The Daily Background

The right-wing “centerist” Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has ordered an expansion of the Iraeli military’s ground offensive in Lebanon today. Previously expansions to the invasion were put on hold as diplomatic efforts were persued. Meanwhile, Reuters reports that PM Olmert’s popularity has “plunged” in his country:

Rising Israeli casualties and constant Hezbollah rocket attacks have sharply eroded public support in Israel for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his defence minister, an opinion poll showed on Friday.

The survey in the Haaretz newspaper found only 48 percent of Israelis were satisfied with Olmert’s performance compared with popularity ratings of more than 75 percent in polls taken in the early stages of fighting against the Lebanese group.

Public support for Defence Minister Amir Peretz fell from 65 percent to 37 percent, the survey showed.

The poll also found:

The poll found 39 percent of Israelis supported a decision by Olmert’s security cabinet on Wednesday to send troops deeper into southern Lebanon to battle Hezbollah, an operation since put on hold to give diplomacy more time.

It’s a wonder that in country that is actually being attacked by militants, leaders poll numbers shrink faster than they did here in the U.S. when we weren’t attacked by Iraq and entered that conflict. I think it’s a testement to the differences in the Israeli military, not so much the differences in the two wars.

Filed under: Middle East Crisis, Z-TDB Blog