On the Soapbox

Tonight, PBS's Frontline featured a report about Ehud Olmert and his family, and of all the Frontline features that I have watched, this was one of the most delightful. It was interesting to hear his wife and children speak about the political differences in the Olmert family. Olmert was once upon a time one of the most extreme right politicians in Israel, but his entire family is very left-wing. Despite that, they have managed to hold together because, as Ehud jokes, his family has been tolerant of him. The interviews were both charming and frank: his family admitted that they usually did not vote for him, and he even joked at one point that his family had every right to be wrong.

Of course, things are different now, as Olmert in 2003 was the first major right-wing politician to move towards the left and to advocate Israel's unilateral pullout from Gaza. For those of you who don't follow the news, acting prime minister Olmert is currently the leader of the fledgling centrist Kadima party founded by Sharon when the former prime minister abandoned right-wing. Preliminary results show Kadmina in the lead in the recent general election.

Why can't American politics be like this, where people can get along even if they share radically different beliefs? And why can't we have political leaders who have the humility to embrace the other side when the evidence shows that the path that they are traveling is wrong? I know almost nothing about Israeli politics, but if this Frontline feature is any indication, then I think that Olmert will make a fine prime minister.