Why the hell is Ehud Olmert still Prime Minister?

[Iosif is a COTHO]

This guy's time in office has been nothing but failure after failure and scandal after scandal. Is anyone in doubt that he is unbelievably corrupt?

I can't believe Israeli politics would be so decrepit that there's no-one to replace him. The really scary thought is that that nutcase Netanyahu will get back in.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The answer is simple.

Magic!

[danny]

Because labor is scared that they will do badly in an election (but it looks like there will be elections by years end).

[Kaine for Senate '18]

He has a history of surviving scandals.  That said, he won't be Prime Minister in January of next year.

[Хahar 🤔]

Israel for you.

[dead0man]

subtle

[Stranger in a strange land]

Israel for you.

given that Israeli governments have historically had the stability of a house of cards, that's not really a valid explanation :S

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Israel for you.

[Хahar 🤔]

Israel for you.

given that Israeli governments have historically had the stability of a house of cards, that's not really a valid explanation :S

Sure, but they've only used a vote of no condfidence once (or, at least, that's wahat the front page of Wikipedia says).

[Kaine for Senate '18]

I think Olmert will hold on until after our elections, and then resign.

As to who will replace him, I have no idea.

[© tweed]

This guy's time in office has been nothing but failure after failure and scandal after scandal. Is anyone in doubt that he is unbelievably corrupt?

I can't believe Israeli politics would be so decrepit that there's no-one to replace him. The really scary thought is that that nutcase Netanyahu will get back in.

why, would you prefer Netanyahu?

[Verily]

This guy's time in office has been nothing but failure after failure and scandal after scandal. Is anyone in doubt that he is unbelievably corrupt?

I can't believe Israeli politics would be so decrepit that there's no-one to replace him. The really scary thought is that that nutcase Netanyahu will get back in.

why, would you prefer Netanyahu?

Tzipi Livni is the only realistic choice from within Kadima, and I think she is more likely to become Prime Minister than an election be called if Olmert is forced out. She would be an interesting PM and would probably hurt Netanyahu's poll ratings badly.

[J. J.]

He has good lawyers. 

[Robespierre's Jaw]

Because the Kadima Government has nobody better to replace Olmert as Prime Minister.

Though saying this, based on my vast knowledge on Israeli politics, like I have any , anybody would do a better job as Prime Minister of Israel than Ehud Olmert. Hell even Ariel Sharon would do a better job as Olmert and he's in a coma!

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Right now, I would expect Tzipi Livni to become PM.

[danny]

Right now, I would expect Tzipi Livni to become PM.

Well, current polls show Bibi beating Livni (or anyone else).

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Right now, I would expect Tzipi Livni to become PM.

Well, current polls show Bibi beating Livni (or anyone else).

I haven't seen any polls.  Where'd you find them?

[danny]

Right now, I would expect Tzipi Livni to become PM.

Well, current polls show Bibi beating Livni (or anyone else).

I haven't seen any polls.  Where'd you find them?

Local newspapers.

[Albus Dumbledore]

Olmert should be tried and executed for crimes against humanity along with the rest of the Knesset and every officer in Israel's military.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Olmert should be tried and executed for crimes against humanity along with the rest of the Knesset and every officer in Israel's military.

Seriously?

[Albus Dumbledore]

Yep 100% seriously. They condone imperialism of the worst and most brutal kind by stealing 3/4 of Palestine. I see no efforts to integrate or assimilate the palestinians beyond a few collaborators(the druze/bedouin). However, I see many efforts to exclude, intimidate and control. Basically, they want to intimidate the surviving palestinians into becoming a cowed serf class who'll work gratefully for their masters.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Yep 100% seriously. They condone imperialism of the worst and most brutal kind by stealing 3/4 of Palestine. I see no efforts to integrate or assimilate the palestinians beyond a few collaborators(the druze/bedouin). However, I see many efforts to exclude, intimidate and control. Basically, they want to intimidate the surviving palestinians into becoming a cowed serf class who'll work gratefully for their masters.

Bulls**t.  Countries have been attacking Israel since day 1; the Palestinians went to war rather than take what was given to them, and it's their own damn fault they lost their land.  Israel has tried to integrate them, and it is has worked, except for the lunatics who want to wipe Israel off the map.

[Albus Dumbledore]

I'm going to address the zionist talking points you're going on about. The existence of Israel is a current status quo point for the next 20-30 years thanks to AIPAC and campaign contributions from people living in the diamond district of NYC or long island so that's settled. Now onto your points!

1 And they were heroes in the cause of opposing apartheid and imperialism. Israel could have become a noble state and a good example for the middle east instead of being an increasingly theocratic sham democracy(well herrenvolk democracy like pre-1990s south africa or the US south before the 1960s) had they decided to do the right thing.
2 Well if you're going to be given second class citizenship at best of course one wouldn't be too happy about it. Israel is still quite dickish and harsh towards it's arab citizens. Note that I just talk about the citizens and not the oppressed people in Gaza or the west bank.
3 Only partially integrating a few collaborators isn't the same as extending equal rights to all and you know it. If Israel is to become a decent nation and end it's decades of darkness it needs to establish a completely secular state, give the arabs in the west bank+gaza full citizenship, establish real civil liberties, dismantle it's WMD, abolish the draft and stand down on it's foreign policy. Basically, it has to act like a full member of the community of nations and not a rogue state.
4 Lunatics? So you're going to call people who are the moral equivalents of the ANC lunatics now. I can see it now in an ATL where both of us were born 20 years early and the internet was around in the 1980s you posting long screeds defending P.W. Botha's regime.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

I'll discuss point 4: why should Israel dismantle its WMD's and get rid of the draft when it will be attacked as soon it does so?  The other nations around Israel want to destroy it, and Israel needs to protect itself.

[Albus Dumbledore]

So you're saying it's okay for Israel to have WMD but not arab nations. Care to explain why in public? Is it race? Religion?