Tel-Chai Nation

Shimon Peres is showing signs of age in sleepiness, and has also lost Labor's support for him as a presidential candidate:

Vice Premier Shimon Peres is by all accounts active for his age, but time may be gaining on the octogenarian.

According to the Jerusalem Post, the Labor Party's executive committee voted nearly unanimously to endorse Colette Avital rather than Peres as its choice for Israel's next president. [...]

The Vice Premier, who bolted to the Kadima party after losing to Amir Peretz in the race to lead Labor, was not pleased when Channel Ten screened a clip of him falling asleep during a TV interviewer's question about Iran. [...]

The interviewer, evidently from an Arab television station, asks Peres whether Israel should see development of nuclear capability in Iran as an "existential threat." The Vice Premier mumbles in response that Iran should feel threatened, and that they would in ten years see the investment in nuclear weapons as a mistake. But by the time the interviewer asks him about the Iranian President's threat to wipe Israel off the map, Peres has dozed off completely.

The disconcerted interviewer repeats the question, and Peres opens his eyes. He is rescued by his aide's offer to fetch some coffee.

In response to the broadcast of the clip Thursday, Peres' consultant explained that he had just returned on a long flight. The interview reportedly took place several months ago.

The embarrassing clip is not likely to help his campaign to reassure the public that an 83 year old can stand up to the demanding challenges of public office.

He's not the only one. Even Ehud Olmert himself has been filmed dozing off at public meetings. There are questions being raised about whether he's in any good shape to be in his position either.

Labels: Israel