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'Anyone but Bibi' is not a diplomatic initiative

Tzipi Livni's past support for right-wing positions on reaching an agreement with the Palestinians requires that she and Isaac Herzog of Labor reveal a genuine plan for renewing talks.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem December 21, 2014.  REUTERS/Amir Cohen (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR4IU96
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The current election campaign is frighteningly reminiscent of the dramatic 1999 challenge by Labor Party leader Ehud Barak against the incumbent prime minister, Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu. Then, too, after a three-year Netanyahu term, the parties to the left of Likud rode the wave of disgust with the prime minister. Then, too, the hoarse cries of “Anyone but Bibi” muted any attempt to conduct a serious debate about Labor’s guiding principles, first and foremost to draw the outlines of a permanent arrangement with the Palestinians. The disappointment with Netanyahu provided Labor with sufficient impetus to retake power.

The sad ending of that chapter is known to many, but here is a short reminder nonetheless: Barak pledged the “dawn of a new day” and then built more new settlement housing than all his predecessors. He violated a commitment to hand over villages in the Jerusalem area to the Palestinians, demanded that a synagogue be built near the Temple Mount mosques and allowed Shaul Mofaz, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, and his deputy, Moshe Ya’alon, to undermine the security forces loyal to Jibril Rajoub, one of the leaders of the Palestinian peace camp. To top it all off, Barak issued the famous “no partner” declaration — a position that subsequently accompanied Ariel Sharon to the premiership and paved the way of Labor Party Chairman Barak into Netanyahu’s government.

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