Napoleon Bonaparte defined leadership as dealing in hope, or in other words, finding a march and running to lead it.
In recent days, Israeli politics has become a bazaar, its "merchants" trading in mood swings, chance dissent and short-term gains. With unbridled cynicism and national irresponsibility, politicians are solely pursuing their own personal interests. There is no vision, no path, no sound reasoning – just a scrounge for votes.
The Israeli Left, which is very sensitive to Palestinian victims, including terrorists, and which preaches for peace here and now, is trying to out-right the right-wing government, claiming that its response to the recent flare-up in the Gaza Strip was not harsh enough.
Zionist Union Chairman Avi Gabbay, his partner Tzipi Livni and Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid have assumed impressive war postures, as if they all hail from elite units in the army.
Meanwhile, on the Right, there is chaos and bedlam.
Over the past six months, recently resigned Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Education Minister Naftali Bennett have competed, at the expense of the army, Mossad and Shin Bet security agency, over who is more hawkish. As if they were in a race, and the winner would get all the votes and cheers from the stands. Who would have believed we'd see the day when Likud MK Oren Hazan, whose contributions to Israeli statesmanship are well-documented, has the fate of a right-wing government in his palm.
I cannot shake this feeling of deja vu. We've already been here. Before the 1992 elections, the right-wing parties Tehiya, Tzomet and Moledet resigned one after the other over the talks in the wake of the Madrid Summit. These parties had hoped that charging then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir from the right would earn them significant political capital. After they resigned, early elections were declared. The miserable outcome was that Labor leader Yitzhak Rabin won the elections, managed to form a left-wing government, the Oslo Accords were signed, and Israeli society paid a heavy price in blood.
The right-wing parties, who believe elections will benefit them, are severely mistaken. Savvy Israelis have rarely been impressed by political opportunism, and have not voted for politicians who founded politically ambiguous parties.
Bennett, whose reasonable expectation for the defense portfolio failed to materialize, still will not initiate the untimely demise of a right-wing government. Habayit Hayehudi's political base will not forgive him if he helps Lieberman's transparent political gambit succeed.
Political pundits say Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu) wants early elections due to concerns over his failure to lower housing prices and fix the budget deficit. Having known Kahlon for many years, I cannot imagine he would lend a hand to Hamas' single greatest achievement since its inception – toppling a right-wing government in Israel.
The frustration many Israelis harbor over events in the south is understandable. With that, once it becomes possible to tell the public about the entire gamut of considerations the government took into account in accepting the cease-fire now, the public will understand and appreciate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's display of leadership. My advice to those buying goods based on the current mood swing is: Save your receipts.
