Olmert's Victory Parade

Olmert is troubled by the criticism of the war, and by the sense of an opportunity blown that he's picking up from newspaper and TV commentators. His message was that Israel is winning in this conflict. That Hezbollah has been badly hurt. Olmert "has no criticism of Ariel Sharon," who did not attack Hezbollah's rocket network. But he believes that his decision three weeks ago to respond full-force to Hezbollah's provocation was unprecedented. And it must be borne in mind that Israel's national interest does not depend on the life of a soldier or two.

Olmert was drunk on his victory over Hassan Nasrallah, while outside 200 rockets were landing on the communities of the North. He made it clear that the war would continue until an international force is deployed in southern Lebanon in place of the IDF. Nasrallah will go on being a target, even after the cease-fire. Israel will demand the unconditional release of its captive soldiers. The army is superb and the intelligence is excellent. His initial reservations about the international force stemmed from his assessment that Israeli public opinion would have trouble taking that in. If Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni convinced him that the international force is worth supporting, what's so bad about that?

Then Olmert slipped up slightly and told the Associated Press that the war in Lebanon would give new momentum to the convergence, "separating from the Palestinians" as he put it. True, the reporter provoked him: They say that having returned to Gaza and Lebanon, you won't be able to carry out the convergence. But instead of saying he's "not dealing with that" now, but only with the war on terror, Olmert couldn't restrain himself. He took an immediate hit from the right and threats of refusing service on the part of soldiers and officers from the settlements.

Why should we go into Lebanon if the goal is to expel us from our homes, they asked, and mentioned the prominence of settlers among the war dead.

Olmert was forced to fold, and at night his bureau issued a statement on his conversation with MK Effi Eitam, in which he said that the war in the North "has no connection to future political moves in other arenas."