MER - Washington - 19 November, 1997:

The Americans, the Arab client regimes, and the Labor Party plus its associated "Peace Now" Israelis and American Jews (Clinton's National Security Advisory Sandy Berger and good old Henry Kissinger among them) are getting increasingly desperate about the "Peace Process".

It wasn't all that long ago they were all trying to convince everyone who would listen that it all was "irreversible"; even while desperately trying to hide the apartheid-like qualities of the "peace" they were
thrusting on the bewildered and miserably led Palestinians. Such talk of "irreversibility" was not only fallacious, it was already somewhat transparently signaling today desperation which would have come about in time under Rabin or Peres as well, though with more subtle nuances. Whatever, not only is the "peace process" in mortal danger; the entire American "order" in the region is showing signs of considerable fatigue and fragility.

Hence the willingness of many, for their own reasons, to consider with interest today's Likudnik rebellion, the current maneuverings to possibly topple Bibi Netanyahu and either recast the Israeli government
more solidly to the right, or alternatively to consider another "national unity" government to best weather the coming political storms and likely "terrorist" challenges. Whatever the eventual political outcome, such maneuvers many hope will at least buy more time and create more illusory hopes.

The following report about the current maneuvering to topple Bibi -- "A New Prime Minister?" -- is from a right-wing Israeli news service today:

"A 'quick, simple, and elegant' plan... is being discussed to replace Netanyahu with Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert", according to Menachem Rahat, a reporter for Israel's well-known Maariv newspaper. "The plan involves four stages, of which the first is the hardest: convincing two other Likud hopefuls, Roni Milo and Dan Meridor, to stand behind Olmert, who is considered more acceptable to the religious and nationalist publics.

After that, 61 MKs can vote to topple the government, thereby bringing about new Knesset elections, while 80 MKs are needed to merely depose the PM. The plan calls for the latter. After Netanyahu is fired by the Knesset vote, according to the plan, new elections for PM between Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert will be called. Rahat explained, however, that the plan may never get off the ground because Milo and Meridor have not yet been convinced, and because Netanyahu - who will meet today individually with some of his internal opponents - has already begun calming the atmosphere within the Likud."