2 1/2 Days to go

On tuesday 28^th Israel will elect a new Knesset. Nearly everyone gets a very boring impression on this. Nearly nothing can be felt about it. Kadima's victory seems clear and Ehud Olmert, an establishment man, old fox and known corruptionist will turn his status of acting PM to real PM. Tzipi Livni who's support transformed Olmert from an interim replacement man in Likud spinoff Kadima into the new strong man has already been declared N^o 2 and new acting PM by E.O. This is a rather unsypathetic move to weaken potential Vice-PM Amir Peretz before coalition negotiations begin. Let's see.

Against my hopes both Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post predict a participation of Shas and United Torah Judaism in the new government. I have trouble to understand how Olmerts statement that future coalition partners must back unilateral withdrawals could go well with those 2 parties or what the price would be. Let's see.

On the other side of the fence 'Let's discuss the end of the conflict'

Akiva Eldar of Haaretz met PA¹ president Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) for a long and interesting interview. Go read. Abbas estimates that with good will it would take 4 years to reach agreement and a peace treaty. It will be a difficult thing and nothing can be taken for granted. Let's hope that the old fox stays well for a will and will have a good successor up his sleeve and solve that Ben Gurion and many other did not solve. Here are 2 teasers to motivate you to read the whole interview:

"You are going into very important elections," Abu Mazen says. "We are in a historic period, in which we must decide whether we will move toward peace and a better future for our children. I can promise that you have a partner for this peace. On the day after the elections you will find us ready to sit in negotiations with no prior conditions. The leadership of both peoples and also of the international community has a supreme responsibility to exploit this opportunity. It may be the last hope to accord the two peoples their right to live in security and stability. The coming generations will not forgive us if we let it slip by.

"The negotiations with Israel will be conducted by the PLO's negotiations unit, on the basis of international legitimacy and the Arab [Saudi] initiative. I am unreservedly committed to the road map, to which you [Israel] appended 14 reservations. If we reach an agreement, I will be the one to sign it. If needed, I will put it to a referendum. I received 62 percent in the elections, in which I condemned violence outspokenly. I am certain that I will also succeed in getting a majority for a peace agreement."

And now: more related things that are going on

Baruch Marzel publicly urges IDF to assassinate Uri Avnery

National Jewish Front leader Baruch Marzel, now campaigning for the March 28 Knesset election, said yesterday that the leaders of Kadima are "traitors" and "criminals" and called on the Israel Defense Forces to assassinate the far-left leader of the Gush Shalom movement Uri Avnery.

Imams and rabbis form summit on issues surrounding Temple Mount

SEVILLE, Spain - The first attempt of its kind to prevent crises over the Temple Mount took center stage yesterday at the Second World Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace, which ends today. A panel discussion on holy sites discussed a proposal to establish a permanent committee comprising an equal number of Jewish and Muslim clerics to discuss issues affecting the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Israeli public's view on leaders

Isolation vs. Connectivity, Socialitally Seen

The kingmob and others have published this fantastic new patented antisocial software: Isolatr beta.

For those who want a social network without all the sucky socializing, here's Isolatr.

You can digg it too.

ANTSCD: Peretz admits Labor aiming only for second place

The election campaign attitude of Labour leader Peretz has changed all of a sudden. He might have thought that showing some realism might help him more than only talking about winning, when everybody knows he will not.

Labor Party chairman Amir Peretz has conceded in private conversations over the past few days that his party is no longer vying to win the elections, but is instead fighting for runner-up position and a key role in a Kadima-led coalition.

"A small Labor in the Knesset means the rise of Likud and Lieberman," Noked said, referring to Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beitenu list.

This last phrase is interesting only in that Haaretz spells Mr. Liberman's name in 2 different wasy in 1 single sentence. Online journalism is a dreary thing.

Israel und die Araber

Arte Dossier zur am Samstag in Arte ausgestrahlten BBC-Dokumentation "The 50 Years War: Israel and the Arabs" von Brian Lappmann und Norma Percy.

Hier ist ein Interview mit der Autorin und Produzentin Norma Percy.

Eine neue Dokumentation von Mark Anderson und Dan Edge wird heute auf Arte um 20:40 ausgestrahlt: ebenso Israel und die Araber, starring William Clinton and Ehud Barak.

ANTSCD: Israel to resume apple exports to Syria via United Nations

There are different aspects to all of this. People think to little about these things. Go read yourself.

Approximately 10,000 tons of apples from Druze orchards in the Golan Heights will go to Syria, and, as the season progresses, Syrian merchants will transport the apples to Persian Gulf states, where they will be resold.

Kadima slips one; Labor and Likud hold steady

An Army Radio poll, which averaged the weekend's major opinion surveys, showed Sunday that if elections were held now, Kadima would gain 37 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, an average loss of one seat from the week before.

According to the survey, the ultra-Orthodox Sephardi Shas party gained one seat, giving it 10.

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The largely Russian-immigrant Yisrael Beiteinu party continued its ascent with nine to ten seats.

(Text by Haaretz Service)

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