Shimon's trauma

Over and over again he recalls, with a look of pain and disappointment clearly evident on his face, that awful day when that politician Katsav triumphed over the statesman, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, in running for the presidency. It has recently become clear that it's not only Peres who has been traumatized since Katsav's victory. But that's another story all together.

For the sake of clarification, Peres wants the lofty post of president, but he is scared to death, as noted by one of his associates. He is afraid of failure, despite the fact that the post fits him well - as many will no doubt testify - more so than any other available position in the service of the Israeli public, and more so than any other politician.

The next president? (Photo: Reuters)

His associates confirm this assumption even if Peres himself shrugs at the mention of it, brushing it off nonchalantly with his well known phrase "why do I need it." No matter how many times he says he would like to make the desert bloom and to settle the Galilee, more than anything he wants to become president. The president of the State of Israel, the president of the Israeli and Jewish people.

Yet once again the problem is political, or to be more precise, it is Ehud Olmert. Olmert had the opportunity this week to leave Israel's murky politics behind for a short time, to forget the local quagmire, but he missed the opportunity. Israeli politics chased him all the way to Moscow leaving him wallowing in the mud, zigzagging in his inability to decide between one sentence and another, one stand and another and one candidate and another.

Even before his plane landed in the Russian capital he goofed up with his statement regarding the need for a president who doesn't come from the political arena. Later on, when he found the time to watch a soccer game on TV he didn't reject the idea of Elie Wiesel becoming president, an idea proposed by a journalist.

And as if all this were not enough, several hours later, Olmert again made a sharp turn and remembered Shimon Peres and his credentials. It's rather embarrassing, to say the least.

Indecisiveness is a profession in Israeli politics, and in recent months Olmert has been making quite a career out of it. He refuses to decide and refuses to get into the thick of things when it comes to the political matters at hand.

It appears that Olmert prefers improvising rather than solving problems. This is how he is dealing with Peres, this is how he is handling the lame deal with Avigdor Lieberman and his Israel Our Home party, and this is how he is dealing with the chairman of the Knesset finance committee.

Olmert's candidate rejected the tempting offer, and it appears that a situation as been created whereby the cabinet's grueling budgetary sessions will be headed by an opposition representative.

Shimon Peres knows how Olmert's mind works, and so he isn't easily tempted to run for the presidency. Moreover, some of his associates are not too keen on the idea. So he is waiting it out. He is waiting to see what happens, to see whether he can muster a majority to back his candidacy; and he is waiting to see if Coalition Chairman Avigdor Yitzhaki will cease backing Likud party member Reuven Rivlin, Olmert's rival.

Meanwhile, the prime minister's political feebleness and his inability to lead a clear strategy has placed Peres in an embarrassing situation: Peres, the most suitable candidate for the presidency, particularly after Katsav smeared the presidential office, is waiting on the sidelines for the votes of the wheelers and dealers in the Knesset who are busy calculating their personal interests in the hallways.

Embarrassment called Kadima

Several months ago a sticker was placed on the car of a senior Kadima Knesset member. The word "Kadima" appeared on the sticker in the colors of the election campaign. This week the sticker was torn; it had been aggressively ripped off the back window of his car, perhaps by its owner or perhaps by a political rival.

Only two letters remained K and D: The rest disappeared. The person who drew the Knesset member's attention to the sticker, which several months ago symbolized hope and a new reality, received a surprising answer. "That's the state the party is in," said the embarrassed Knesset member as he shrugged his shoulders and hurriedly drove away.

It's not yet visible but Kadima is torn from within. More and more Knesset members are sounding embittered and dissatisfied voices. Olmert and his associates can brush these voices away lightly, but in Israeli politics one shouldn't ignore long drawn out frustrations.

It was interesting, therefore, that on the first day of the Knesset's winter session Kadima MKs were heard talking about the option of splitting the party ranks; they spoke of their overall discontent at party management, the faction and the prime minister's conduct. No, said the MKs, the split won’t happen now, but it is a possibility and it is being weighed in all seriousness. It is no joke.

For whom the polls smile

And there are the more senior members, embittered and frustrated ministers who are just waiting to see where the wind will blow and for whom the polls smile. Although the names of Meir Sheetrit and Shaul Mofaz are being mentioned as serious candidates for the Kadima leadership, it is doubtful whether either of them will ever be elected to head any party.

Their candidacies are not really relevant. What's more, voices among the Likud are saying that Mofaz's associates are recruiting people for him, and not for Kadima, but rather, for the Likud party.

This complex situation is not a harbinger of good news. Kadima is entering the winter session at a time when there are too many protruding edges it can bump into, too many bitter people, and a prime minister who is anything but popular in Israel. Yet still it is too early to eulogize Olmert.

In the last few weeks he has been acting like Ariel Sharon's protégé: He is taking careful, light steps and he is warmly embracing the "divide and conquer" strategy, as well as interfering with other partys' internal politics.

Sharon survived this way for five years; in three of them he barely did a thing. He didn't build a fence, he didn’t engage in talks, he didn't change a thing in the country. This is why Olmert probably has a chance as well. For some strange reason, Israeli politics give those who step lightly a chance.

Worth noting…

For 32 years Yossi Sarid was a Knesset member, for 32 years he delivered speeches, worked and acted on behalf of his electorate and the public.

When he retired, various estimates were made as to the amount of retirement pay he would receive. The figures were high, almost unheard of. Millions were mentioned. A few weeks ago, his wife Dorit received a phone call from the bank. A sum of NIS 70,000 (roughly USD 15,000) has been deposited into your account, the bank clerk informed her.

Ms Sarid didn't understand where the money came from and so decided to check. It quickly became apparent that the sum was Sarid's astronomical retirement pay. "I expected to receive millions," Sarid said this week smiling. I even received phone calls from various banks who proposed I open an account there. I am not complaining heaven forbid, because I receive a monthly pension and all's well. I simply expected to get millions."

A rising star?

Last week, Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of Israel Our Home party, turned into a rising star of sorts. His name appeared in all the newspaper headlines, and there wasn't a single media outlet that wasn't pursuing him. This was due to last week's assumption that he would soon be joining the government.

The situation changed somewhat this week, and even the chairman of the coalition government, Avigdor Yitzhaki, who avidly supports Lieberman joining the government, sounded a little calmer. "We have time," said Yitzhaki on Wednesday of last week. "There's no need to rush anywhere. No progress has been made on this matter so far."