OpEdNews » Livni "Wins" in Israel: 2nd Woman PM

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Tag(s): 2008 Elections; Exit Polls; Fraudulent Elections; Israel; Israel-Palestine; Israel-Palestinian Conflict; Israeli Iran Conflict; Obama-Barack; Occupation; Tzipi Livni
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September 19, 2008 at 18:41:12

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Livni "Wins" in Israel: 2nd Woman PM

by Rady Ananda Page 1 of 1 page(s)

www.opednews.com

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Updated on Sept. 20.

Former Mossad agent and current Foreign Minister, 50-year-old Tzipi Livni, stunned pollsters with a claimed victory in Israel's election yesterday, despite trailing by 10-12 percentage points in the exit polls, reported the UK's TimesOnline. In a questionable move, Livni requested an extension of polling times due to low turnout, and was granted a half hour. Of about 431,000 ballots cast, Livni reportedly won by 431 votes. Gila Svirsky advises that this represents a fifty percent turnout for the Kadima party.

The TimesOnline continues:

"Her slim win is likely to make talks to form a new coalition even more fraught. She has 42 days to stitch together a government or face new general elections, which polls predict would be another photo-finish, this time with the right-wing Likud Party which she quit to join Kadima."

Ha'aretz.com is not certain that "Tzipi Livni's wafer-thin primary victory will prove sufficient for her to form a government and serve as prime minister," meaning she may face another election shortly. Providing some background into Livni, Ha'aretz reports that:

"Livni will not be the first prime minister born in Israel; Yitzhak Rabin, Benjamin Netanyahu and Olmert were all sabras. But Rabin was ambassador to Washington; Netanyahu lived for many years in the United States and served as ambassador to the United Nations; and Olmert maintained close ties for decades with many Jewish leaders and communities abroad, especially while serving as mayor of Jerusalem.

"Livni will thus be the first prime minister to reach the top without any significant, first-hand knowledge of the Diaspora. Her only relevant experience was her short term as immigrant absorption minister, a post she held for part of the time simultaneously with the housing portfolio and escaped as soon as possible to become justice minister. Her role as immigration czar is probably the least significant item on her curriculum vitae, perhaps with the exception of her job as caretaker of a Mossad safe house in Paris."

Tzipi Livni (Ronen Zvulun)

In a second TimesOnline article, fascinating detail into Livni's Mossad years is provided:

"'She was in an elite unit,' said Ephraim Halevy, the former director of Mossad, who for security reasons declined to specify which outfit Ms Livni had served in between 1980 and 1984. 'She was a very promising agent who showed all the attributes of a very promising career. She was very well thought of.'
"Ms Livni, a fluent French speaker and daughter of renowned Zionist guerrillas, served her time in Paris when the city was a deadly battle-ground in Mossad's covert war with Palestinian militant groups and Saddam Hussein's nuclear ambitions.

"One Israeli former intelligence source told The Times that the 22-year-old Ms Livni had been recruited into Mossad after her National Service by a childhood friend, Mira Gal, who herself served for two decades in the agency and who now works as her ministry bureau chief."

Livni ran against hardliner Shaul Mofaz whom a third TimesOnline piece describes as:

"A tough-talking general who leapt straight from an army career to become Defence Minister under Ariel Sharon, after having commanded the retaking of the West Bank from the Palestinian Authority in 2002 at the height of the Palestinian intifada. Known for his hawkish stance, he attracted much attention this summer when he warned his native Iran that Israel would launch an attack if it did not halt its nuclear programme.

"'If Iran continues its programme to develop nuclear weapons, we will attack it. The window of opportunity has closed,' he said in June."

Arab nationalists are disgusted with the results and condemn Arabs who joined the Kadima party, calling them the court Arabs:

"A good Arab is not an Arab who joins Kadima, Likud or even Labor. Most of Kadima's Arab voters have already been in all of them; such is the relationship between national minorities and the government. A good Arab cannot support those parties that are directly responsible for discrimination, occupation and the killing of their people. However, it turns out that distress leads to disgrace: election corruption instead of struggle, collaboration instead of national pride."

How this all turns out for Palestinians, Iranians or US interests in the Middle East remains to be seen, but Livni's right centrist position surely matches Barack Obama's. As one commenter posted, "This is just more of the same."

In 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of voter signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three books.
Her blogs also address religious, gender, sexual and racial equality, as well as environmental issues; and are sprinkled with book and film reviews on various topics. She spent most of her working life as a legal investigator for private lawyers, and five years as an editor. She currently serves as a senior editor at OpEdNews.

"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." Tell the truth anyway.

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10 comments

I'm an anti-civilizationist and election boycott advocate in San Diego. For reasons not to vote in faith-based elections with secret vote counts for candidates you cannot hold accountable if they fail to represent you, check out the discussions, articles, and videos on my website http://noinnovember.ning.com
Mark E. SmithI'm an anti-civilizationist and election boycott advocate in San Diego. For reasons not to vote in faith-based elections with secret vote counts for candidates you cannot hold accountable if they fail to represent you, check out the discussions, articles, and videos on my website http://noinnovember.ning.com

We are not alone!

Comment from Ratings: Lesser evilism is apparently common in all evil countries. ;)

I think that having a second female Prime Minister could go a few steps towards transcending tokenism, but otherwise I agree that it's the same old same old.

by Mark E. Smith (21 articles, 30 quicklinks, 100 diaries, 1325 comments) on Friday, September 19, 2008 at 8:43:01 PM

In 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of voter signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three boo...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Rady AnandaIn 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of voter signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three boo...

to see more of bio, click on member name

election fraud is election fraud is election fraud

and the war machine elects itself again!

Be sure to read Israeli peace activist, Gila Svirsky's Another Good Year for the Undertaker?

She gives a much deeper - insider - feel for who this new female prime minister is, and what she's all about.

by Rady Ananda (133 articles, 300 quicklinks, 38 diaries, 1229 comments) on Friday, September 19, 2008 at 9:52:45 PM

Gila Svirsky, an Israeli peace and human rights activist, has headed some of the major peace and human rights organizations in Israel. She has been a member of Women in Black since its inception, and co-founded the Coalition of Women for Peace, which brings together ten Israeli women's peace organizations. She currently serves as co-chair (with David Kretzmer) of B'Tselem, Israel's foremost human rights organization in the Palestinian occupied territories.
Gila SvirskyGila Svirsky, an Israeli peace and human rights activist, has headed some of the major peace and human rights organizations in Israel. She has been a member of Women in Black since its inception, and co-founded the Coalition of Women for Peace, which brings together ten Israeli women's peace organizations. She currently serves as co-chair (with David Kretzmer) of B'Tselem, Israel's foremost human rights organization in the Palestinian occupied territories.

Bravo - an insightful and informative article

Very fine article. Thank you for contributing to the education of world citizens about the Middle East.

Two tiny corrections: Pollsters were stunned not because they predicted a Livni defeat, but because they had predicted a Livni landslide. She won by only 451 votes. Second, this was a vote within the Kadima Party, not of the entire Israeli population, to replace its former head, Ehud Olmert, who will be stepping down. Only about 50% of the 70,000 eligible Kadima voters participated.

The rest of the text was very insightful and informative. Thank you! Also for the reference to my article.

Gila

by Gila Svirsky (6 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 2 comments) on Saturday, September 20, 2008 at 5:19:40 AM

In 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of voter signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three boo...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Rady AnandaIn 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of voter signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three boo...

to see more of bio, click on member name

thanks for your corrections

I'll fix it... and thanks again for your insider view, "Another Good Year for the Undertaker?"

The line about the pollsters being stunned based on the exit polls is a little different from the pundits or pollsters expecting a landslide for Livni. But this info you provide does give us more insight, suggesting that a landslide denied might be a result of election shenanigans by Mofaz. I'm gonna leave the statement about exit poll discrepancy stunning pollsters, as this relates to post election polling.

But thank you so much for correcting the turnout figures, and clarifying this was a "primary" by US terms.

by Rady Ananda (133 articles, 300 quicklinks, 38 diaries, 1229 comments) on Saturday, September 20, 2008 at 8:42:25 AM

A writer is a rogue goose. All other gees fly in a flock formation; every goose knows his place and time for honking. The rogue goose is undisciplined. He leaves the formation indiscriminately to have a look at it from aside. He roams back and forth, takes a peep at the leader, honks a little bit from behind, distracts everyone and writes on what he sees. Time passes and as he wants to return back to his place he discovers someone else there. Thus he either has to wait until they land for rest...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Mark SashineA writer is a rogue goose. All other gees fly in a flock formation; every goose knows his place and time for honking. The rogue goose is undisciplined. He leaves the formation indiscriminately to have a look at it from aside. He roams back and forth, takes a peep at the leader, honks a little bit from behind, distracts everyone and writes on what he sees. Time passes and as he wants to return back to his place he discovers someone else there. Thus he either has to wait until they land for rest...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Secret Police=Organized Crime

Whenever there is a crisis of power Secret Police and Organized Crime fill the void because they are the only organizations who have a stake in it. The only third party in this strange alliance is Catholic Church. But Israel does not have one, so Secret Police just becomes an Organized crime and vice- versa. It was that wyaa in Russia. It is that way in the USA. It was that way and is that way in most of the so- called new European states. It is that way in France ( Interior ministry is the Secret Police). It was that way in Israel for a while until that monster ( you can even see it from the photo) came out into the open.

Jews are the same as everyone else. In madness and stupidity also.

by Mark Sashine (55 articles, 19 quicklinks, 256 diaries, 3705 comments) on Saturday, September 20, 2008 at 7:49:58 AM

Male, 50, Texas. White with white hair (for 20 years)
Write, read, and draw.
Topics include science, art, history, language, philisophy, the odd and unusual. SiFi/Goth/Lovecraft
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Not good with people. I have poor emotional intelligence.
nightgauntMale, 50, Texas. White with white hair (for 20 years)
Write, read, and draw.
Topics include science, art, history, language, philisophy, the odd and unusual. SiFi/Goth/Lovecraft
Recovering from a medical episode that nearly killed me in 2006. Still being treated.
An autodidact and graduated High School but not college.
Not good with people. I have poor emotional intelligence.

Thankyou both for you information on this previously unknown

It can certainly help me, and others, when we catch a glimpse of Israeli politics in action.

by nightgaunt (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 322 comments) on Saturday, September 20, 2008 at 1:56:06 PM

Steven Leser specializes in Politics, Science & Health, and Entertainment topics. He has held positions within the Democratic Party including District Chair and Public Relations Chair within county organizations.

Steven Leser writes for www.opednews.com, an internet only media site that has grown to become one of the highest traffic news sites in America, reaching more traffic, according to alexa.com, than all but the thirty largest daily newspapers in the US. Mr. Leser is one of t...

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Steven LeserSteven Leser specializes in Politics, Science & Health, and Entertainment topics. He has held positions within the Democratic Party including District Chair and Public Relations Chair within county organizations.

Steven Leser writes for www.opednews.com, an internet only media site that has grown to become one of the highest traffic news sites in America, reaching more traffic, according to alexa.com, than all but the thirty largest daily newspapers in the US. Mr. Leser is one of t...

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Much of the Timesonline piece about her Mossad career has

been debunked. Turns out she was not in any sort of elite unit and her Mossad assignments were fairly mundane.

She also appears to be on the doveish side of Kadima. She has been unabashedly in favor of moving forward the peace agenda with the Palestinians. Most of the real hawks never left Likud when Sharon formed Kadima anyway. I have pretty high hopes for this lady.

I know most folks here equate membership in a security/intelligence agency with someone being a bad combination of James Bond, Jack the Ripper and Gengis Khan but it is not necessarily so.

by Steven Leser (231 articles, 49 quicklinks, 35 diaries, 1800 comments) on Saturday, September 20, 2008 at 2:29:13 PM

In 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of voter signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three boo...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Rady AnandaIn 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of voter signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three boo...

to see more of bio, click on member name

debunk sources?

I did read conflicting reports about her responsibilities in Mossad ... but the TimesOnline adequately and openly characterized the information as debatable.

If you read those pieces, you'll see that even the keeper of a safehouse is a very dangerous position, and certainly, a responsible one - not something given to a flunky.

But you're right, many of us view any Mossad or CIA agent as an enemy of the people and may be harsh in our view of their alumni. George HW Bush comes to mind. but certainly, few Lefties would see a right centrist as anything more than the lesser of two evils compared to her more far right competitor.

No doubt time will tell if she is able to negotiate peace with the Palestinians. I'm not holding out much hope - she looks to be a part of the entire military-industrial complex that's ruining the world for all but the rich.

by Rady Ananda (133 articles, 300 quicklinks, 38 diaries, 1229 comments) on Saturday, September 20, 2008 at 2:39:28 PM

your words to the ears of God

that is to Steve and Rady who have hopes. BTW, Secret Police is a Secret Police. I am not a lefty, I am a person who knows. And James Bond has nothing to do with that except maybe for the license to kill. Neither does Chenghis Khan. He did not belong to Secret Police. How about admiral Kanaris or Reinhardt Helen? The people who belong to those organizations are evil. They are evil by default. They have to be evil- that is a part of the job. No reasonable country elects a leader who belonged to mafia and Secret Police is mafia. But there is a lot of unreasonable countries.

by Mark Sashine (55 articles, 19 quicklinks, 256 diaries, 3705 comments) on Saturday, September 20, 2008 at 3:17:14 PM

"The people who belong to those organizations are evil."

Mark -

I apologize in advance, but this entire premise is ridiculous on its face. Consider:

1. Are the secretaries in the CIA/Mossad/GRU evil?

2. Are the mail room people in the CIA/Mossad/GRU evil?

OK, so once we have established quite easily that all the people who belong to these organizations are NOT evil. Lets look at more operational duties

3. Are the people who monitor electronic emissions (ELINT and SIGINT) from other countries evil? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ELINT#ELINT . Of course not.

so now we have at least some operations people who are not evil.

4. How about the people who establish safe houses in other countries. Are they evil? (By the way, this is what Livni did in one of her assignments)

From my research, I find that the type of agent most of you would consider evil belong(s) to one or two subdepartments in an intel agency that contains many dozen departments. Even in those departments where activities occur that you would find objectionable, those people are not necessarily evil.

In my USAF days, I met and spoke with one of the Air Force Intelligence guys at length about his job. There was nothing evil or sinister about it. I seriously considered switching specialties at the time to try to get into Intel. I guess if I had, I would automatically be evil? That makes no sense.

by Steven Leser (231 articles, 49 quicklinks, 35 diaries, 1800 comments) on Saturday, September 20, 2008 at 10:22:22 PM