We were abandoned

Before yesterday, three people were worried about the findings of Winograd's interim report. As of this morning, it should worry all of us. Not only worry. Frighten. Shock us.

According to the interim report's conclusions, we are not talking about mere failures. We are talking about this country's continued existence being a true miracle. Because a country whose prime minister failed in exercising judgment, whose defense minister failed in doing his job, whose chief of staff made false presentations and contributed decisively to the flaws and failures, whose General Staff suffered from lack of creativity, and whose government voted without understanding what it was voting on – is a country that was abandoned.

This is a country without leadership. This is a country whose army disappointed it. It is a country whose government is pathetic and whose ministers are unworthy of serving in their posts.

Entire system failed

Judge Winograd may have placed a loaded gun on Olmert's desk, but he exposed a ticking bomb under our feet. The process of self-reflection should not only be left to Olmert, Peretz and Halutz. This self-reflection should be undertaken by all of us - because we are talking not only about people who failed. The entire system failed. The conception failed. Our security doctrine failed. The assumption that Israel will not initiate a war failed.

The faith in our ability to win every war has been shattered. It is sad and even insulting to realize this, but Nasrallah's patronizing message on the first day of the war, when he turned to our rookie leaders and advised them to think twice before they embark on a war, is the essence of the commission's conclusions.

The tragedy is that those are the things we will be focusing on. The personal questions. How can Olmert continue even one more day at his post after what the commission determined.  And the defense minister's chutzpah needed in order to remain at his post after the conclusions regarding his performance, and Halutz's arrogance that allows him to sit there at Harvard and dare throw out Israeli journalists waiting under his window.

And so, we will strike them one by one. Because otherwise, what are we supposed to do with this report? What other outlet do we have for our loss of confidence? And who can replace Olmert? Livni, whose political experience is even more limited than his? Ayalon, who hasn't sat in the government for even one day? Barak, who the commission views as a party to the failures? Or perhaps Netanyahu, who can only become a leading candidate as a result of leadership chaos?

And should we replace Olmert with Livni or Netanyahu, what's the difference, with the government being the same, the army being the same, and the perception of reality remaining unchanged?

Olmert's face said it all

Olmert's office will be focusing precisely on this point in the coming days – the alternative, or more accurately, the lack of alternative. The report, Olmert's people will say, is very grave. Olmert is not taking it lightly for a moment. Yet the question is whether under such circumstances the prime minister should be shying away from taking responsibility, or rather, do the opposite. Perhaps this is the time to fix it.

The question, Olmert's spokespersons will add, is not whether Olmert will survive or not. The question is whether the State of Israel would be able to take the report and fix that which requires fixing.

Yesterday, Olmert was determined not to resign. Those who know him were not surprised. Even though the report's severity shocked his office, it was clear to everyone that this prime minister is not a quitter.

It is not a matter of him failing to grasp the failures. He is an intelligent man. He simply does not think that the problems will be resolved if he departs. Fundamentally, he is certain that he is better than others. Who can manage this better, he asks himself with contempt, Bibi? Tzipi Livni?

Olmert's speech last night following the report's publication was a grim ending to a grim report. Olmert's face said it all. His eyes were like the eyes of a terminal patient. I do not intend to resign, he said. Yet it is doubtful whether even he believes he will survive until the final report. Not because of the coalition. Not because of his own party. Not even because of the demonstrations he can expect - simply because there is no other way. Simply because we have no other outlet for our lack of faith.