Opinion
Blind to the danger
Martin Sherman
Published: 01.10.07, 07:26
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25 Talkbacks for this article
1. Sharon's advisors were clueless. weisglass: learned nothing
dante ,   uk   (10.01.07)
Israel' s position vis a vis the arabs has been tentative, timid, and apologetic. under Sharon, Israel did not protect its people, its land, and did not protect its soldiers. the government did not protect Jewish rights to Jerusalem. can anyone figure out why Israel participated in the absurd and misnamed "prisoner exchange"? why did Israel not shout about the continued detention of Ron Arad, Zachary Baumol, ET AL.? and, why did Israel insist that the discussion of arab refugees would take place only after the issue of the larger number of far wealthier Jewish refugees from arab lands is resolved. and, of course, the tragedy of the ill-conceived expulsion from Gush Katif showed that Sharon's advisors did not have a clue and did not care to make the required plans for the expellees. weisglass deserves to be ignored.
2. Why there can never be any separate Arab political entity
Uzi ,   Haifa   (10.01.07)
west of the Jordan. The answer is in some hard facts: The Arabs of Western Eretz Yisrael have consistently demonstrated that they are incapable of surviving unaided or ruling themselves, especially at the national polity level. They have never exercised their inherent right of self determination and now they expect others to determine and create for them that Mickey Mouse "state" which will never be. They constantly kill and steal from each other and lie to themselves, each other and the rest of the world. They never miss any opportunity to make atrocious choices and mistakes and they are incapable of sustaining and providing for themselves; they depend on others for everything. How on earth will they ever make it?
3. Olmert 's & Sharon's cronies are ruining the country
for personal gain ,   Israel   (10.01.07)
It's awful how the "coalition" stays on. They are all moral midgets. This disastrous "government" should brought down now. Perhaps the IDF should seizepower temporarily. It worked for Turkey. It could work for us.
4. Excellent analysis but forgot one point.
Terry ,   Eilat, Israel   (10.01.07)
And a very important point, at that. The creation of an independant Palestinian state is irreversible. Palestine will join the UN (in a nano-second), will be immediately recognized by our "friends" abroad, will join many international organizations, etc. etc. It will become a legal entity & a territory that until now was in a legal limbo having the status of "disputed" will have a legal owner. So no matter what their behavior, we will not be able to re-occupy the West Bank. The mistake cannot be corrected. Don't believe for a minute that we will "deal harshly" with terrorism coming from the West Bank. This is what was said before the withdrawal from Gaza. It was obviously a lie. Weisglas also said that the Gaza withdrawal would put the peace process (speaking specifically about the West Bank) in the "deep freeze" for which he was criticized by leftists. The exact opposite happened. I cannot speculate on Mr Weisglas's motives. He is either a knave or a fool, either delusional or deliberately deceptive. But Mr Sherman is right - the peace conference is a cause for grave concern.
5. Olmert is the best example of Sharons flawed pull out plan.
How's that going ,   for you guys????   (10.01.07)
6. oy oy oy
Eshkol Hakofer   (10.01.07)
mr sherman, the u.s is better and safer. mr dante, the u.khaaay is better und safer too. why not let israel determine it's future? stick to your problems, you seem to have none. and let israel solve it's own. better yet, you may decide to pick fights in your respective countries!
7. Terry #4: You also forgot one point
Steve ,   US   (10.01.07)
If there is no "God" (if you will), no God of Israel, maybe this will sort itself out in the final analysis. If "God forbid" there is a God of Israel watching over all of this, we Jews are going to get a good thrashing, it seems to me, because clearly Moses' and all the prophet's warnings are clear. This would be many times worse than the sin of the spies, recorded in the book of Bamidbar (Numbers). Jews had better pray Moses and all the prophets were wrong; pray that that there is no God of Israel. Maybe the long-arm of the Palestinian Muslim savages won't reach you down there in Eilat. I do not envy those living in a divided Jerusalem when the Muslim hordes rise up in their day of vengeance. God help us.
8. Bush is no friend; he is an enemy of Israel
Steve ,   US   (10.01.07)
Mr. Sherman wrote: "For if this administration really has such "great friendship" for Israel, why would it press Israel into the very same perilous position that far less friendly administrations have tried to foist on it before?" Only days after the September 11, 2001 Saudi-backed, Muslim terrorist atrocities on American soil, Mr. Bush announced his "vision" for a Palestinian terrorist state in Israel. Bush promised then Saudi Crown Prince Abduallah bin Abdul Aziz he would do this is a two page letter to the prince, August 2001. Saudi complicity in the September attacks left Bush unmoved. Ariel Sharon protested early October 2001, pleading with the American leader to not do to Israel what the great powers did to tiny Czechoslovakia at Munich, 1938. Sharon protested, "Don't appease the Arabs at our expense. Israel will fight terrorism..." A couple of threatening phone calls from Secretary of State Colin Powell was all it took to get a public retraction from the politically weak Israeli prime minister. It was then, only days after the September 11 attacks, I realized we had an enemy in the White House. People, especially my fellow conservatives, don't like to hear this. Bush is an enemy of the Jewish state. End of story.
9. #7 Steve, US - I'm not religious ....
Terry ,   Eilat, Israel   (10.01.07)
If G-d did not help us during the Holocaust, I see no reason to expect divine assistance now. The Bible is history, however, and is often an excellent guide to today's events. But for those that believe, remember that G-d helps those that help themselves, something which we seem not to be doing lately. I don't know how bad things will have to get before Israelis finally wake up & get rid of our current collection of venal, incompetent, self-serving, irresponsible, unaccountable politicians. But it better be soon or we won't have a country left.
10. BUsh is no friend of Israel, he kisses arabs azz for oil$
Petra ,   usa   (10.01.07)
And we call him a 'conservative' and he represents the "right" what a bunch of beans.......
11. I'm not religious BUT
Petra ,   usa   (10.01.07)
With politicians like USA and Israel, it seems apparent that there is a God and only He's helping Israel at the moment. Look at the odds, religious or not... any bookmaker would have given odds there would never have been an Israel that could survive 60 years amidst so many arab savages who keep losing their self starting wars that end with THEIR losses. Thank you God of Israel!!!!
12. Terry, I don't consider myself religious either
Steve ,   US   (10.01.07)
I do not faithfully and strictly observe all the details contained in our Torah. This means I am a not an observant Jew according to Halakhah. Does a Jew have to be religious to believe in God? I've known non-religiously observant Jews who believe in God. Is that an oxymoron? A non-religious Jew who believes in God? Does one have to be a religious Jew to contemplate the warnings Moses allegedly gave to the Jews in our Bible (Torah)? What Israel's leaders are contemplating is morally repugnant, strategically suicidal and Biblically unthinkable. Why ignore the wisdom contained therein on the basis that "I'm not religious?" It is hard for Jews to believe that the "God of the Jews" would allow something as enormous as the Holocaust. When rabbis in Israel mention this possibility they are shamed and publicly humiliated into apologetic silence. If a Jew reads Moses' admonitions to Israel, he seems to warn of terrible consequences, even Holocausts. "How could the God of Jews be so vengeful" you might ask? "I cannot believe in such a vindictive and vengeful God." Is this your response? It's difficult reading, but it's all there in the final chapters of the book of Deuteronomy. I'm not a religious Jew. Neither am I a fool. Why would I want to suffer pain in this world? Shall we non-religious Jews dismiss all these warnings? I would agree with you in principle, God helps those who help themselves. Are we helping ourselves by ignoring these warnings?
13. #10 So whose @ss was clinton & carter kissing?? Were they
friends of Israel ,   with Olso???   (10.01.07)
14. #13: No Clinton and Carter were / are not friends
Steve ,   US   (10.01.07)
I must say however, as a conservative, I have come to expect this from the left but not from the right. Bush claims to be a conservative and a born again, bible-believing Christian. I don't know what Bible Mr. Bush reads nor do I know what God he prays to. I am shocked to see conservatives and Republicans, conservative leaders and Republican leaders here in the US embrace this nonsense; this craven appeasement. Aren't you?
15. "Why indeed?"
Steve ,   US   (10.01.07)
I sent one of our conservative raido talk show hosts here in Fla. this fine article. He is a BIG George W. Bush supporter. In his view, this entirely Israel's fault and responsibilty. All of it! He does not blame Bush for any of this. My talk show host chose to comment only on one sentence Mr. Sherman wrote in his entire piece: Sherman wrote: "And why should Israel subordinate its vital security interests for the sake of an outgoing foreign government – however friendly?" My talk show host responded: "Why indeed?"
16. #15 Steve, US - Why indeed?
Terry ,   Eilat, Israel   (10.01.07)
In a sense he has a point - this is more our gov't's fault than America's. Leaving aside our agreement with the failed Oslo Accords which put us on this slippery slope to hell, you can blame Sharon for convincing Bush to go along with disengagement (which was not an American idea) & this current mess is the work of Olmert & Livni. Did we resist? No, we participated. Had we shown firm opposition to any further concessions to the Palestinians, the Americans would not force us into it. But once a US President invests political capital, the process takes on a life of it's own. Bush cannot backtrack on the idea of an independant Palestine & so he goes forward .... He did not come up with this idea on his own - this was our gov't. that went along. So, why indeed?
17. Impeccable arguments
Canadian Otter   (10.01.07)
This column should be e-mailed to all the perpetrators of the Roadmap and their accomplices at the Knesset. http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mkindex_current_eng.asp?view=1 There are two items in the news today that are symptomatic of 1) failed reasoning among Israeli leaders and 2) foreign interference. The first one is Livni's statements at the UN saying: "we know, especially after the pullouts from Gaza and southern Lebanon, that a pullout in and of itself cannot bring about peace." She and other government leaders have acknowledged the above, yet they continue single mindedly ahead ready to effect more withdrawals. The second is a little item on Israel National News: "The police will move its Judea and Samaria headquarters into the E-1 area connecting Ma'aleh Adumim with Jerusalem by the end of December, according to Public Security Minister Avi Dichter (Kadima), quoted by the Hebrew daily Ha'aretz. The move will take place despite objections by the American government." http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/134018 That is the root cause of this Roadmap that will have catastrophic consequences for the Israeli people: American interference. The Americans have an extremely deep and undue influence in government decisions in the country. Israel has given up its independence. Israel was able to defeat its Arab enemies in the past. Now it is ready to give up territory and security and expel thousands of Jews because of the bullying of a false "ally", the American government.
18. Dear Mr. Sherman....
Brooke ,   Toronto Canada   (10.01.07)
Thank you for a thought provoking and frightening article. I have often pondered why these "smart men" adhere to suicidal "accords" for decades now. Other than Sharon, who instigated the gaza pullout as a diversionary tactic against criminal investigation--the only explanation is money & power. Therefore it is incumbent upon the Israeli people to insist on a transparency to all bank accounts of policy leaders to disclose who their REAL donors are. I understand that the economy and stock market is at an all time high and perhaps many successful, happy and cash flush Israelis rather not contemplate their new indefensible, suicidal borders--but it is no fun to be rich in a country that is constantly terrorized and her enemies become more sophisticated.--or G-d forbid destroyed through her own gov't's bankrupt moral policies. Can you explain to me why there is no outrage ? Where is the core survival instinct to do away with these criminal suicidal "accords" ? Why have the Israelis not amassed on the streets and refuse to leave until this dangerous gov't is brought down? What can we do in the diaspora to help? This is both heartbreaking and maddening. It is impossible to consider aliyah when you see the leaders doing the murdering and terrorizing of Israel --this was once only the domain of her enemies. Thank you.
19. Who is Weisglass -
Jim ,   Chicago   (10.01.07)
He was Sharon's defence criminal lawyer, and he did a very god job for Sharon: Instead of beeing in coma Sharon could be in jail with his son. Otherwise, Weisglass knows nothing about defence or any other subject. When the private criminal lawyer runs the foreign policy of the country, this country will be finished very soon.
20. Steve , he did not help
charles ,   petach tikva   (10.01.07)
those who were trying to help themselve during the Shoa . Look at what happened in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising . So why should a Israeli Jew believe in an eventual help from heaven .
21. Preventing Bush from installing a terror state
Carl ,   Indianapolis, USA   (10.02.07)
There's a column called "Preventing a Terror State" on Israel National News which says that many Congressmen would like to help Israel but ... "because the government of Israel hesitates to challenge the Palestinian policies of the Bush administration, many members of Congress remain passive in their opposition to these policies; the truism about not wanting to be more Catholic than the Pope applies here. Congresspersons are more likely to respond with vigorous opposition to the Bush policies if: they have solid, cutting-edge information on the issues; they hear from Israelis prepared to counter their government's passivity; and they are encouraged by their constituents to act." http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/7438 I've heard this before: Israelis do not seem to care enough for their land, so why should anyone else... The author goes on to give suggestions to pro-Israel Americans on how to encourage those Congressmen and what information to give them. For example: All efforts in the USA should focus on the ways in which the Bush-Olmert policy is detrimental to US goals and best interests. Bring Israeli experts to Washington DC to speak about PA textbooks, matters of security, etc., and hold briefings with key staff members on Capitol Hill. Channel information on Fatah to key Congressional staffers, key members of the press and key opinion-makers. Hold press conferences to expose information about Fatah with journalists. Maybe you and I can't do that on our own, but we all belong to some social group and if we organize and pool our resources, we can get something started. The way I see it is that even if this Roadmap attempt by Bush and Olmert fails or drags on for many months, the Arabs aren't giving up, so this is going to be a long campaign and our efforts should pay off in the end. Battle fire with fire. The Arabs have a powerful lobby in the US, much wealthier and influential than the Israeli lobby, if there's one.... and we must counter their influence with solid, true information, and be relentless in our efforts. So what if the Israeli government seems more like a pro-Arab than a pro-Israeli government. There are millions of us who can make a difference.
22. #18 Brooke
Canadian Otter   (10.02.07)
In answer to your question on another news story wandering what accounts for the madness of the present government in Israel, I too am at a loss. Personally, I'm not surprised at the fact that corrupt people have crawled all the way to the top in almost all Israeli institutions. All countries have a share of corruption. What is really a mystery to me is why are they still in power. It's amazing how they protect each other. I read that Dichter wanted to freeze the probe into allegations against Olmert, then backed down. The whole system, including the Courts, seems stacked in favor of keeping the Left in power or at least Leftist policies in effect, even when popular support for the Left is very low. I guess all that leads to some kind of demoralization in the population. I don't know. Maybe they think what's the use of demonstrating when nothing changes. So that's something still unexplainable to me, why haven't everybody stormed the Knesset. Or at least swamped the MKs with e-mails and phone calls. Or demonstrated in front of the building.... My only hope now is that the Arabs' own internal disagreements will derail the Roadmap and save Israel from itself once again. And my own hope in G-d's intervention. Nothing but a miracle can save Israel now. The Yesha kids are doing what they can with IDF guns pointed at them, Arabs throwing stones, and the Left harassing them everywhere they can, including the Courts. But the politicians, including those who call themselves Right Wing, are just sitting pretty and doing nothing to save the country. It's madness, as you say. That's for sure.
23. Excellent column! Makes absolute sense.
Mark ,   USA   (10.02.07)
24. Why Indeed?
Arieh Zaritsky ,   Be'er-Sheva   (10.04.07)
Perhaps This 'Wise Glass" misses the millions he anticipated as his share of owning a casino on the ruins of these settlements?
25. Retreats are illegal and dangerous
Dr Yoram Shifftan   (10.04.07)
This is an excellent article. One should note that the long-range intention of the Arabs is reflected in their writings in Arabic, in their military preparations, in their education and propaganda, in particular with children. Their fudamental documents were never changed: http://www.israpundit.com/2006/?p=5966 Abbas and the PA control the religious-journalistic-educational system which pours anti-Jewish hatred and yet they do not put an and to it, see PMW and Memri, e.g.: http://pmw.org.il/bulletins_oct2007.htm#b021007 It is more than reckless to curtail the almost non-existent strategic depth of present-day Israel. We should remember the relief the 6 day war brought because of this depth and the ability to be in the liberated territories (where Jews legally lived until 1948 but were driven out by Arab aggression). But the integrity of those recommending further retreats is best seen in their concealing fundamental facts instead of asserting them in the national and international arenas. Why, for example, Israel's MFA does not attract the attention of the world to Jewish refugee from Arab countries? Why official Israel is not highlighting the fact that there is already Palestinian Arab state in four fifths of Palestine? see for example http://bluelegends.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/06/there-is-already-an-arab-state-and-even-a-palestinian.htm or the relevant chapter of Julius Stone's book "Israel and Palestine". Why official Israel (Sharon-Olmert-Weissglass and their MFA) is not responding to the pernnial allegation about the "Israeli OCCUPATION of Arab land"? why not highlight Israel's rights according to international law, see e.g. http://www.israelwhitepaper.org/ even if only to decrease the motivation of Jew-killers and thus save Jewish blood? Or why they do not highligh the fact that all Jewish generations are the beneficiaries of the Palestine trust of the League of Nations whose obligations and rights are still valid and confirmed by the UN charter and international court of justice. Therefore the Weissglass-Sharon uprooting in summer 2005 was a violation of international law, and the current (roadmap) uprooting intentions of the Olmert- Weissglass school are illegal too in international law(see the first part of http://www.think-israel.org/shifftan.uprooting.html) http://bluelegends.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/06/there-is-already-an-arab-state-and-even-a-palestinian.htm It is precisely beause Ben Gurion was aware of this international law that it took much convincing that he would agree to surrender Gush Etzion in 1948, since he knew that this would be illegal according to international law, unless under real force- majeure circumstances (recall the massacre in the first kibbutz of the Jewish defenders despite the promises before the official surrender). Compare this legal behaviour of Ben Gurion in desperate circumstances to the illegal Sharon-Weissglass surrender of Gush Katif and North Shomron not at all under force-majeure desperate circumstances. It is because of this international law that Ben Gurion said in 1937: “No Jew is at liberty to surrender the right of the Jewish Nation and the Land of Israel to exist. No Jewish body is sanctioned to do so. No Jew alive today has the authority to yield any piece of land whatsoever. This right is preserved by the Jewish people throughout the generations and cannot be forfeited under any circumstance. Even if at some given time there will be those who declare that they are relinquishing this right, they have neither the power nor the jurisdiction to negate it for future generations to come. The Jewish Nation is neither obligated by nor responsible for any waiver such as this. Our right to this land, in its entirety, is steadfast inalienable and eternal. And until the coming of the Great Redemption, we shall never yield this historic right.”
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