Israel: Tzipi Livni triumphs
Pragmatic and competent: Zipi Livni, 50, has a great chance of becoming Israel's new prime minister.
The Israelis are news junkies. In such a tense country - no wonder. In the morning at least the headlines of the newspapers are read, during the day you follow the latest news on the radio or online, in the evening people watch one of the mostly one-hour news programs on television. Interesting for the people here are not only the warnings about possible suicide bombers or the latest state of negotiations with the Palestinians - especially the political circus and the machinations of the politicians are being pursued for the most important posts.
And so last night's election thriller was to chair the Kadima party in Israeli terms. In the end, the favorite: Zipi Livni won. But much tighter than predicted in the forecasts. It can go fast in Israel, from the top down to the bottom, think of the rape allegations against former President Katzav. But it is also the other way around fix - from bottom to top.
Zipi Livni is now at the topMany Israelis find this good because the political starter, who has long worked as a lawyer, enjoys great trust in the population and is considered unconscious and not corrupt. Pluses Zipi Livni has now certainly brought the former criticism of her party colleague and former boss Olmert, which they promptly after the disastrous investigation report on the Lebanon campaign to resign. Many people here have rated this as sincere and consistent.
The 50-year-old is a new, fresh face in the political landscape and also a woman - perhaps also a reason for Zipi Livnis popularity, because the competition is male and well-known: men like Netanyahu and Barak, who would also like to inherit Ehud Olmert in the premier, do not worry many Israelis for enthusiastic storms - both were already heads of state and their term of office has not necessarily remained in positive memory for most of them.
Viktoria Schult, 36, has been living with her family in Jerusalem since 2006, blogging about her everyday life between the fronts
But Zipi Livni not only has the newcomer bonus It is also considered pragmatic and competent. Since Annapolis, the lawyer and former Mossad employee has been the chief negotiator with the Palestinian Authority and most recently served as Foreign Minister - the second woman in Israel after Golda Meir. Now, Zipi Livni - also the second woman after Golda Meir - is almost ready for the government office. If the mother of two grown-up sons manages to forge a viable coalition, then the latest news from Israel will soon be: Tzipi Livni is Prime Minister.
