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Mrs Clean for Prime Minister
Philip Jacobson, FirstPost.co.uk
With polls suggesting that most Israelis are still willing to give peace a chance, a leadership bid from Tzipi Livni, the tough, able and fiercely ambitious foreign minister, is definitely on the cards. Although she is no dove where the Palestinians are concerned, Livni - 'Mrs Clean' to the media - is well liked by a public sick of political scandals (unsurprisingly, Olmert can't stand her and might try to scupper her hopes).
Her principal challenger could be the hawkish Shaul Mofaz, former head of the armed forces and, to judge by recent comments, an enthusiastic supporter of an Israeli attack on Iran's controversial nuclear installations. Intriguingly, the polls also indicate growing support for another stalwart of the hardline right, Binyamin ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu in the event that yet another political stalemate produces a general election next year.