Moshe Ya'alon
Photo: Gil Yohanan
What was he thinking?
Time to call spade a spade: Minister Ya'alon simply not a very smart man
What was he thinking? This is the most intriguing question today. What was the deputy prime minister thinking when he attended earlier this week a meeting organized by the Feiglins; yes, the Jewish Leadership faction which Netanyahu made every effort in the last two years to push out of Likud.
Yet our Bogi, the man and the legend, stood up there next to Moshe Feiglin, Netanyahu’s nemesis, while uttering remarks that wholly contradict the prime minister’s position and gravely undermine Netanyahu’s status, not only vis-à-vis the Israeli political establishment and public, but mostly vis-à-vis the Americans.
Right vs. Left
Vice prime minister lashes out at Left during conference of Likud's Jewish Leadership members. Peace Now: Ya'alon is real strategic threat on Israel. PM Netanyahu to summon minister for meeting over statements
On the other hand, some people will interpret Ya'alon’s words as a way to break to the right, as the beginning of the process of disengagement from Netanyahu, and as a spit in Ya'alon’s patron’s face. They will mention the speech where he accused Olmert and Halutz of abandoning IDF soldiers for the sake of a political spin, and all sorts of other unfortunate comments.
Stupid for life
Time and again they will quote his remarks in the Feiglin session, the way he referred to Peace Now and the elites as a “virus,” and the way he endorsed illegal outposts. They will mention how in one week the former army chief managed to call for the re-establishment of the settlement of Homesh, which was evacuated by law, declare that the State Prosecutor’s Office does not represent the government’s position on the issue of outposts, and be the Feiglins’ guest. What can we say, the man really outdid himself.But here’s another suggestion: Instead of trying to find different interpretations and hidden motives let’s finally call a spade a spade: The man is simply not too smart.
Indeed, it is terrible to think that he was our army chief. It’s no less tragic to think that today he serves as our deputy prime minister. Yet instead of trying to understand this man, let’s take the short route and recognize the fact we are dealing with a personality problem here.
Our heart went out to the prime minister, who during his vacation had to make time to address the third scandal within one week prompted by his deputy. As if it wasn’t enough to see Ya'alon touring the illegal outposts as though he grew up there, Netanyahu also had to hear Bogi’s blunt and disrespectful words regarding the Americans: He, Ya'alon, the minister of strategic affairs, is not scared of them. He will tell them: No more.
Somebody once said: when you’re born stupid, it’s for life.
