4 notes in midst of winter

Do you remember the heart-wrenching stories told by tsunami survivors two years ago? How they had felt the slight trembling of the earth and how the waves suddenly rose and then drew back while they were still sitting on the golden sands surrendering their bodies to the sun's rays? They recounted how everything was so magical, so quiet, tranquil, and then…

Close examination of the ambitions and recklessness of the US president, any American president, to enter the annals of history by doing something extraordinary, makes it clearly apparent that the next two years of George Bush's term in office are likely to create a tsunami in the Middle East.

It appears that the price for Bush's glory will be paid by Yehuda Harel, Yehuda Walman and Avi Zeira and their friends living in the Golan Heights (it should be noted: This is not what I hope for.) Had I currently been living in Katzrin, Ramat Magshimim or Merom Golan I would be concerned.

From the luscious green Golan one can only see the small waves rising and hear the silence, and those warning against the rising waves of the crushing ocean are castigated. But it's coming…

The first sign is the Baker-Hamilton report that is attempting to save Bush from the Iraqi quagmire via Syria, the Land of Israel and Palestine. Baker and Hamilton have turned the tables, and their findings are currently far removed from Bush's intentions.

However, a few more American fatalities in the Iraqi alleyways of Baghdad and it will be George Bush the hero who will inch closer to Hamilton and Baker, not the other way around.

As far as these two are concerned, the best way to end the fiasco in Iraq passes through Jerusalem and Katzrin, even if not stated explicitly. Is Iraq still a member of the axis of evil? If so, so what? The change can come about overnight: In Israel too, people were once shot for waving the PLO flag.

Meanwhile, the palms are swaying peacefully in the summery breeze of winter 2006. It's so beautiful on the Golan Heights right now.

Confusion

Last week I attacked the argument set out in the state comptroller's report that IDF commanders had not been trained in a military college and therefore failed the test of the recent war in Lebanon. My argument was based on media reports - and I was wrong, boy was I wrong.

The state comptroller's report, compiled by Major General (res.) Mandy Or, clearly states that overall training was lacking and it elaborates in depth the reasons for the painful shortcomings of the war: The absence of a common language (Tower of Babel,) substandard courses, annulment of training and exercises, faulty implementation of commands, if any, and of course, lack of operational experience - not the fault of the commanders. 

The findings clearly indicate that the state comptroller's report is alright, while the IDF isn't. Between us, I would prefer it to be the other way around.

Send the referee home

A short review of the High Court's response to the petition requesting the disbanding of the Winograd Committee of Inquiry probing the shortcomings of the second Lebanon war, shows that all seven judges, even the four who rejected the petition and ordered the continuation of the committee's deliberations, are not at all comfortable with the committee and its activities, to say the least.

In my own words, seven of the High Court's panel of judges would like to send their colleague Judge Winograd home.

If this is the opinion of all the judges, members of the Winograd Committee should have taken the courage to throw in the towel and go home. It is impossible and incomprehensible that they would do their job while the opinion of the High Court is hovering above their heads.

West Bank miracles and wonders

Last week Colonel Nissim Solomon (res.) passed away. Had the settlers of the West Bank ten or twenty years ago paused for a brief moment from the momentum of flattery and admiration towards Arik Sharon to read Solomon's writings, they would have known what was in store for them.

But they sang in Sharon's praise and their loud voices drowned out Solomon's words. He was an honorable officer who was removed from his post as the head of the IDF history department because he wrote the truth and wouldn't succumb to distorting it with tales of Sharon's battles.

Yes, Nissim Solomon, deceased, was an honorable officer. Perhaps too honorable.