On Wed, 30 Nov 2005, Bryan Atinsky wrote:
> Though I have always said that Peres was a political slut par excellance,
> and would join any coalition that would have him...
But all is not lost, Bryan, is it? It seems at least possible that we can get a Kadima/Labor coalition that is substantially to the left of the outgoing Likud/Labor coalition. Because the rejectionist, neoliberal, Bibi wing of the Likud would be entirely frozen out of government rather than exercising power beyond its weight; and the Labor party moved considerably to the left (in both its peace platform and its economic platform) and energized, so that it would exert a real pull, rather than serving as a passive backstop. That seems like a good thing in both the short term and the long term. Our highest hope for Peretz is that he can change the political geography of Israel and convince Eastern and Russian Jews that the peace process is for them, and that Labor is their proper home. But if that's possible at all, it's not possible instantly, it's gonna take time, and it's going to require a substantially reinvigorated labor party. Losing Peres and his tightest supporters and re-incorporating Meretz seems like a great way to start.
Of course the usual caveat applies: these are merely hopes, and this is Israeli politics, where who knows what tomorrow will bring. But even a plausible hope for how the long political logjam might end is a fun thing to feel for a change.
Michael