Word: baraker
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...politics by other means" may have been coined by Carl von Clausewitz in 19th century Prussia, but it was given new meaning during Israel's 22-day offensive in Gaza. The troika of Israeli decision-makers that ran the military campaign - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak (leader of the Labor Party) and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni (who replaced Olmert as leader of the Kadima party because of his impending corruption case) - are fierce political rivals. "If they were together on an island in a Survivor episode," says Reuven Hazan, a political scientist at the Hebrew University, "they...
...Gaza City and decapitate Hamas. Most vocal in advocating this option is Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu, the hawkish front runner in the race for Prime Minister, who will portray any outcome that leaves Hamas intact in Gaza as a failure - bad news for his chief rivals, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni...
...regime change" option is even reported to have support from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who sees it as a way to restore the control over all Palestinian territories of his peace partner, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Skeptics, including Barak and Livni, warn that pursuing regime change would require the Israeli military operation to continue for months, risking diplomatic isolation and a dramatic increase in casualties. And the Israeli security establishment is justifiably skeptical of the prospects for reimposing the already enfeebled Abbas on a hostile Gaza. Rather than boost his power, the latest confrontation has further marginalized Abbas. Even...
...Meanwhile, Israeli politicians and pundits are constantly on the air painting Hamas as an implacable, genocidal foe. Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Fox News, "For us to be asked to have a cease-fire with Hamas is like asking you to have a cease-fire with al-Qaeda" - despite the fact that Israel and Hamas had, in fact, agreed via Egypt to a six-month cease-fire just last June. And Israeli military spokeswoman Major Avital Leibovitch is constantly reassuring TV audiences worldwide that Israeli troops are going the extra mile to avoid collateral damage in Gaza. However, some Israeli...
...next step is getting the Israelis to accept. Israeli officials say a bitter feud has erupted between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his Defense Minister Ehud Barak over how long to prolong the Gaza assault. Barak says he is ready for a truce, arguing that Hamas has suffered a punishing blow from the Israeli blitzkrieg and the next step - sending troops into Gaza City's crowded streets - could raise the casualty figures far higher among Palestinian civilians and Israeli soldiers. But Olmert wants to press on until Hamas' leadership and 15,OOO to 20,000 fighters are weakened even more...