Wow that's a bit harsh you have made Israel out to be a real bastard, liars and cheats. You have forgotten that this war has been going on for so long , that Israels only crime is being left behind. Yes Israel has an fantastic army with the most up to date arms and the mossad . But what Israel lacks is mental developement and lack of 'emotional intelligence'. Their war is just but the way they are going about it just doesn't fit in with todays world.

You know what, Mr Haber, it's because of people like you that we're in the mess we are. People with your way of thinking always managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Every success people like you managed to turn into defeat. And now you whine & kvetch. People like you opened the door to this mess with Oslo, with the retreat from S. Lebanon, with disengagement from Gaza. Your constant babbling about some BS ''peace'' has brought us to this. You want some of your idiot slogans - how about ''Land for Peace'' or ''You make peace with your enemies'' or ''We must strengthen the moderates.'' Give it a rest, would you? Personally, I can't listen to this crap anymore. You & people like you are living proof that you can take the Jew out of the ghetto but you can't take the ghetto out of the Jew.

a very clear picture of what is realy happening. let's wake up in order to survive in the league or nations and in general.

nobody perfect, point me a state on the map and I can tell you the historical error she made, if you look for someone perfect than you might try adress god and his angels about it. otherwise this is pointless.

I think it's overdone and nauseating to constantly read about Jews self-criticizing in public. There is a difference between introspection and making a spectacle of oneself in public.While its important for Jews and especially leaders to review their actions, spare us the theatrics.

Haber, you are writing about yourself and maybe your friends in the Left, not rational Israelis. No one but the extreme Left thought that Israel was so powerful after the 6 days war. Rational people realized that Israel barely survived and would need to hold onto the liberated territory of Judea, Samaria and Sinai. The only people surprised by the Yom Kippur war were the Leftists who had a "concept". Rational Jews saw how the Americans let the Egyptians violate the cease-fire accords in their bid to move Egypt away from the USSR. The only people who think Arabs are dumb are racists, and it is surprising that you accuse Rabin of racism. Rational Jews forged friendships with the Arabs of Judea and Samaria, and were shocked when you imported Arafat and Fatah to murder the friendly Arabs, killing any chance for peace. The only people who think Americans are idiots are on the Left. The rational Jews always knew that Americans are closely allied with Saudis and used Israel for their own needs. The rational Jews knew that the State Department hates the Jews and just as the Americans betrayed their allies in Iran and Turkey, they would betray Israel if she was viewed as weak. Only the Left concluded that someone owed the Jews something from the Holocaust. Rational Jews knew that the only conclusion of the Holocaust is that the Jews must be able to defend themselves. It was the Left, not the rational Jews, who suggested giving up defensive territory and arming enemies in exchange for some paper.

Excellent article but the key word is "modesty". For so long we have been arrogant, thinking that we did it all by ourselves, our power, our might. Openly miraculous events (including those witnessed by soldiers on the battlefield, scud rockets that only killed one person and even then indirectly etc ) were dismissed as our ingenuity and strength. Well now we are coming to the end game. Nothing we do now seems to be going right and the whole world is ganging up on us. Why ? Because we refuse to acknowledge that it was Hashem behind all our successes and kowtow to every dictate of mere mortals who think they run the world. If a Jew (and even more so an Israeli Jew) now says something is white, the rest of the world ignores him and says it's black. This is our last wake up call. If we respond, events will turn back in our favour but if we don't then we are still not lost because Hashem promised to save us but it will be at the last possible moment and beforehand we will have to go through terrible events and a nuclear armed Iran and openly antagonistic America are ready and waiting to do Hashems bidding.

besides bieng wrong as well, this is what I expect to hear from arabs and our worst enemies...I never realized you were such a leftist, Eitan...either that or you've been listening to too much arab news and propaganda....i don't have time now to refute point by point, but israel has always tried to just support it's existence and create a "safe haven" for the jews - i say that in quotes since with our arab brothers around it will never be truly safe. Eitan, your article could hold water if we just did a takeover of land which was not ours, which is what arabs want the world to believe. But unlike America, which DID that to the indians (where was the world uproar then?), we were given the land since time immemorial, and thank G-d, returned to it. the very FIRST rashi in the torah, on the first pasuk on bereishis says that the pasuk says "bereishis" - "בשביל ישראל שנקרא ראשית" - Rashi says that there will come a time when the world will say the land should not be ours, and therefore it is written in the torah, the bible, that G-d gave it to us, and no one else, to prove this is our land. As far as arabs, the zohar (kabbalah) states that they will rule and have and upper hand in Golus first, and only after a predetermined amount of time will Hashem bring Mashiach and the Geula, and make ALL the nations of the world recognize His Oneness and All-Powerfulness (either through their own righteousness or through punishment) - but this has nothing to do with our "koach" and everything to do with the g'zar din in shamayim...

I have never read so much crap in one article in my life. Like Terry pointed out.....Its leftists like you that have caused Israels failures!

Interesting insight, I particularly like the point he made here: "We believed that the defeated parties always plead for their lives and seek capitulation, an agreement, and peace." Yup, thinking about a word called should turn out to be more fruitful than thinking about a phoney, bogus, so called peace which in the past never lasted long. Why should it prevail now, given the notorious concept of Hudna?

You can fool all the people some of the time but not all of the people all the time. You idiot , this has been known for ages , who in the hell do youthink you are ??????????????????

What I liked most in this article is Mr .Haber's daring,to admit that "Israel" was in fact deceived the world all this time, and this tells a lot Thanks, Eitan Haber

Dont get yourself all lathered up. This is just a lefty journo (the kind that lick up to your kind)...sprouting the kind of message that has well and truly had its day.

Not all Israelis sell their advocacy for the right price. Some of us actually have integrity. You have lots of arrogance but not much more than that.

a very good article. israel should indeed learn some humility and respect towards its adversaries. all of israel's enemies are people, individuals who are becoming more educated and powerful by the day. jewish arrogance should be stifled, so we can carry out introspection. this arrogance also exists with the other nations but we can only change ourselves. it's time to look at things more realistically. the response by rabin capsulates what is going on. the arabs are not seen as a diverse entity, something that is a big fault. what do israelis know even about the arabs that reside in their country? probably nothing. the minorities here must feel so welcome and comfortable. it's time for us to stop being so paranoid, and spread the love torah teaches us, between ourselves and others.

That was very well put. I couldn't agree more.

So what steps should a more realistic Israel take now? Hope you will elaborate more about that in next article.

but one point is not correct. Neither Haber not people like him took jews out of Getto. The Red Soviet Army did. Haber and alike can"t be winners by nature, due to bad inheritance from east european shtatels.

Trough history odds were not in Israel's favor. Falling and rising seemed like regular life dynamic. But there is something that Israel's enemies are not ready to acknowledge: " My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep..." (Psalm 121:2,4)

If you do not maintain your deterrence, it will evaporate. Israel has triumphed in every war of survival. 2nd Lebanon war and war in Gaza were not wars - they were sorties "to maintain the status quo". Perhaps you guys can learn from American failure to fight for a status quo in Viet Nam? Or would you rather learn from Russians, who firmly believe that the war is won when your banner is raised over Reichstag? Or would you learn from your own fathers? From "The Art of War", perhaps? The message is clear: Strength is respected, weakness attracts aggression. Maintaining your deterrence with little blood now saves from having to restore it with big blood later. Don't listen to defeatists. Good luck, Israel!

You ask who is Eitan Haber, try looking him up on Wikipedia you will see an impressive resume, and while your at it, try looking up Philip (......) In Afula but as far as i know they dont list security guards, geee i wonder why that is?

I am your age but I am still sober. Come on, man!! Don't talk against Israel.

"Israel" must be honest with itself, and stop acting in 2010 as if the world is the same world in 1948

.....I have ever read about Israel, and her role in the 21th century. Very painful for many right-wing and mainstream Israelis and Diaspora Jews, no doubt, but absolutely essential, if Israel ever wants to get back the positive image she enjoyed in the years after her establishment. Make no mistake, if this article would be published all over the mainstream U.S. media, a lot of things (and opinions) would change.......

You took the words out of my mouth. (So we are not perfect, but we have done a lot better than Haber makes out).

Israel is not perfect, like all other nations who make mistakes. That arabs adapt and persist in war does not mean israel should throw in the towel. While I disagreed with olso, camp david and annapolis, offers were made which were refused. Arabs do not want israel in the middle east. Israel wants to survive. Haber as usual surrenders to his suicidal instincts and offers to submit as a dzimmi before the arab. It didn't work in the past and not now. As an ignorant author wrote the other day, He would like to see israel back as subjects before the ottomon turks and life would not be so bad. Haber makes some good points but throws in the towel. He needs therapy and a sense of self which he does not have. His whole life seems to be rabin and nothing else. Get on with it.