she can give him the runner's up prize, Minister of Defense, well suited for the job with lot's of experience.

I imagine Bibi is smiling and Livni is moaning. The last thing Livni wanted was a female leader. At the last election a large percentage of the Livni's voters were women but now with Labor having a woman at the helm Livni is can no longer assume she will get the woman's vote. This new woman also has no history so unlike Livni there is nothing to criticise and she can try to sell herself as whiter than white the way Livni has been doing.

Will never get to pm like the Ben Gurion days everything has changed so much in israel since 1973 when complacency led to harsh consequences. But in an israel which needs unity the alleviation for the working poor and the disabled and elderly and some hope for a patient moderate palestinian people consciousness and isolation even imprisonment of the rabid cruel deluded ultraultras is vital.

We have a tendency quickly to forget his previous "achievements" in the roles of a former chairman of the Histadrut and a defense minister.

This will just ensure another right-wing government.

A new day A new hope A renewal of true Zionist values

#2. Geographers have noted that Israel, including Judea and Samaria, is about the size of an average African hunting reserve. Just imagine how much trouble Israel would be in if, heaven forbid, the loonies of Kadima and/or Labor ever assume power. Israel is already the world's most geographically vulnerable land. The last thing we need is the leadership of lunatic appeasers giving away the tiny amount of land we have. Kadima and Labor are scarier than Israel's enemies.

That should be the party's new slogan.

We will soon see if she can prevent Labor from inheriting Meretz's positition in the Israeli society and end up like them. Labor has gone from being the number one party to almost insignificant as the Israeli public has watch horrified at Oslo and other terrible actions. As the secular loses its population percentage lead slowly to the religious, as the left loses its lead to the right, we have seen the decline of Labor who has changed so little from what was accepted 30 years ago to what is accepted now. Will Shelly pull them out of their skid or will Labor become the new Meretz?

but, unfortunately, it won't be enough to get me to make the switch to Labor.

..that has lost its credibility, history, identity, purpose and relevance and has angered many in Israel who rightfully think that Avodah are traitors and enemies of Israel. Avodah and its apologetic self hating policies have no place in a sane country. We can talk about "democracy" for all eternity but the most important function of democracy and existence itself is LIFE. And since Avodah's policies go against life and our lives, it means that all talk of "democracy" is merely an excuse - a subterfuge of destroying Israel. Many of Avodah's supporters of today are even more radical than the supporters back in the 1990s. The best proof of that is that today's Avodah has alienated most of its voters and supporters. If one speaks of democracy just for the sake of democracy and if one speaks about "different opinions or right to different opinions" just for the sake of having different opinions - one is certainly mistaken and deluded. All opinions and all policies cannot be accepted - not even in democracies, since that would allow anti-democratic opinions or even treason. There is a fundamental difference between opinions aiming at giving Israel life, land and liberty and opinions that suggest that one should apologize for being a Jew and giving away life, land and liberty. All opinions are not democratic and all opinions do not take the best interests of the individual and the sanity and health and well being of the society as a whole into consideration. This sick egoism in Israel will not last and cannot hold. A society is an organism - it must function harmoniously - because that is how the natural world works. Anything that goes against this inner peace and harmony is dangerous. Avodah is dangerous and should be outlawed - together with Meretz and the Arab parties.

MABROOK.

My hope is that she can truly revive Labor and turn it into an engine for social democratic responsibility. One warning to Shelly - you're the new leader of the Labor Party. Once upon a time more than half of the country supported social democracy and voted for it. Then the social democratic parties got infected with the Oslo virus, and instead of social democracy, their new god was "peace". They became the "peace camp". The voters didn't like that at all, and Labor and Meretz are on the verge of going the way of the dodo bird. Don't abandon your quest for peace, but forget the idea of the "peace camp" - it's a losing concept and the voters will tell you so.

Amir Peretz said he would resign and give up politics if he looses. LIAR,UNTRUTHFUL FALSE BASTARD. lIKE ALL POLITICNAS HE IS UNABLE TO TELL THE TRUTH. Peretz will be a thorn to Shellie and as the cowardly groveling barak will do anything to keep his seat in the knesset. Peretz will not serve the people but wants the salary,perks offices and secretaries(hoars) at his call. SHELLIE BEWARE OF THIS UNRELIABLE FOX NEAR YOU !!! The people did not vote for you to keep this backstabbing crow in the leadership boat.

the Labor Party couldn't get any worse...SURPRISE! Really? How deep is their barrel?

first before we recognise a palestinian state

This lady will have to do better than mouth inane crap like that if she wants to have any constructive input. EVERYONE would recognize Palestine in a flash, if only the Pals would at least begin to accept Israel's right to be. They will not. Have said repeatedly. I mean, these people want a "Jew-free" state and wont accept a Jewish state at all. Its ludicrous.

But I wish her luck. After all, Mifleget Haavoda carries the torch of Israel as an egalitarian, democratic state with many historic achievements. With the background of Mapai + Mapam + Ahdut Haavoda, this party needs to be rescued, but it will be tough in the present right-wing climate engulfing Israel. One request I have: please try to be a better listener than you were as an interviewer on TV. I admit I hated your interviews Ms. Yachimovich; your lack of professionalism disgusted me.

... if this is "Israeli Idol" or "Israelis Got Talent". President?? urrg......... President of what ? Israeli Culinary Association President? Model Association? ................................................... (accept the palestinian "STALE"....sure!)

Take the money from the rich and than hand over the country to the Palies. See here, a woman with a clear vision and a death wish. Congratulations!.

Now that Tzipi has called Shelly to say that their parties are "natural partners" it certainly makes the choice for many of us who joined Kadima very easy--go back home to Likud. Tzipi is really off the wall!!

More and more we see the media being used as a stepladder to political advancement . At the expense of the Israeli tax payer you can advance yourself until your ready to make the leap into politics years of self promotion free all at the expense to the Israeli taxpayer. The left never made it a secret that their interest in the media was to promote there agendas . The right should take a lesson .

I agree Kadima & Labor are a threat to Israel from a security, economic and diplomatic point of view and I hope and pray they do not win the next election but the good news about this woman Yachimovich being elected as Labor leader is she is going to split the womens votes. In the past as the only female Livni could have been sure of getting the womans vote all to herself and she relied heavily on the woman's vote last time. Now the woman who want a female PM have a choice and so some will vote Labor and others will vote Kadima which means the vote is split making it harder for either party to get seats if they are relying on women who want to vote for women and that will play into Bibi's hands. Although we don't know enough about Yachimovitch yet to judge her at least she is not Peretz who would have been a nightmare should Labor win the next election which sadly thanks to the social justice protests they have a good chance at doing.