Between the terror attacks (even in Kenya now!), the murders of children, the destroyed houses, humiliations and brutality from all sides, a good news is coming from Israel. The Israeli political process is, I hope, creating a pacifist, which could perhaps one day become Prime Minister of Israel.
There are in Israel (like everywhere) two principal political movements. In a very simplistic way: Likoud (on the right) and the Labour (on the left). Ariel Sharon (current right-wing Prime Minister) was the head of a government of coalition gathering the two main parties. Often difficult, the coalition collapsed recently with the departure of Benjamin Ben-Eliezer (the chief of the Labour Party). The Prime Minister tried to create a new coalition, but failed, and thus producing new elections.
New elections and political repositioning.
The end of the coalition involves new elections and each camp selects a new leader. On the right, the fight is between a hawk and a hawk (not very interesting). For the record, Sharon was re-elected. But on the Labour Party there are two candidates.
- Benjamin Ben-Eliezer (hawk, favourable to the coalition with the Likoud and wanting to wait the end of the terror attacks before negotiating)
- Amram Mitzna (dove, against any coalition with the Likoud and wants to immediately begin negotiations with the Palestinians)
Mitzna, an outsider for many years, became leader of the Labour party. For the first time in a long time, the leader of one of the main Israeli political parties is ready to considerable concessions with the Palestinians. For example, he supports the return in Israel, forced if necessary, of the Jewish settlers. Even the pacifist, Yitzhak Rabin (assassinated in 1995) was not open to such a compromise.
A victory of the pacifists?
After 2 years of coalition, which saw the Labour Party having the same positions of the Likoud, the Israelis do not have great trust in the Labour. The Labour Party became so weak that all agree on one point: it will not win the next election. The January 28, 2003 elections will see the re-election of Ariel Sharon. Perhaps even with a majority for his party, which is very rare in Israel!
But is this announced failure the failure of the Israeli pacifist movement? One simple answer: no! This announced failure is initially the rejection from the Labour sympathisers of the strategy of their party to blindly follow Ariel Sharon. Instead of being the alternative to the government, the Labour was its good conscience. Instead of influencing the government, they subordinated without questioning.
Amram Mitzna has a huge task in front of him: to rebuild the Labour Party. The success of this task will not be seen at the time of the January elections, but at the time of the next elections. Because with its policy, it is unavoidable, for the good of Israel, that the Sharon government collapses. Better the failure of a government than the failure of a country.
Updates:
1. Sharon and the Likoud did win the elections (but no majority).
2. Amram Mitzna resigned as leader of the Labour Party in may 2003. 
Entries (RSS)