Political Ineptitude and Positions of Power

Posted on October 22, 2009
Filed Under Abbas, Ehud Olmert, International, Israel, Jerusalem, Livni, Mahmoud Abbas, News, Olmert, Olmert Allmerde, Palestine, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian leadership, Refugees, Tzippi Livni, Zionist Entity, palestinians, political gestures, political greed, political ineptitude | 1 Comment

When one looks around the world and its leaders, all too often someone absolutely devoid of experience and political smarts will be found occupying a position he/she is most unsuited for. How did they get there? Many a time they were the favorite of someone very powerful whose bidding they always did, or simply found themselves in the right place at the right time. Tzippi Livni catapulted to power as Ariel Sharon’s protegee.

The depths of her ineptitude, her total unsuitability for any position of power in Israel or anywhere else, have just been made clear by former US Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk. Indyk said that Livni told the PA to reject Olmert’s offer:

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When Tzipi Livni was foreign minister, she warned the Palestinian Authority not to accept a deal offered by then-prime minister Ehud Olmert, former US ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk said on Thursday morning.In a discussion at President Shimon Peres’s ‘Facing Tomorrow’ Presidential Conference 2009 in Jerusalem, Indyk said that the Palestinians should not be blamed for rejecting Olmert’s peace offer, because of his unstable political situation at the time, Army Radio reported.

Later in the day, Indyk clarified that he was not in the room when the incident took place.

“I was not present at the negotiating table but heard accounts from several sources,” Indyk said in a statement quoted by Army Radio. “I don’t believe Livni insinuated to the Palestinians that their situation would improve if they rejected Olmert’s offer,” the former US ambassador to Israel reportedly said.

When asked by Channel 2 reporter Udi Segal, who was hosting the panel, whether the Palestinians missed an opportunity when they rejected Olmert’s proposal, Indyk had reportedly replied that “the prime minister was about to have an indictment filed against him and the foreign minister herself specifically told both the Americans and the Palestinians: Don’t you dare sign the agreement.”

Livni denied the report, saying that she was not involved in the contacts between Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
“When the Israeli offer was made public, I publicly announced that I did not support it,” Army Radio quoted her as saying. “I had no need to speak behind Olmert’s back.”

Livni reportedly stressed that she was opposed to Olmert’s proposed peace plan because it called for the return of thousands of Palestinian refugees to the country, and would lead to an international force gaining control over Jerusalem’s Old City.

It is noteworthy that Indyk, who was the US ambassador to Israel in 1995-1997 and 2000-2001, did not hold an official post in the administration of former US president George W. Bush, during Livni’s term as foreign minister.

While we may not know the exact reason why Tzippi would have made such a suggestion we can speculate that since Olmert was about to be indicted, she would then become the next Prime Minister and by making even further concessions to the PA she would get all the glory. Maybe she could even have shared a Nobel Peace Prize with Mahmoud Abbas…

Mr’ Indyk, by his own admission was not in the negotiating room when this was supposedly happening, “but heard accounts from several sources.” While having “heard accounts from several sources,” is certainly cause for concern it is not enough to indict Tzippi were I a judge in an Israeli court. Carefully examining Ms Livni’s record of inaction, hesitation, often disastrous deeds and idiotic statements, makes me believe it is not inconceivable she indeed could have done such. Pity!

Chaim

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One Response to “Political Ineptitude and Positions of Power”

Political Ineptitude and Positions of Power | JewPI from Utah, United States on October 22nd, 2009 3:05 pm

[...] When one looks around the world and its leaders, all too often someone absolutely devoid of experience and political smarts will be found occupying a position he/she is most unsuited for. How did…Read More [...]