Who was the best Israeli Prime Minister during your lifetime?

[Californiadreaming]

Since I was born in 1992, the options for me are Shamir, Rabin, Peres, Netanyahu, Barak, Sharon, and Olmert.

Anyway, I voted for Ariel Sharon. Indeed, while his 2000 visit to the Temple Mount was certainly stupid, that visit occurred before he became Prime Minister whereas I am only judging Prime Ministers based on their records in office. Indeed, when he was in office, Ariel Sharon certainly appears to have done a great job crushing the Second Intifada, significantly reducing Palestinian terrorism, and eliminating Palestinian terrorist networks (especially in the West Bank).

[Vosem]

Born in '97, so my options are Netanyahu, Barak, Sharon, or Olmert. Of that group, obviously Sharon.

[The Dowager Mod]

Begin Easily.

[SATW]

I voted Bibi. Very easy vote.

Rankings of PMs during my lifetime
1. Benjamin Netanyahu
2. Ariel Sharon
3. Yitzhak Rabin
4. Ehud Barak
5. Ehud Olmert
6. Shimon Peres

Here are my ratings, overall, for Israeli PMs:
1. Menachem Begin, Likud
2. David Ben-Gurion, Mapai/Rafi/National List
3. Benjamin Netanyahu, Likud (I'm hack, never hid it)
4. Yitzhak Shamir, Likud
5. Golda Meir, Alignment
6. Ariel Sharon, Likud/Kadima
7. Yitzhak Rabin, Labor (as much as I oppose Oslo Accords and as much as I, overall, disagreed w/ his politics...he was a great man who tried to make peace and for that he deserves respect)
8. Moshe Sharrett, Mapai
9. Ehud Barak, Labor/One Israel
10. Yigal Allon, Alignment/Labor (only served as Interim PM, so doesn't really count)
11. Levi Eshkol, Mapai/Alignment/Labor
12. Ehud Olmert, Kadima
13. Shimon Peres, Alignment/Labor

[Classic Conservative]

Bibi

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

UGH, they're all terrible. But Rabin since he is the only PM who actually tried to make a deal with us and doesn't demonize us.

[Californiadreaming]

UGH, they're all terrible. But Rabin since he is the only PM who actually tried to make a deal with us and doesn't demonize us.

What about Shimon Peres, Ehud Barak, and Ehud Olmert, though?

[SATW]

UGH, they're all terrible. But Rabin since he is the only PM who actually tried to make a deal with us and doesn't demonize us.

What about Shimon Peres, Ehud Barak, and Ehud Olmert, though?

He'd still, likely, prefer Rabin over all of them. As Hnv1 noted in the other thread, Barak is an empty suit of sorts (though, certainly, his peace plan is, by far, the most progressive one proposed by anyone in Israel).

[Californiadreaming]

I voted Bibi. Very easy vote.

Rankings of PMs during my lifetime
1. Benjamin Netanyahu
2. Ariel Sharon
3. Yitzhak Rabin
4. Ehud Barak
5. Ehud Olmert
6. Shimon Peres

Here are my ratings, overall, for Israeli PMs:
1. Menachem Begin, Likud
2. David Ben-Gurion, Mapai/Rafi/National List
3. Benjamin Netanyahu, Likud (I'm hack, never hid it)
4. Yitzhak Shamir, Likud
5. Golda Meir, Alignment
6. Ariel Sharon, Likud/Kadima
7. Yitzhak Rabin, Labor (as much as I oppose Oslo Accords and as much as I, overall, disagreed w/ his politics...he was a great man who tried to make peace and for that he deserves respect)
8. Moshe Sharrett, Mapai
9. Ehud Barak, Labor/One Israel
10. Yigal Allon, Alignment/Labor (only served as Interim PM, so doesn't really count)
11. Levi Eshkol, Mapai/Alignment/Labor
12. Ehud Olmert, Kadima
13. Shimon Peres, Alignment/Labor

Why Netanyahu above Sharon, though?

[SATW]

I voted Bibi. Very easy vote.

Rankings of PMs during my lifetime
1. Benjamin Netanyahu
2. Ariel Sharon
3. Yitzhak Rabin
4. Ehud Barak
5. Ehud Olmert
6. Shimon Peres

Here are my ratings, overall, for Israeli PMs:
1. Menachem Begin, Likud
2. David Ben-Gurion, Mapai/Rafi/National List
3. Benjamin Netanyahu, Likud (I'm hack, never hid it)
4. Yitzhak Shamir, Likud
5. Golda Meir, Alignment
6. Ariel Sharon, Likud/Kadima
7. Yitzhak Rabin, Labor (as much as I oppose Oslo Accords and as much as I, overall, disagreed w/ his politics...he was a great man who tried to make peace and for that he deserves respect)
8. Moshe Sharrett, Mapai
9. Ehud Barak, Labor/One Israel
10. Yigal Allon, Alignment/Labor (only served as Interim PM, so doesn't really count)
11. Levi Eshkol, Mapai/Alignment/Labor
12. Ehud Olmert, Kadima
13. Shimon Peres, Alignment/Labor

Why Netanyahu above Sharon, though?

The Gaza withdrawal is still a very touchy subject for many Likud supporters, myself included. Sharon did not handle it well, imo, and he also led to the split of Likud's base and support.

Also, over a decade later, no one can make the argument that withdrawing from Gaza made peace or solved any major problem in the conflict. I share the same amount of disdain for the withdrawal in '05 as I do for the Oslo Accords but the big difference is that no one can really argue that the withdrawal wasn't necessary.

Ariel Sharon picked up a hot potato that wound up biting him from all sides, imo. He was a flawed, but good man. A flawed but decent leader. A flawed FF.

With Bibi, I have a much clearer and stronger approval to give.

EDIT: That being said, Sharon most certainly made Israel a safer and stronger country, as you said in your post, and that's why I still like him, on balance.

[Californiadreaming]

I voted Bibi. Very easy vote.

Rankings of PMs during my lifetime
1. Benjamin Netanyahu
2. Ariel Sharon
3. Yitzhak Rabin
4. Ehud Barak
5. Ehud Olmert
6. Shimon Peres

Here are my ratings, overall, for Israeli PMs:
1. Menachem Begin, Likud
2. David Ben-Gurion, Mapai/Rafi/National List
3. Benjamin Netanyahu, Likud (I'm hack, never hid it)
4. Yitzhak Shamir, Likud
5. Golda Meir, Alignment
6. Ariel Sharon, Likud/Kadima
7. Yitzhak Rabin, Labor (as much as I oppose Oslo Accords and as much as I, overall, disagreed w/ his politics...he was a great man who tried to make peace and for that he deserves respect)
8. Moshe Sharrett, Mapai
9. Ehud Barak, Labor/One Israel
10. Yigal Allon, Alignment/Labor (only served as Interim PM, so doesn't really count)
11. Levi Eshkol, Mapai/Alignment/Labor
12. Ehud Olmert, Kadima
13. Shimon Peres, Alignment/Labor

Why Netanyahu above Sharon, though?

The Gaza withdrawal is still a very touchy subject for many Likud supporters, myself included. Sharon did not handle it well, imo, and he also led to the split of Likud's base and support.

Also, over a decade later, no one can make the argument that withdrawing from Gaza made peace or solved any major problem in the conflict. I share the same amount of disdain for the withdrawal in '05 as I do for the Oslo Accords but the big difference is that no one can really argue that the withdrawal wasn't necessary.

Ariel Sharon picked up a hot potato that wound up biting him from all sides, imo. He was a flawed, but good man. A flawed but decent leader. A flawed FF.

With Bibi, I have a much clearer and stronger approval to give.

EDIT: That being said, Sharon most certainly made Israel a safer and stronger country, as you said in your post, and that's why I still like him, on balance.

How exactly do you think that Sharon should have handled the Gaza withdrawal, though?

Also, for the record, my own view on withdrawing from the Gaza Strip is that it was the correct decision. After all, in addition to the national self-determination principle, I think that the 2005 Gaza withdrawal was a good move because the pre-withdrawal situation in Gaza was simply too problematic for Israel. Indeed, weren't there only several thousand Jewish Israeli settlers in Gaza who were outnumbered by Palestinian Arabs by more than 100 (Yes, 100!) to 1?

[SATW]

I voted Bibi. Very easy vote.

Rankings of PMs during my lifetime
1. Benjamin Netanyahu
2. Ariel Sharon
3. Yitzhak Rabin
4. Ehud Barak
5. Ehud Olmert
6. Shimon Peres

Here are my ratings, overall, for Israeli PMs:
1. Menachem Begin, Likud
2. David Ben-Gurion, Mapai/Rafi/National List
3. Benjamin Netanyahu, Likud (I'm hack, never hid it)
4. Yitzhak Shamir, Likud
5. Golda Meir, Alignment
6. Ariel Sharon, Likud/Kadima
7. Yitzhak Rabin, Labor (as much as I oppose Oslo Accords and as much as I, overall, disagreed w/ his politics...he was a great man who tried to make peace and for that he deserves respect)
8. Moshe Sharrett, Mapai
9. Ehud Barak, Labor/One Israel
10. Yigal Allon, Alignment/Labor (only served as Interim PM, so doesn't really count)
11. Levi Eshkol, Mapai/Alignment/Labor
12. Ehud Olmert, Kadima
13. Shimon Peres, Alignment/Labor

Why Netanyahu above Sharon, though?

The Gaza withdrawal is still a very touchy subject for many Likud supporters, myself included. Sharon did not handle it well, imo, and he also led to the split of Likud's base and support.

Also, over a decade later, no one can make the argument that withdrawing from Gaza made peace or solved any major problem in the conflict. I share the same amount of disdain for the withdrawal in '05 as I do for the Oslo Accords but the big difference is that no one can really argue that the withdrawal wasn't necessary.

Ariel Sharon picked up a hot potato that wound up biting him from all sides, imo. He was a flawed, but good man. A flawed but decent leader. A flawed FF.

With Bibi, I have a much clearer and stronger approval to give.

EDIT: That being said, Sharon most certainly made Israel a safer and stronger country, as you said in your post, and that's why I still like him, on balance.

How exactly do you think that Sharon should have handled the Gaza withdrawal, though?

Also, for the record, my own view on withdrawing from the Gaza Strip is that it was the correct decision. After all, in addition to the national self-determination principle, I think that the 2005 Gaza withdrawal was a good move because the pre-withdrawal situation in Gaza was simply too problematic for Israel. Indeed, weren't there only several thousand Jewish Israeli settlers in Gaza who were outnumbered by Palestinian Arabs by more than 100 (Yes, 100!) to 1?

Sharon was a very blunt man - not much different from Trump in some of his fiery rhetoric - and he wasn't able to make this smooth transition for his fellow party members nor for the Israeli public as a whole. I might be bitter about the decision and how it was done but I agree, partially, with you that it was the correct decision.

There's no clear victor in the debate over the withdrawal. As you said, the pre-withdrawal situation was too much to deal with for Israel...however, look what has replaced Israeli rule in Gaza...Radical Islamist/terrorist dictators of multiple stripes causing problems for both Israel, Egypt and also the Palestinian people. So the withdrawal is a wash no matter how you look at it, imo.


It was a difficult situation, Sharon tried his best (and on balance was a decent to good PM) but there was too much damage from it for me to like him more than Bibi.

[Californiadreaming]

I voted Bibi. Very easy vote.

Rankings of PMs during my lifetime
1. Benjamin Netanyahu
2. Ariel Sharon
3. Yitzhak Rabin
4. Ehud Barak
5. Ehud Olmert
6. Shimon Peres

Here are my ratings, overall, for Israeli PMs:
1. Menachem Begin, Likud
2. David Ben-Gurion, Mapai/Rafi/National List
3. Benjamin Netanyahu, Likud (I'm hack, never hid it)
4. Yitzhak Shamir, Likud
5. Golda Meir, Alignment
6. Ariel Sharon, Likud/Kadima
7. Yitzhak Rabin, Labor (as much as I oppose Oslo Accords and as much as I, overall, disagreed w/ his politics...he was a great man who tried to make peace and for that he deserves respect)
8. Moshe Sharrett, Mapai
9. Ehud Barak, Labor/One Israel
10. Yigal Allon, Alignment/Labor (only served as Interim PM, so doesn't really count)
11. Levi Eshkol, Mapai/Alignment/Labor
12. Ehud Olmert, Kadima
13. Shimon Peres, Alignment/Labor

Why Netanyahu above Sharon, though?

The Gaza withdrawal is still a very touchy subject for many Likud supporters, myself included. Sharon did not handle it well, imo, and he also led to the split of Likud's base and support.

Also, over a decade later, no one can make the argument that withdrawing from Gaza made peace or solved any major problem in the conflict. I share the same amount of disdain for the withdrawal in '05 as I do for the Oslo Accords but the big difference is that no one can really argue that the withdrawal wasn't necessary.

Ariel Sharon picked up a hot potato that wound up biting him from all sides, imo. He was a flawed, but good man. A flawed but decent leader. A flawed FF.

With Bibi, I have a much clearer and stronger approval to give.

EDIT: That being said, Sharon most certainly made Israel a safer and stronger country, as you said in your post, and that's why I still like him, on balance.

How exactly do you think that Sharon should have handled the Gaza withdrawal, though?

Also, for the record, my own view on withdrawing from the Gaza Strip is that it was the correct decision. After all, in addition to the national self-determination principle, I think that the 2005 Gaza withdrawal was a good move because the pre-withdrawal situation in Gaza was simply too problematic for Israel. Indeed, weren't there only several thousand Jewish Israeli settlers in Gaza who were outnumbered by Palestinian Arabs by more than 100 (Yes, 100!) to 1?

Sharon was a very blunt man - not much different from Trump in some of his fiery rhetoric - and he wasn't able to make this smooth transition for his fellow party members nor for the Israeli public as a whole. I might be bitter about the decision and how it was done but I agree, partially, with you that it was the correct decision.

There's no clear victor in the debate over the withdrawal. As you said, the pre-withdrawal situation was too much to deal with for Israel...however, look what has replaced Israeli rule in Gaza...Radical Islamist/terrorist dictators of multiple stripes causing problems for both Israel, Egypt and also the Palestinian people. So the withdrawal is a wash no matter how you look at it, imo.


It was a difficult situation, Sharon tried his best (and on balance was a decent to good PM) but there was too much damage from it for me to like him more than Bibi.

In regards to Hamas, though, thankfully they appear to be contained within the Gaza Strip and are unable to cause trouble elsewhere. Of course, Israel does unfortunately have to deal with Hamas from time to time--such as in both 2008-2009 and 2014.

[SATW]

I voted Bibi. Very easy vote.

Rankings of PMs during my lifetime
1. Benjamin Netanyahu
2. Ariel Sharon
3. Yitzhak Rabin
4. Ehud Barak
5. Ehud Olmert
6. Shimon Peres

Here are my ratings, overall, for Israeli PMs:
1. Menachem Begin, Likud
2. David Ben-Gurion, Mapai/Rafi/National List
3. Benjamin Netanyahu, Likud (I'm hack, never hid it)
4. Yitzhak Shamir, Likud
5. Golda Meir, Alignment
6. Ariel Sharon, Likud/Kadima
7. Yitzhak Rabin, Labor (as much as I oppose Oslo Accords and as much as I, overall, disagreed w/ his politics...he was a great man who tried to make peace and for that he deserves respect)
8. Moshe Sharrett, Mapai
9. Ehud Barak, Labor/One Israel
10. Yigal Allon, Alignment/Labor (only served as Interim PM, so doesn't really count)
11. Levi Eshkol, Mapai/Alignment/Labor
12. Ehud Olmert, Kadima
13. Shimon Peres, Alignment/Labor

Why Netanyahu above Sharon, though?

The Gaza withdrawal is still a very touchy subject for many Likud supporters, myself included. Sharon did not handle it well, imo, and he also led to the split of Likud's base and support.

Also, over a decade later, no one can make the argument that withdrawing from Gaza made peace or solved any major problem in the conflict. I share the same amount of disdain for the withdrawal in '05 as I do for the Oslo Accords but the big difference is that no one can really argue that the withdrawal wasn't necessary.

Ariel Sharon picked up a hot potato that wound up biting him from all sides, imo. He was a flawed, but good man. A flawed but decent leader. A flawed FF.

With Bibi, I have a much clearer and stronger approval to give.

EDIT: That being said, Sharon most certainly made Israel a safer and stronger country, as you said in your post, and that's why I still like him, on balance.

How exactly do you think that Sharon should have handled the Gaza withdrawal, though?

Also, for the record, my own view on withdrawing from the Gaza Strip is that it was the correct decision. After all, in addition to the national self-determination principle, I think that the 2005 Gaza withdrawal was a good move because the pre-withdrawal situation in Gaza was simply too problematic for Israel. Indeed, weren't there only several thousand Jewish Israeli settlers in Gaza who were outnumbered by Palestinian Arabs by more than 100 (Yes, 100!) to 1?

Sharon was a very blunt man - not much different from Trump in some of his fiery rhetoric - and he wasn't able to make this smooth transition for his fellow party members nor for the Israeli public as a whole. I might be bitter about the decision and how it was done but I agree, partially, with you that it was the correct decision.

There's no clear victor in the debate over the withdrawal. As you said, the pre-withdrawal situation was too much to deal with for Israel...however, look what has replaced Israeli rule in Gaza...Radical Islamist/terrorist dictators of multiple stripes causing problems for both Israel, Egypt and also the Palestinian people. So the withdrawal is a wash no matter how you look at it, imo.


It was a difficult situation, Sharon tried his best (and on balance was a decent to good PM) but there was too much damage from it for me to like him more than Bibi.

In regards to Hamas, though, thankfully they appear to be contained within the Gaza Strip and are unable to cause trouble elsewhere. Of course, Israel does unfortunately have to deal with Hamas from time to time--such as in both 2008-2009 and 2014.

That's true. Certainly, Hamas is one of the better contained terrorist groups. I just feel bad for the Palestinian people who, every day, have to deal with the brutal rule of Hamas.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Rabin (normal, born 1993)

[RogueBeaver]

Bibi

[Rooney]

PM Rabin, but why did he not listen to the warning of the Bible Code? He was sent a letter about it and everything!

[Californiadreaming]

PM Rabin, but why did he not listen to the warning of the Bible Code? He was sent a letter about it and everything!

Bible Code?

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Rabin although Barak was great too.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Rabin

[Indy Texas]

Rabin.

Tie for worst between Yitzhak Shamir, who was basically an Israeli Milosevic, and Bibi, who is doing to Israel what the American Right did to the Republican Party.