Uri Avnery on Barack Obama and the implications of his election for the Israel/Palestine conflict.
Like Avnery, this election brought back to my mind similar elections in Israel. When listening to McCain and Palin stir up their crowds, I was reminded of the hate Sharon and Bibi stirred up against Rabin and the horrible consequences of their hate-mongering. For that reason I whole-heartedly agreed with John Lewis’ comments regarding the McCain campaign. Like many other people, I worry for the safety of Obama, Having lived through the Rabin assassination that worry is probably more concrete.
I also wonder if the hope raised by Obama’s election won’t end in disappointment just as it did (as noted by Avnery) for the other Barak. Perhaps four years from now we will end up with Sarah Palin, gods forbid, or some other right-wing nut job. Ehud Barak is also a man of extraordnary intelligence and yet in the end he failed miserably.
Nonetheless, there are three big differences between Barak and Barack. Barak is a military man, a four star general and a chief of staff. His leadership approach is top down and he expects people to follow his orders. This led to his alienating his diverse group of supporters as well as the politicians he needed as allies. Obama started as a community organizer and his leadership success comes from his bottom up approach. I have no doubt he will know how to continue to motivate his supporters while broadening his political alliances.
Related to this first difference, Barak is an impatient person, particularly when he doesn’t get his way. For this reason he prematurely bolted from the negotiations process at a critical time, paving the way for the second Intifada and all that followed from that. Obama has shown himself to be a person of great patience and cool demeanor, exactly what is required in the face of the daunting challenges he faces.
Finally Ehud Barak is a typical politician who cares only for himself and acquiring power. Barack Obama, at least as I see him, is a man who truly cares about people and wants the best for his country and its people, not just for himself. In the end, that will make all the difference.
Tags: Israeli Politics, US Politics