Olmert\’s attention to the fine print and his less-than-mythic status in Israel have become subjects of parody at home.
But it\’s just those qualities that have made him a favorite among Jewish officials and politicians in Washington.
There may be no greater test of the United Nations\’ vaunted neutrality than to be a Palestinian staffer of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip or West Bank.
As Washington and the West weigh a cutoff of aid to a Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) could become a crucial lifeline to millions of Palestinian refugees who depend on it for vital services. However, the recent Palestinian parliamentary elections have revived a long-standing Israeli concern: that some of UNRWA\’s staff are members of Hamas or at least sympathize with the terrorist group\’s anti-Israel cause.
Had Ariel Sharon been able to continue as Israeli prime minister, his main strategic goal would have been establishing a new long-term border between Israel and the West Bank. That remains the primary aim of his Kadima Party, but last week\’s violent clashes between settlers and police at the tiny West Bank outpost of Amona show just how difficult achieving it might be.
You have to judge politicians, especially those running for prime minister, without sentiment. And if they\’ve changed direction, you have to give more weight to what they\’ve done lately than what they did before. Unless the candidate is a truly malevolent character, you have to judge him or her on two things: leadership ability and political direction. And on that basis, I think Olmert is better suited to be prime minister than anybody else around.
According to last week\’s Shin Bet report, arms smuggling into Gaza has skyrocketed sixfold since Israel left during the summer. In the West Bank, terrorists have already test fired a rocket in a bid to emulate the tactics of their Gazan comrades.
With Palestinian terror groups generally committed to a lull in the fighting with Israel and Arab countries debating normalizing ties with the Jewish state, some in Israel see signs that the 57-year-old Arab-Israeli conflict finally may be winding down.
Sharon made two key decisions. Israel will do whatever it can from a distance to help Mahmoud Abbas, who seems to be emerging as the dominant figure in the new Palestinian leadership, to establish his position, but at the same time it will prepare for chaos if the broad coalition Abbas is forming falls apart.
As Israeli troops moved deeper into northern Gaza to put a stop to Palestinian rocket fire on the small Negev town of Sderot, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was confident that the huge military operation would radically change the situation on the ground.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.