What Are Friends For?
It's dreadfully wearying, witnessing at a remove the self-immolating determination of so many Israeli politicians. From the President to the Prime Minister and then on down to various Members of the Knesset. Politics is a dirty enough business as it is.When what it should be is a high calling of parliamentary representation, an honour conferred upon worthy candidates who have proven themselves in a political arena calling upon dedication to the public weal practised with the utmost integrity.
In the best of all possible worlds. In some kind of otherworldly Utopia of which we can only dream. A Utopia, obviously peopled by a race other than the human one. Which has more than amply demonstrated its short-comings, its inability to practise a level of self-control of one's instinctual need for self-aggrandizement, for the mantle of power, for the acquisition of worldly goods well beyond personal need; simply because all is there for the grasping.
Israeli politicians, alas, appear to have a penchant to grasp the position for the power it conveys, and then go on to sully the positions of trust to which the electorate has elevated them by too many instances of judgemental errors verging on illicit personal gain. The exercise of power prostituted to preying on subordinates. The exercise of power descending to personal entitlements and enrichment. It is all just so miserably painful.
Now here is Ehud Olmert, whose finaglings as a lower-level politician have finally caught up with him - at a time of great national need for a hard-headed, sober-minded instrument of his country's salvation. Dismal. Miserable. Honouring the grand tradition of political integrity and overweening concern for the public weal by compromising the public trust, by beggaring the nation of a trusted leader.
Secular apostasy. Whether he will be convicted with sufficient evidence being assembled, of substituting his obligation to the state as finance minister for the enrichment of a friend for structuring an offer for Bank Leumi is yet to be seen. Whether with his influence as a former mayor of Jerusalem he arranged to enrich himself through building permits for his home, is as yet unknown.
Whether he went out of his way as minister of industry, trade and labour to appoint political associates to office, or whether he arranged special funding for a factory to favour his one-time partner in law is yet to be seen.
But they all linger, under investigation by none other than the country's attorney-general who would have no special reason to bring down the government other than that these accusations are so compellingly egregious they cannot be swept away, unchallenged by law. For is the prime minister of a nation. A nation continually at war, however much it wishes it were otherwise, and engages itself energetically in attempts to overcome obstacles to peace.
Whether this man, Ehud Olmert, as prime minister of Israel truly has the best interests of the country at heart and will do everything in his power to ensure the needs of the state are met, the country safeguarded, its residents protected is another thing. Is he prepared to submit to demands which will ultimately affect the security and well-being of the country, let alone its national character and the safeguarding of its treasures?
That too has yet to be seen. His track record does not inspire. Whisper into God's ear.
Labels: Israel, Justice, Political Realities
posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, October 16, 2007
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