Israel’s War Against Palestine: Documenting the Military Occupation of Palestinian and Arab Lands

Haaretz editorial: Verbal rioting

21 August 2009

By Haaretz Editorial – 21 Aug 2009
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1109124.html

“The prime minister does not agree with Minister Ya’alon’s statements,” read the announcement issued on Tuesday by the bureau of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “In essence or style, the statements do not represent the government’s position.”

This was a polite and reserved, if not downright anemic, announcement in light of the storm caused by Vice Premier Moshe Ya’alon – considered to be especially close to Netanyahu. Ya’alon’s statements at the conference of the Jewish Leadership Movement can only be described as verbal rioting, extremist and intimidating in their essence. No apology, explanation or clarification will blur their severe significance.

“We didn’t let in the media to make the discussions honest and true,” Ya’alon said. Seeing as the honest and true discussions were held among the right wing’s most radical group, considered a pariah entity even by Likud’s leadership, we are left to wonder why the person whom Israeli society entrusted with the command of its army dares encourage subversive, anti-government activity.

A man of Ya’alon’s status was not supposed to be there, but he went a step further and earned the recognition of Israel’s most dangerous and harmful fringes. With his conceited and unrestrained mouth, Ya’alon exposed the revolting pillars of his worldview, which welcomes anyone who holds the same opinion as he and the more radical settlers, while delegitimizing anyone who disagrees with them.

Peace Now and the elites are a “virus,” he said. He added that as chief of staff, he had had to “clean up” after his dovish predecessor. This rudeness is the embodiment of a disturbing anti-democratic attitude that classifies anyone with a different point of view as a virus that should be destroyed.

The blatant attack that Ya’alon has been waging ever since he slammed the door by leaving the Israel Defense Forces has shown acute anti-democratic symptoms. Ya’alon has lashed out at the High Court of Justice in particular and the justice system in general, while expressing scandalous support for illegal settlements, making irresponsible accusations against his colleagues and superiors and stating views that are considered illegitimate even in the right wing.

Such views usually find a voice in leaflets of extremist synagogues or in reckless sermons by religious-national rabbis and speakers, some of whom have urged young men not to serve in the IDF and refuse orders to evacuate settlements. The right wing usually writes them off as “weeds” with little clout.

But Ya’alon, a former chief of staff who has been parachuted into the top political echelon, is no weed. He is deputy prime minister. His decision to adopt the tired attack on the “elites” is ridiculous and repugnant.

Ya’alon is also a member of the forum of six ministers that is supposed to decide on fateful issues. If Netanyahu settles for a clarification and condemnation rather than immediately removing Ya’alon from decision-making positions, the Israeli public and the rest of the world – mainly the U.S. administration – will conclude that such bizarre verbal attacks represent the stance of Netanyahu’s government.

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