advocates the need for a two-state solution, and its her determination to seek a peace deal with the Palestinians that distinctly differentiates her from Mofaz.
It will be interesting to watch for the next month, but for now it appears Israel will be at peace for the rest of its Shabbatical year which ends on Rosh HaShannah.
Until next time…
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