Olmert and Sharon: Is he up to the task?
Photo: AFP
No honeymoon for Olmert
Acting PM had better act quickly to prove himself to the public
Polls following Prime Minister Sharon's stroke last week suggest continued support for the Kadima Party, even with Ehud Olmert as party chairman. This is good news for the party and for Olmert, but there are still three months to go until Election Day. Many voters are likely to change their minds in that time.
Who will replace Sharon?
Attila Somfalvi
Everyone will try to seize opportunity created by Sharon’s departure
Olmert was certainly impressive as Sharon's junior partner and as a minister in both Sharon governments. Not only did he cross political lines by moving from the right-wing to the center; he also did so openly and whole-heartedly, a sign of great political courage.
His success in expanding Israel's trade relations with other countries is testimony to the degree to which he has been accepted by the international community.
No credit, not much time
But Olmert lacks the credit that voters, opponents and supporters alike, gave to Sharon as a leader who could get things done, both on the battlefield and the political arena.
More than that, Sharon won the public's confidence over a period of many years. If Olmert wants to preserve the hope for change that drove many people to rally round the Kadima flag, he must gain their confidence and prove that he, too, is a leader who can accomplish big things.
His problem is that there is not much time to accomplish this. But there will surely be chances for Olmert to prove himself in the short time left until the elections.
In the realm of security, he can try to complete large sections of the security fence. And if attacks on Israel continue from Gaza and the West Bank, he can strike back with a strong hand
Politically, he can reject claims that Israel is somehow responsible for chaos in the Palestinian Authority by stepping back and not getting involved with anything related to Hamas' participation in Palestinian Legislative Council elections, scheduled for January 25.
In doing so, he will demonstrate both political wisdom and courage, and will create a future opportunity to demonstrate his determination when it comes time to refuse negotiations with the Palestinian Authority unless and until Hamas issues an absolute recognition of Israel's right to exist and disarms its military wing.
Pushing Sharon's policies
The coming months will give Olmert the chance to advance several of Sharon's policy initiatives. For instance, Kadima supporters expect him to use all his authority to act against Hebron settlers, who will do all they can to prevent being removed from the city's marketplace, and against others who will try to establish new illegal settlements and try to prevent IDF soldiers from doing their work or continue cutting down Palestinian olive trees.
If he balks, Olmert will have missed the opportunity to prove that he is capable of challenging the Right and pulling down settlements in the future, as Sharon planned to do.
Kadima supporters, mostly non-religious, also want to see how Olmert continues with Sharon's plans to integrate ultra-Orthodox boys into the IDF and national service, as recommended by the Tal Commission.
If Olmert manages to push this issue further and manages to also make real headway towards dealing with the phenomenon of youth (and overall) crime, there is no question that confidence in him as a capable leader will grow, and a large public will continue to support Kadima.
