semitism.net

There has long been talk of what Robert Rosenberg of Ariga calls the "Big Bang" of Israeli politics.  Ever since Ariel Sharon formed the Likud  in 1973 and displaced labor as the ruling party, the two have maintained a precarious balance, with the parliamentary majority shifting back and forth between them, each holding the other back from implementing its full agenda.  Furthermore, both Labor and Likud have been forced to court the smaller parties to maintain ruling coalitions, which has given Israel’s religious right power beyond its numbers. The Big Bang would be the moment when the left wing of Likud and the right wing of Labor broke off to form a centrist party, which could command a clear majority as Labor did in days of old.  Well, now it’s happened…

Sharon announced officially this afternoon that staying in Likud was "a waste of time".  Evidently he found himself so busy putting down rebel MK’s that he had no time to come up with policies (what, exactly is his post-Disengagement plan?).

“Had I stayed in the Likud, I would have likely won the primaries and led the Likud to an elections victory,” the PM noted. “It would have been a safer move personally, but it’s not the way to serve the Sate of Israel. Staying in the Likud means wasting time in political struggles instead of deeds on behalf of the country.”

 It looks as if displaced Labor leader Shimon Peres will join Sharon.  Haaretz reports:

Two of the most prominent members of the Labor Party, outgoing chairman and vice premier Shimon Peres, and Minister Haim Ramon, did not attend Monday’s faction meeting. None of the MKs and ministers present was surprised by their absence; according to media reports, the pair plan to join Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s new party…

Sharon is calling it the Party of National Responsibility.  Another good name would be "The Party of Old Guys Who Have Run Out of Ideas".  Although their ideologies differ, as they vied to neutralize each other, Labor and Likud gradually came to resemble each other in practical polity.  The new center party will presumably represent the final negation of ideals.  There will be no trace of the idealistic socialism of Labor Zionism, nor the militant nationalism of the early Likud.  In the domestic arena, it will stand for accomodation to the global free market and the continuing dismantling of state support for the poor (but gradually, not radically, like Netanyahu).  Its foreign policy goal will be a continuation of American-supported unilateralism.

I am sure that Sharon and Peres remember every point they lost and won in every negotiation with the Arabs, every inch of land they fought over, every ploy used by Israel and against it by the many and varied nations of the world in the past sixty years.  They have devoted their entire lives to not making peace.  To them, securing Israel’s borders is the culmination of a life’s work.  It must be perfect in every detail.  They will not concede what they have fought for - not to the Arabs, and not to young party upstarts, either.

Compare this to the outlook of Amir Peretz, the new Labor chair: we need to settle this conflict fairly with the Palestinians, so that we can get on with the work of building Israel.  "The worst possible peace is better than the best war," he declared in his acceptance speech.  Peretz is looking to the future.  Sharon and Peres are mired in the past.

Richard Silverstein of Tikkun Olam was kind enough to track down and send me some campaign info for Peretz.  If you want to donate to his campaign, here’s the link.  The Peretz web site is here.