Olmert's anger and priorities

"How are you?" the Palestinian leader asked the national infrastructure minister, who just ended a two-day stint at the hospital due to a foot problem. The conversation between the two, in Arabic of course, shifted naturally to matters pertaining to the ceasefire, the Palestinian national unity government, and Egypt's and Abbas' attempts to bring abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit back to his parents in the Galilee.

After his conversation with the Palestinian president, who these days is overjoyed with every Israeli connection, Fuad was quick to dial the Jerusalem office. He asked to speak to the prime minister. "Abbas called," he informed him.

The conversation with Olmert ended on a much friendlier note than the prime minister's talk with his defense minister under very similar circumstances, about two weeks ago.

Olmert did not reprimand Fuad. He did not engage in an all-out war to the point of a media-covered rift, as he did at the time with Amir Peretz. The opposite may be true. Olmert isn't mad even when he finds out his deputy, Shimon Peres, engages in small-talk via phone with Abbas. As it's unthinkable that Olmert has Amir Peretz's head in his sights, perhaps he just moderated.

Anti-Semitism and politics

Ariel Sharon had a minister in charge of the war on anti-Semitism. Ehud Olmert does not.

Olmert's people reject the claim that the matter is less important to him. They say this is only a political consideration: "There will be such minister in the next round of appointments. This is just a portfolio meant to boost the position of one of the ministers to be appointed," says Government Secretary Yisrael Maimon.

Even though it was restrained in the past two years, anti-Semitism has not been uprooted. Jewish Agency figures for 2005 show it skyrocketed in Russia and Ukraine, moderated somewhat in Western Europe, and rose in Latin America. Yet the figures do not show the difficult feelings of any Jew in the Diaspora who fears renewed waves of anti-Semitism with every eruption in the Middle East.

In 2004, Sharon set January 27, the day Auschwitz was liberated, as the day marking the war on anti-Semitism. During his term, a minister (Natan Sharansky and later Abraham Hirchson) or a deputy minister (Michael Melchior) held the "Judaism and Diaspora" portfolio. Sharon thought this is a major issue for him as a prime minister. He showed the world in general, and Jews in particularly, that the war on anti-Semitism is in his blood. When he was hospitalized and Hirchson became finance minister, the war on anti-Semitism portfolio was abandoned.

These days, the Public Service Commissioner seeks to fire the two officials who handle the subject at the Prime Minister's Office. The portfolio, in the Commissioner's view, no longer exists. The joint forum set up to address anti-Semitism has not convened in a long time. Perhaps Tzipi Livni will revitalize it, but maybe not. Meanwhile, the Jewish Agency, several people in the Mossad, and one woman at the Foreign Ministry are closing this gap. World Jewry is more exposed than ever to anti-Semitism, yet for the current Israeli government this isn't a burning issue.

If we believe Olmert's people, he will indeed soon appoint a minister in charge of the war on anti-Semitism. Yet for the time being, world Jews will be deprived of the umbrella provided to them by the Sharon governments. This umbrella will be lacking until Olmert puts his restless coalition in order.

"It's not that we're not dealing with ant-Semitism," says Government Secretary Maimon. "Yet it would certainly be better if a minister was assigned to the post. There will be such minister by the end of the year," he promised. The Jews are waiting.