For most Israelis, even those who voted for him as the bearer of Sharon’s legacy after the Gaza disengagement, Olmert thus remained the accidental prime minister. Likewise, Peretz, a rabble-rousing but effective trade unionist, surprised all when he won the Labor Party’s leadership primary and then chose the defense portfolio over the treasury.
对于大多数以色列人而言，即使他们在加沙地带撤军后投票选举奥尔默特作为沙龙的遗产的继承人，他也只还是一个意外的总理。同样，佩雷茨是一个有效的工会人士，颇能煽动人心。当他赢得工党领导人初选后没有选择成为财政部长而选择国防部长的时候，大家都感到惊讶。