It’s been a good 22 years since I took French classes, and I was trying to remember the French word that best described the word’ Chutzpah’. Then I heard the news and the word became clear. The word is  Sarkozy.

Who does this guy think he is? According to a Ynet article: “Channel 2 reported Monday that during Netanyahu’s meeting with Sarkozy in Paris the latter said the prime minister should appoint Opposition chairwoman Tzipi Livni in Lieberman’s place. “With her and (Defense Minister Ehud) Barak you can make history”, he was quoted as saying. “I have always accepted Israeli foreign ministers, and I loved to have Tzipi Livni here at the Elysee, but with (Lieberman) I can’t,” he was reported as saying with a wave of his hand.”

Pardoner Mois! We don’t tell you how to run your foreign affairs so what gives you the right to tell Israel how to conduct domestic politics?

The reporting of this despicable act was met with a brilliant response from PM Avigdor Lieberman.  ” Speaking to Ynet, the official said “France has meddled in another democracy’s affairs. This is intolerable. We don’t plan on asking for clarifications from Paris, but rather intend to ignore the matter entirely. I am certain that if you ask Israel’s citizens who they want in charge of appointing their foreign minister, the answer will not be the French.”

Amen.

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There is a slightly puzzling op-ed in Ynet today, written by Ariana Melamad. She takes comments made by PM rivals Ehud Barak and Benjamin Netanyahu as chauvinist and she runs with that and says, “Eight days before the elections, the ugly chauvinism of Israeli politics rears its head with incredible chutzpa and hurls primitive insults at 50% of the voters – the female voters – and at the first and only woman who dared compete for the premiership around here. Golda Meir, to those who have forgot about it, was appointed to the post after Levi Eshkol passed away, and only later went to elections.”

Well I think she misses the point. First of all, both Barak and Netanyahu are speaking to her qualifications of both being Israeli prime minister, and how to manage a war. The fact is that she constantly appears to be overwhelmed by her current position and the thought of her as a PM, has many people looking elsewhere to cast their vote. Barak’s point was that he, as a soldier, general and as Israel’s most decorated soldier, can understand all sides of what it means to send soldiers into combat, and that since she never wore those hats, she can’t possibly understand the gravity of the decision.

Neither one of those comments is because she is a women. it’s because they feel she isn’t up for the job. it almost seems that Melamad thinks we should vote for her solely because she is a women. the question of qualification doesn’t matter for her.

Isn’t that chauvinism of another kind? Why can’t we just vote for someone because he/she is the best candidate for the job?

Maybe the writer can actually give the Israeli public credit. Maybe her free fall in the polls is because few think she will make a good PM? Maybe just maybe that could be the case.

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Aaron Katsman
IsraelNewsletter.com

As the Israeli cabinet gears up to approve a controversial prisoner exchange with both Hizbullah and Hamas, I have been asked by some investors as to what I think the impact of the deal with be on the local Israeli financial markets. The answer is that while we may see a very short lived jump, as investors view this as precursor to future peace deals, I doubt that this will be a catalyst for a market rally. In fact over the long run this deal has the potential to cause serious damage to the security of Israel, obviously a negative for the stock market.

In a must read column, Globes editor Moti Golan blasts the deal. He believes that this deal will lead to more kidnappings of Israeli soldiers.

In the eyes of the terrorists, this deal makes Israel look very soft. Israel talks a lot but when push comes to shove, the leaders will cave in. For two years Foreign Minister and potential future PM Tzipi Livni, has been racking up frequent flier miles urging anyone who will listen to isolate Hamas. No money. No talking. No nothing. Then what does Israel do? Apparently, Israel negotiates with Hamas and cuts a deal that doesn’t even include captured soldier Gilad Shalit, which was a negotiating red-line just last week. I guess this is what happens when you start negotiating with terrorists. Obama, are you listening? (Continue »)

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