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Heard on the Street

Leadership Requires Long-Term View

posted on 05/05/08

Major General (Ret.) Danny Rothschild, former IDF coordinator of activities in the Palestinian territories (1991-95) and president of the Israeli Council for Peace and Security, op-ed in Yedioth Ahronoth “Leaders or Brigade Commanders?” April 29, 2008 (translated by Middle East Bulletin):

“The Israeli leadership, headed by Olmert, Barak and Livni, faces a tough dilemma … On the one hand, the three want … peace, while on the other hand, they must maintain a reasonable security situation that does not deteriorate … Unfortunately, despite positive pronouncements, the Israeli leadership … is not taking enough macro steps that could improve the situation. Olmert, Barak and Livni are acting like brigade commanders in the Nablus or Ramallah sectors. The brigade commanders on the ground have a clear task—to prevent terror attacks—and they are indeed doing excellent work. … But leadership should lead and not be led by intelligence warnings. The leadership must take responsibility and tell the IDF commanders: with a view to long term, and despite the fact that your mission is to prevent terror, we are taking responsibility, we are ordering you to take steps on the ground that while they may make it hard for you in the short term; in the long term, they will help us realize our national goals."