BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

Israel calls it as it TRULY IS!!! HOORAY! Israel says will boycott U.N. forum on racism Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said on Wednesday that Israel had made a final decision not to participate in a U.N. forum on racism and urged other countries to boycott what she termed an "anti-Israel tribunal." The United Nations said it regretted the decision. The World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, to be held in Geneva in April, is a follow-up to a 2001 summit in Durban, South Africa on the same issues. Israel and the United States walked out of the first conference in protest over draft texts branding Israel as a racist and apartheid state -- language that was later dropped. In a speech to visiting U.S. Jewish leaders, Livni said she announced last February that Israel would not participate in the 2009 meeting unless it was clear it would not be used "as a platform for further anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic" activity. She s...

HERE COMES THE BLAME REDUX OY, here we go!! Why do I feel I am hearing from some ex-boyfriend or ex-friend when I read this? ' it's the IDF's fault; Livni never told me; I had no idea; never happened; what are you talking about ' and the all time Captain Queeg plaintiff wail: ' you are all against me! ' PM Olmert - your 10 minute warning has come and is about to go. Heed it and leave with some class. PLEASE! Olmert wants to appear before war panel By AMY TEIBEL Prime Minister Ehud Olmert wants to appear again before the Lebanon war commission, after testimony released by the body showed he blamed the army for shortcomings but acknowledged he ignored warnings that Israeli forces were unprepared for the conflict last summer. Olmert's office said late Thursday that he wants to counter a statement to the commission from his foreign minister and political rival, Tzipi Livni, that she recommended a diplomatic solution instead of a large-scale military operati...

Israel's next regime must have clout This quote from the below says it all: THE DANGER of allowing a mortally wounded Olmert to linger in office for as long as another two years - admittedly an unlikely prospect - until the next elections is obvious. by Jonathan Tobin As a matter of principle, it is not the business of American friends of Israel to tell Israelis who should, or should not, be their prime minister. That is, unfortunately, a proposition that has been observed largely in the breach over the course of the past 30 years. American Jews, and American politicians, for that matter, have done their best - or worst - over the past three decades to try and tilt the outcome of Israeli politics and elections to suit their preferences. A left-leaning Diaspora Jewry often undermined right-wing Israeli prime ministers such as Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Shamir and Binyamin Netanyahu. The right-wing minority tried, albeit with far less success, to give Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Pere...

NOW THAT TRUST IS GONE, CAN OLMERT GET IT BACK? Speaking what I percieve emotionally ( because that is how I react to things and what I work with all the time) PM Olmert has broken trust with the people of Israel. He's full steam ahead and hoping to recover but can he? Will he just turn a blind eye and pretend everything's fine like President Bush? Or since he's determined to hang in there for a few difficult months (probably) since the Winograd Report can he do the hard and painful task of regaining some measure of Israel's trust? Emotional reactions to broken trust with a politician, much like in our personal lives is often composed of some mixture of anger, disappointment, and/or frustration at oneself for trusting and at the offender, in this case Olmert, for exploiting that trust. Olmert's credibility, much like President Bush's - is shot. Poor judgment and ego did that for them - and neither has truly owned up to it. (Bush never will, in my opinion he...

HE'S HAD A BAAAAD DAY... I was away from the computer most of last night and today due to a health emergency. So I am coming late to the Olmert Disaster. I've spent most of my time reading the calls for his resignation and the poor choices to replace him. Minister Livni's weak and limp response didn't win her any points with me either. Much like Bush and Cheney I am saddened that when Israel needs bold leadership more than ever, there is none to be had. I won't say too much that bloggers more astute and better than myself haven't already said... PM Olmert - leave with some shred of your dignity in tact. Please. Olmert Faces Another Day of Calls to Resign by Hillel Fendel and Ezra HaLevi Prime Minister Ehud Olmert survived the day-after-Winograd better than expected, but faces another rough day Thursday: The Knesset will convene to discuss the Winograd report, and later, a large protest is scheduled in Tel Aviv, demanding the government’s resignation....

DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU ON THE WAY OUT! Livni to Join Other Kadima MKs in Calling for Olmert to Quit by Hillel Fendel and Ezra HaLevi Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who said on Tuesday, "I am strong and will get through this," faces a major blow this afternoon when he meets with his party colleague Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni - who is expected to tell him to resign. Reports say that Livni will threaten that if Olmert insists on remaining in power, she herself will resign and will work to depose him. She will hold a press conference following the 4 PM meeting with Olmert. The Livni news follows a similar call and threat by coalition whip MK Avigdor Yitzchaki, who said that if Olmert does not resign by today (Wednesday), he himself will quit his position. Yitzchaki was a close aide to Ariel Sharon when the latter founded the Kadima party in late 2005, and feels no particular loyalty to Olmert. He claims that a majority of Kadima members share his sentiment. The att...

HERE COMES THE BLAME AGAIN... Here comes the rain again Raining in my head like a tragedy Tearing me apart like a new emotion (Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart - The Eurythmics) (Couldn't resist! I just love Annie Lennox (had the pleasure of seeing her live 2 summers ago at Jones Beach - what a voice and what a performance!). Annie, btw, was married to an Israeli until 2000.) However, when I saw this headline for some reason the above popped into my head. All I can say is the ship is sinking fast and the rats are falling over each other racing for the lifeboats, aren't they? Olmert-Livni tensions flare up over Winograd By Yossi Verter and Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondent The battle between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni following the release of the Winograd Committee's interim report is reaching a boiling point: Olmert is expected to warn Livni at a meeting between the two on Wedensday that she cannot continue to undermine him and still hold ...