>Who Won and Who Lost and Why > >by Reuven Kaminer > >[submitted to portside by the author, who lives in >Jerusalem] > August 17,2006 > >Who Won? > >For anyone confused about the results of the war in >Lebanon, what with both Israel and the Hezbollah >claiming victory, the following rule of thumb should be >helpful. Those claiming an Israeli victory and a >Hezbollah defeat are basing themselves on things that >are supposedly going to happen in the future. George W. >is the most prestigious representative of the "Israel >won" school of thought. He said this. "How can >Hezbollah claim victory when they are going to be >replaced?" Georgie, losing still another battle with >the English language, must have meant "displaced." >Experts on GWB explain that he quite often confuses >things that he wants to happen with things that are >actually happening. > >Those, who state that Israel lost and Hezbollah won, >base themselves on what happened, and this is of >course, the only reliable basis for analysis. > >The extent of the loss and the significance of the >Israeli defeat are, of course, open to discussion. > >And now, I have to make a confession. A few days back I >wrote an article for our Hebrew website, "Hagada >Ha'smolit" [LeftBank]. Pained and disgusted at the war >and the steady stream of the official lies, I said some >very unpleasant things about the state of Israeli >society. The key motif of that article was that even >the most consistent opponents of Israeli policy over >the years could not have known the depths to which >Israeli society had sunken. The blistering indictment >that I presented there is so severe as to pose the >question as to whether there are still some redeeming >features in Israeli society. Fearing to be >misunderstood on so critical an issue, I wanted to >rewrite the English text, though I knew that, >eventually, I would have to come clean and write the >sad and bitter truth for my English readers. I had >simply hoped that I could find a way to balance the >indictment by finding a few just people and events in >Sodom. If you have not noticed we are in Sodom and >Gomorrah. > >Three items in the news yesterday showed me that I was >silly and ... > >Item one revealed that Dan Halutz, the IDF Chief of >Staff had called his bank at 12:00, three hours after >the July 12 incident, in order to sell all his stocks. >The Attorney-General decided that very morning to file >charges against Ha'negbi, one of the leaders of Kadima >and the present chair of the powerful Knesset committee >on Security and Foreign Affairs, for handing out civil >service jobs to party hacks. On the same morning, the >police requested the Attorney-General to file charges >against Haim Ramon, the Minister of Justice (!), for >sexual harassment. > >Of course, these gentlemen richly deserve the anguish >and humiliation that they should be feeling (but do not >be certain they do feel anything of the sort). >Moreover, this is just one more instance of some >flotsam and jetsam being expunged from dark and deep >currents. > >The plain fact of the matter is that, even as >consistent political and moral opponents of the Israeli >regime, we did not and could not have known that the >rot and the decay in the interstices of Israeli society >had proceeded to a level that challenges the >imagination. > >Of course, we are not concerned with the peccadilloes >of this or that politician or general. We are concerned >with the recent formation of a national consensus >enthusiastically supporting a war that should have been >seen immediately as a wild and irresponsible project >launched by irresponsible politicians and arrogant >generals. There is no need to repeat here all the >aspects of this debacle, recognized as such by almost >every part of Israeli society. The details of the >disaster are becoming clearer day by day. But it is >our duty to ask the more basic question of WHY this >happened! There is a sickness in this land and those >who cherish the land and its people, those who see it >as their homeland, cannot avoid facing the whole truth. > >Root Causes - Real Ones > >These, in broad outline, are the root causes of the >deep and abiding crisis in Israeli society. > >One: Israeli politics have been thoroughly militarized >to the point that all major issues are analyzed >exclusively in military terms and the employment of >brute power. The military and its thought patterns has >permeated the body politic and the civilian echelon >rendering civilian control of the armed forces a sad >joke. > >The public is led to believe that all problems and >difficulties can be resolved only through the use of >force. The assumption is that the IDF, were it released >from moralistic considerations and political wimps >could take care of business. Thus, the persistence of >unresolved difficulties is understood by public as a >result of lack of will on the part of the civilian >echelon. In times of tension or military operations, >the first concern of the government is to convince the >public that it has given the military a free hand. The >politicians are in mortal fear that any general accuse >the government that prevented the army from reaping the >fruits of victory. All the government has to do is to >"Let the IDF win!" > >Two: The pre-existing special alliance between the >United States and Israel has been upgraded. Israel has >become a full scale operational partner in the "war on >terror" and has been assigned specific targets in the >crusade of the Bush administration against the axis of >evil. Most Israelis are convinced that they are >receiving fantastic diplomatic, military and logistical >support for doing something that they would have to do >anyway. Indeed, how could Israel not respond with a >deep sense of gratitude and solidarity when the only >major superpower deepens the special alliance and >converts it to a mutual interest in battling "Islamo- >Fascism." Israel believes that, with the security of >the U.S. commitment, its existential problems are over. > >The political and military elites, including the >intellectuals, who should know something about the >reliability of the United States, have enrolled Israel >in a project that might well end in a major >catastrophe. Israel is quite satisfied with itself >about lining up with Bush, though it does not have the >faintest idea of the objectives and the chances of >reaching them. > >Three: It is impossible to oppress an entire people >for 40 years and not to succumb to the ultimate >rationalization for such action. Anti-Arab racism is >endemic in Israeli society. This racism is so >pervasive that it covers the political landscape like a >cloud and infects all the thinking and the attitudes of >the overwhelming majority of Israelis. There are >endless variations on the never ending litany of the >faults of the Arabs - some more sophisticated for the >more educated strata and more vocal and vicious for the >masses. > >Four: In a society busily engaged in privatizing its >very soul, the concept of dedicated public service >becomes anachronistic. Everyone is involved in his/her >own career, looking out for advancement and pursuing >more monetary reward. If you are smart, you understand >the value of public relations. If you want recognition >you will find your way to the media. Truth is >irrelevant, and everyone knows that what counts is what >gets to the media. > >These broad and far reaching developments: rampant >militarism, abject subservience to Washington, deep >seated racism and careerism are the deeper reasons why >Israel embarked on the recent adventure in Lebanon. >Despite the tremendous sigh of relief all over the >country after the cease fire went into place, the >hawks, the generals and their stooges are already >explaining that the next round is inevitable and it >won't take long in coming. > >The Risks of Leadership > >With a slight nuance here and there, the Zionist left >rallied to the flag of national unity when Olmert and >Peretz blew the bugle. However, from the very beginning >there were some brave souls who disassociated >themselves from their leadership by showing up at the >demos by thousands of the militant left which opposed >the war from day one. > >At a meeting of Peace Now activists on July 24, 2006, >there was a clear division between supporters and >opponents of the war. Supporters of the war rejected a >suggestion that Peace Now, at the least, come out in >support of a cease fire. The movement leadership argued >that its supporters would not understand such a >position and that it was impossible to know whether >the demand for a cease fire might not help >Hezbollah.(!?) > >Public opinion counted Peace Now with those sections of >the left who had seen the light and returned to the >fold of the nation. But as the war dragged on and >there were signs that victory would be evasive or not >be achieved at all, three central figures of the >Zionist left (Amos Oz, A.B.Yehushua and David Grossman) >came out in support of a cease fire on Sunday,August 6. >In parallel development, Peace Now and MERETZ activists >called, in open defiance of their leaderships, for a >demonstration on Thursday, August 11,supporting the >demand for a cease-fire. As the week went on, pressure >was building on the recalcitrant leaderships to take a >position. By Thursday morning, the break away, grass >roots initiative had been adopted by both leaderships >as an official movement activity calling for quick end >to the war . > >During the week, there were insistent rumors that >Israel was going to launch a mass land offensive drive >to the Litani River, any minute. This had the effect of >uniting all sections of the Zionist left, which >recognized the move as nothing more that a costly >attempt by the IDF to bolster its sagging prestige. > >There are two ways to respond to these events in the >peace movement. > >One could say, well, better late than never. Another >way of looking at this is to ask what kind of >leadership has to be dragged by its rank and file to >the street in order to protest against a government >that is blatantly ignoring the human costs of an >imbecilic war? > > >ReuvenKaminer >POBox9013 >Jerusalem91090 >Israel > >[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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