Israel: Leadership Change Coming Soon

When I first began writing back in January, I shared with you that, from time to time, I would focus upon what was happening in Israel and the Middle East, especially as it might relate to prophetic times. This week I want to bring you up to date.

Last week Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced his intentions to resign following the mid-September primaries within the Kadima Party. The Prime Minister has been under a cloud of suspicion since the failed 2006 Second Lebanon War. He has been able to maintain his party's coalition government because the leaders of others within that coalition have only given threats to unravel the government. But recently Olmert was accused of fraud and other improprieties with regard to receiving money while he served as Mayor of Jerusalem. This seemed to be the straw that would "break the camel's back."

Now, like here in the United States, Israel has a lame-duck leader resulting in even greater uncertainty about the future of the Middle East, especially regarding President Bush's "Road Map" plan for peace. Who will be the new leader in Israel? That answer is as uncertain as who will be the new president in America? But let me share with you some possible scenarios.

Presently the Kadima Party holds a slim majority of seats within the Israeli Knesset, thus they hold the reigns of power. There are two individuals who will vie for the leadership of that party during the primaries in September. Tzipi Livni serves as the Foreign Minister. She is a bright, intelligent, and upcoming personality within Israeli politics. She also served with the Mossaud, the Israeli CIA. Many see her as more of a centrist in her thinking. Shaul Mofaz is the Minister of Transportation. He is an Iranian born Jew who came to Israel when he was nine. He has held several positions within the Israeli government in the past. He is considered to be more hawkish in his approach to dealings with the Palestinians. Right now polling has these two running neck to neck. Whoever will win the primary will then be given 52 days in which to form a coalition government, thus keeping the Kadima Party in power.

But - don't you just love that word - lurking in the background are two other individuals who must be taken seriously. One is Ehud Barak, the head of the Labor Party and the Defense Minister within the Cabinet. Barak served as Prime Minister during those tumultuous days in the early part of this century when Israel pulled out of Lebanon. He is a man with powerful influence and would love to be Prime Minister once again. There is much speculation as to whether he would be willing to keep the Labor Party as a coalition member under a new Kadima leadership. The other person is Benjamim Netanyahu, leader of the Likud Party, who also served as Prime Minister in the late 1990's. Mr. Netanyahu has been an outspoken critic of the Olmert government, especially in its handling of the Palestinian questions.

Should the new leader of the Kadima Party fail to create a coalition government, then the Knesset will be dissolved and new national elections will be called - probably after the first of the year. That would certainly make for an interesting race.

Now I know what you might be saying to yourself: Why should I really care about Israeli politics? Let me tell you why. The challenges the world is facing today have as their epicenter the clash between two people groups and two religions that are facing off in a country known as Israel. Friends, what happens in Jerusalem matters to those of us living in Minnesota or Iowa or Colorado. The relationships that will be established between our new President and the new leadership in Israel will matter to you. So, I will keep you posted because I want you to know.