Winning is the easy part

When examining the shining faces of the five candidates vying for the leadership of the Labor party, it's difficult to say whether they constitute the opening five or the closing five.

The entire political establishment is immersed in a deep crisis and the Labor party is part of it. There are plenty of candidates but the parties are becoming sparse. For the majority of Labor party candidates - if not all - the party is a necessary unpleasantness on the way to their aspired goal: the premiership. By the same token they could have contended in another party - Kadima, Meretz or the Likud. They don't have to present a consolidated worldview. Instead they propose themselves.

There are those who compare the primaries to the Israeli version of American Idol, yet this is not a fair comparison. The show demands that candidates display their singing abilities - at least that. In contending for the Labor party leadership Ehud Barak, one of the two leading candidates, chose to remain silent. He believed, and he was probably right, that his chances would be greater if he didn't open his mouth.

What exactly are these candidates out to achieve? According to Barak's headquarters, he is vying for the position of defense minister. In a later version by the same party headquarters it was over the question of who had the best chances of beating Netanyahu in the upcoming Knesset elections. According to Amir Peretz, he is eyeing the Treasury. In another version over the ethnic issue: Four Ashkenazi candidates against one "authentic" candidate. In a later version, over economic status and location of residence: The upscale Akirov Tower in Tel Aviv where Barak resides, versus Peretz's hometown of Sderot.

According to Ami Ayalon, the elections are over the question as to whether the Labor party should remain in the cabinet or resign. The earlier version maintained that it should stay. The middle version maintained that the party should resign and call for early elections. The later version maintains that the party should resign and stay at the same time - convince Kadima to form a government, but replace Olmert with another prime minister. This formula may be good for chatter at the kibbutz coffee shop, yet it hardly has a chance in reality.

Ayalon believes in clean politics. His record: He commanded the Navy and headed the Shin Bet security forces; he is known for his personal integrity, which practically borders on asceticism. This is a lot but not enough. Not only do his statements zigzag, they are somewhat incongruous. He suffers from the Amram Mitzna syndrome: Not enough experience, too left wing.

First test: Stable leadership

Ophir Pines is a far cry from the nice fellow depicted on TV; he is no less aggressive than his colleagues Peretz and Barak, only younger. Just like any candidate with slim chances he can allow himself to sharpen his statements. This of course doesn't mean he would sanctify these views on "the day after."

The fifth is Danny Yatom - when asking where he has been throughout the years one cannot help but be impressed: elite commando unit, standing army, General Headquarters, Mossad chief, Prime Minister's Office, the Knesset. When asking what he did in all these places the answers are less impressive. Throughout his long career, the failed assassination attempt of Hamas' Khaled Mashal during Yatom's tenure as Mossad chief is most remembered. 

The first test facing the candidate elected Monday or in two weeks time will be his ability to create a stable leadership. Taking into account the Labor party's current situation this will be a tough challenge; almost impossible. He will have to get along with the present members and bring in people from the outside. With the party's current composition it won't go far.

The second test will be to consolidate an understanding regarding a future agenda with the three leading parties. The messages coming from the street are contradictory: There is no real pubic support for Olmert's cabinet, while there is also no support for immediate elections.

The elected candidate will probably have to serve as the defense minister for a while, contend with Iran's nuclear program, halt the Qassam threat without getting Israel involved in a war that inflicts numerous casualties, rehabilitate the army, and prepare for general elections. Compared to this, Monday's elections are a walk in the park.