Another Sign of Weak Leadership

Former justice minister Haim Ramon was convicted yesterday for indecent behavior at Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court, for having kissed a young female soldier against her will. Ramon vowed to appeal.

I'm not going to debate the merits of the case or who is right and who is wrong. Rather, what concerns me most is the direction Israel is heading. Their have always been scandals in Israeli politics, from the PM on down. However, a good portion of the Israeli public was often able to look past the scandal because they believed in the individual politician at the helm, like in the case of Sharon.

I don't see that with the current administration. With Iran blustering to the East, with Gaza falling apart to the West, with Lebanon still an open wound to the North and a recent suicide bombing in Eilat in the South, Israel is more than ever surrounded by threats. And either by scandal or ineptitude, Israel's leadership has not earned the confience of the Israeli public, or the pro-Israeli community worldwide. Olmert, Halutz, Peretz, Ramon . . . when will it end? When will Israel right herself?

Israel needs all her strength when facing external enemies. A weak leadership, making self defeating mistakes, only hurts her cause.