An unlikely Israeli defense minister

More than a few surprises out of Israel as Ehud Olmert puts together a coalition government this week. The most surprising? Labor leader Amir Peretz as defense minister. Why is it surprising? Israel loves its generals, not just for the defense ministry, but for prime minister, and Peretz is a civilian; he only briefly served in the IDF ...

More than a few surprises out of Israel as Ehud Olmert puts together a coalition government this week. The most surprising? Labor leader Amir Peretz as defense minister. Why is it surprising? Israel loves its generals, not just for the defense ministry, but for prime minister, and Peretz is a civilian; he only briefly served in the IDF back in the 1970s and he has no leadership experience in the military. Plus, Labor's campaign for the recent elections was all economics - raising the minimum wage, lowering unemployment, and addressing disparities. Peretz even mentioned cutting the defense budget to usher in a 'social revolution.' After Labor's stronger-than-expected showing in the elections, Peretz seemed a natural choice for finance minister. But defense?

More than a few surprises out of Israel as Ehud Olmert puts together a coalition government this week. The most surprising? Labor leader Amir Peretz as defense minister. Why is it surprising? Israel loves its generals, not just for the defense ministry, but for prime minister, and Peretz is a civilian; he only briefly served in the IDF back in the 1970s and he has no leadership experience in the military. Plus, Labor's campaign for the recent elections was all economics – raising the minimum wage, lowering unemployment, and addressing disparities. Peretz even mentioned cutting the defense budget to usher in a 'social revolution.' After Labor's stronger-than-expected showing in the elections, Peretz seemed a natural choice for finance minister. But defense?

Some think a civilian will bring out-of-the-box thinking to the military. Others think it's a disaster. At the very least, it's a brilliant political move by Olmert if he's hoping to undercut Peretz's popularity. Peretz clearly thinks this move will be a springboard to being prime minister, but if he falters at defense, he can kiss his political hopes goodbye.

As for what we might be able to expect from Peretz at defense, he supports a Palestinian state and withdrawal from the West Bank. He'll likely take a strong line against illegal settlements and has spoken of an "ethical roadmap" to peace. He opposes all negotiation with Hamas.

Carolyn O'Hara is a senior editor at Foreign Policy.

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