About Olmert's nuclear slip

Omri writes that Olmert's faux pas is not a big deal, and that it makes sense for Israel to be a bit more explicit about her nuclear capabilities. While I'm not sure I agree with him (why should Israel invite international pressure to sign the NPT?) there is merit in the argument.

But that's not what bothered me about Olmert's statement.

What bothered me was that this was almost certainly not meant as a veiled threat to Iran nor as a well-planned signal to the world. It was simply a boneheaded slip of the tongue, something that a supposed head of state should not be doing.

We have an Israeli government that seems to have lost all sense of strategy or purpose. It stumbles from one crisis to the next, in reactive mode, mouthing the words that have been said for decades and then doing the opposite. It is filled with incompetence and opportunism. Above all, it exudes weakness.

This government seems to have brought the Israeli people into a malaise comparable to Americans under Carter. (Its current Supreme Court is not helping matters.)

Every day that Israelis are subjected to the blustering rule of Olmert is another day of losing their confidence. And one must not underestimate the importance of the people's will.

Israel deserves a leader. Olmert's French interview proves yet again that he is not that person.