Everybody comments on Israel

Submitted by Ken Besig (Israel), Jul 28, 2008 at 11:35

The simple truth is that everybody and their cat comments on Israel, and not just on the so called peace process or this latest idiotic and dangerous Lebanese prisoner exchange. Everybody, no matter how badly misinformed or illogical, no matter how misguided or inexperienced, no matter where they live can and does comment on everything about Israel and Israelis, they comment on Israeli politics, diplomacy, culture, dress, and even Israeli speech, there are whole forums devoted to Israel, both pro and con and neutral and anyone can pretty much say anything they want whenever they want.

Just a few days ago, a particularly puerile, shallow, misinformed, and inexperienced Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama, told Israeli audiences that Israel must be careful how she addresses her security needs because some Israeli methods will antagonize the Palestinians and the other Arabs. As if the Palestinians or the Arabs need some excuse or rationale to hate Israelis more than they already do. Indeed, if this state of mind and the level of knowledge of the Democratic Party nominee for President of the United States, then not just Israel but the rest of the Free World is in real trouble.

Let us be clear, Dr. Pipes' commentaries and analyses are always well thought out and reasonable, they are grounded in reality and common sense rather than political spin, wishful thinking or outright fantasy, and most importantly they are fact based and logical rather than politically correct and hypothetical.

Yoram Shweiter's declaration that unless someone lives in Israel, they have no right to interfere in Israeli affairs is so out of touch with reality that it is laughable. Would Mr. Schweitzer disallow commentary by Condaleeza Rice or General Dayton? Or Hosni Mubarak, Tony Blair, Nicholas Sarkozy, Angela Merkel, or some clown who writes editorials for the New York Times?

Yet none of these people live here either and they can and do directly interfere with Israeli government decision making and not necessarily for the good of Israel. Indeed, some of the remarks by Ms. Rice and suggestions by Mr. Blair or the commentary by New York Times writer Nicholas Kristoff have been downright detrimental as well as openly dangerous to Israel's security, economic, political, and diplomatic needs

Mr. Schweitzer is simply badly mistaken, and playing the Israeli government spin machine, trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, and doing it badly. By the way, recent polls here in Israel show that the Israeli public opposed the Lebanese exchange by a large majority.

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