Could nobody find a rope?
Is it just me or what? I mean what the hell where they thinking? Which one of our esteemed leaders thought that dropping a few of our very best (and they are) into a seaborne "wolf pit" would be a good idea.
If you know they are looking for a fight, if you know they are looking for attention, the last two things you want to give them are either a fight or attention. Don't get me wrong, the so called peace activists, anti Israel archivists to be more accurate; and their flotilla had to be stopped, absolutely, no question. But tell me, could we not have found a big rope, thrown it into the propeller of the large ferry thereby stopping it in its tracks, then maybe pick off the little boats one by one, either in the same manner or in some other simple non confrontational manner. Then tow them to Ashdod and deal with the "activists" in a secure environment where you have the advantage, more importantly you are in control. Or maybe I am missing something? Could Be?
Now I am surely not the only one who can think of this and I am sure that you yourself can come up with some imaginative ideas. So the scary conclusion one makes form this fiasco is that our leaders dismissed the idea. I for one would like to understand why. Hell if they really wanted to use their toys, then go on, shoot the propeller out of action. It strikes me as a waste of ammunition, but hey, knock yourselves out, and the propeller at the same time.
Sadly my assumption is that our defence establishment was so "gung ho" and wanted the action so much that it managed to convince the decision makers that this was indeed a good idea. If that's the case then the sad realisation is that our leaders are indeed "not fit for purpose". They are not smart or considered enough in their judgement to make the right call. They are apparently incapable of assessing the pros and cons, sizing up the options, looking at the "worst case" scenario and then making the right decision. This should worry us all. It worries the hell out of me. Please can we have new elections?
Sadly, I must also lament at the woefully inept performance and media response by Israel on the PR front ,yet again! Having gone for the risky option, one would have at least expected that crises management and media strategies would have been in place covering all eventualities. Nope, too much to ask apparently. The performance thus far of our spokespeople and PR machine has only accentuated the fact that no real plans were in place. That is amateurish and irresponsible. One keeps hoping things will improve. Oh well maybe one of our"citizen ambassadors" will deal with the situation properly?
The loss of life is tragic and the consequences dire. The world will condemn us, but for the wrong reasons. If the "Stop The War Coalition" "peace activists" decide d to send a convoy of "humanitarian aid" into Taliban held territory in Afghanistan, I would suggest the British army or the Americans for that matter might have a problem. They would not let it happen and if the convoy refused to stop they would be stopped by force. I dare say the Turkish would not be so keen on a convoy of Kurdish "peace activists" wanting to take "humanitarian aid" to the Kurdish "resistance" in the north of their country. How about Tibetan "peace activists" and China, Chechen "peace activists and Russia? I have no doubt that they would use all necessary means to stop them. I can mention other scenarios and what ifs, but I reckon you get the picture.
I am confident that our soldiers did in fact incur fierce and life threatening opposition once they landed on the ship. If an "activist did in fact manage to get one of their automatic weapons and start firing at them, then they really had no choice but to return fire. The soldiers performed to the best of their ability in an impossible situation. Even if the attacks were limited to knives, clubs, metal bars and axes, then the soldiers had little option but to defend themselves.
Peace activists do not carry weapons and do not plan attacks on security forces! They use non violent means of resisting security forces. They do not try and kill those against whom they are demonstrating. That is what terrorists and extremists do!
The organisers of the flotilla bare a huge amount of responsibility for the deaths and injuries and should be held to account. However the abject failure of the Israeli executive to take the right decisions in this instance played a major part, and our leaders should indeed be held responsible.
Perhaps we should find that rope after all and put it to some good use?
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
What's left?
I wonder what left and right mean in Israel today and in fact if the terms are still relevant.
I define myself as a pragmatic Zionist. Just because we might happen to have the moral and historical right to the whole of greater Israel, does not necessarily mean that we should exercise that right. I am though above all proud to call myself a Zionist.
I would rather live in a smaller true Jewish democracy than in a larger state where lip service is paid to the idea of democracy while a two or even three tier system is established. I want my children to live in a society where the highest level of Jewish (human) morals and values are adhered to and where all citizens and I mean all; in the country can enjoy the rights and benefits and share (equally) the responsibilities of a healthy and flourishing society.
I have long argued that it is time for the mainstream to take back our national flag and the mantle of true Zionism. I say mainstream because well the question of left and right sticks in my head.
One thing I do know is that for too long extreme elements have usurped the national flag and bastardized both the Zionist cause and the Jewish religion for their own political ends. There is I believe a majority of level headed people in the country, both religious and secular, free marketeers and socialists, men and women from the centre and from the periphery who object to extremism in all its forms.
So last night thousands attended a self declared "left wing" demonstration organised by the National Left, a new movement set up by Eldad Yaniv and Shmuel Hasfari with the aim of establishing a viable left wing grass roots movement in the country, reversing the decline of left wing Zionist ideology in the country. Just as the flag has been usurped by the so called right, so the left have been increasingly perceived as anti Zionist, "Pali hugging" liberals who have no sense of national pride or love of country. So I was intrigued by this new movement which promotes the Zionist left. In fact one of their slogans for the demonstration (which I should say, I did not attend) was "Zionism is not settlements".
I have read their manifesto, which is available in English on their facebook page smoleumi and I would urge anyone interested to read it. It is not short at 20,000 words, but I am sure you can find the time. I have also attended one of their parlour meetings, where I proceeded, as is my bent; to argue the Eldad Yaniv on the universal difference between right and left in modern democracy. For the record there is in fact a great deal in their manifesto with which I take issue.
However, I applaud the document as an attempt to raise and address many of the issues most pressing in Israel today and t suggest tht there is indeed an alternative approach. The document is written to provoke and to challenge the status quo. Yaniv maintains that if you agree with just 60% of the document then you are at heart, a leftist. Now I have never considered myself particularly left wing, however the document has caused me to ponder. Could it be that all this time I have been a closet lefty despite my reluctance to split Jerusalem or give up the Golan. If left and right do still exist in Israel then they exist in a manner wholly different than that in other western democracies. Note that I say other democracies because , although perhaps deeply flawed Israel is most defnitley a functioning democracy. However the emergence of a viable alternative to what exists today can only be a good thing for the country. Having read the document, I intend to examine its points in more detail and assess for myself what, if anything; is left in Zionism.
I define myself as a pragmatic Zionist. Just because we might happen to have the moral and historical right to the whole of greater Israel, does not necessarily mean that we should exercise that right. I am though above all proud to call myself a Zionist.
I would rather live in a smaller true Jewish democracy than in a larger state where lip service is paid to the idea of democracy while a two or even three tier system is established. I want my children to live in a society where the highest level of Jewish (human) morals and values are adhered to and where all citizens and I mean all; in the country can enjoy the rights and benefits and share (equally) the responsibilities of a healthy and flourishing society.
I have long argued that it is time for the mainstream to take back our national flag and the mantle of true Zionism. I say mainstream because well the question of left and right sticks in my head.
One thing I do know is that for too long extreme elements have usurped the national flag and bastardized both the Zionist cause and the Jewish religion for their own political ends. There is I believe a majority of level headed people in the country, both religious and secular, free marketeers and socialists, men and women from the centre and from the periphery who object to extremism in all its forms.
So last night thousands attended a self declared "left wing" demonstration organised by the National Left, a new movement set up by Eldad Yaniv and Shmuel Hasfari with the aim of establishing a viable left wing grass roots movement in the country, reversing the decline of left wing Zionist ideology in the country. Just as the flag has been usurped by the so called right, so the left have been increasingly perceived as anti Zionist, "Pali hugging" liberals who have no sense of national pride or love of country. So I was intrigued by this new movement which promotes the Zionist left. In fact one of their slogans for the demonstration (which I should say, I did not attend) was "Zionism is not settlements".
I have read their manifesto, which is available in English on their facebook page smoleumi and I would urge anyone interested to read it. It is not short at 20,000 words, but I am sure you can find the time. I have also attended one of their parlour meetings, where I proceeded, as is my bent; to argue the Eldad Yaniv on the universal difference between right and left in modern democracy. For the record there is in fact a great deal in their manifesto with which I take issue.
However, I applaud the document as an attempt to raise and address many of the issues most pressing in Israel today and t suggest tht there is indeed an alternative approach. The document is written to provoke and to challenge the status quo. Yaniv maintains that if you agree with just 60% of the document then you are at heart, a leftist. Now I have never considered myself particularly left wing, however the document has caused me to ponder. Could it be that all this time I have been a closet lefty despite my reluctance to split Jerusalem or give up the Golan. If left and right do still exist in Israel then they exist in a manner wholly different than that in other western democracies. Note that I say other democracies because , although perhaps deeply flawed Israel is most defnitley a functioning democracy. However the emergence of a viable alternative to what exists today can only be a good thing for the country. Having read the document, I intend to examine its points in more detail and assess for myself what, if anything; is left in Zionism.
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