Avigdor Lieberman took the campaign spotlight yesterday. He is the leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party in the Knesset, a party that represents Russian voters on the right wing of Israeli politics, and one that has no compunctions about remaining outside the government if its demands are not met. And yesterday, Lieberman spelled out his demand of anyone desiring to include him in a coalition.
Leiberman is firmly among the supporters of Ariel Sharon in this campaign, at least partially because Sharon is the only Zionist among the candidates. But his participation even in a Sharon coalition is not assured, since Lieberman is concerned about the security of Israel and the position of strength from which Israel has allowed its enemies to negotiate of late. Furthermore, Lieberman knows that Sharon needs his 4 seats if there is any hope of a stable Sharon-led coalition.
So Leiberman has demanded that Sharon outline the limits of Arab activity in Israel beyond which Sharon will use the full force of the IDF. As an example, Leiberman cited Beit Jalla, the suburb of Bethlehem from which Palestinian terrorists have been shooting into Jerusalem apartments for the past four months. Leiberman is demanding that Beit Jalla be invaded by Israel and brought back under Israeli control if the shooting does not stop. He added that shooting at any Jewish community would stop if he was to agree to join the government, since any government of which he is a part would use the full force of the IDF in response to such attacks.
Already, many in Israel are rushing to offer "clarifications". Even Sharon himself stated that Lieberman's views "do not express the opinion of the majority of the Likud". How sad that a party purporting to be right wing, purporting to be Zionist, and purporting to represent the security of Israel, cannot bring itself to support the idea of defending Jews in Israel.
But the Likud is not the worst. Perhaps they can even be forgiven for cowtowing to the center and left of a society that has plainly forgotten what Israel is all about. But that foregiveness will not be forthcoming from me.
What is worse, though, is that there are other supposed leaders in Israel who must fiercely oppose Lieberman's statements. Yossi Sarid, the leader of the anti-Zionist and often anti-Semitic Meretz party, stated that Liberman's views are "frightening". Sarid added that Lieberman is a "central figure on the right," and someone who is "likely to be an important minister, such as Internal Security Minister, if Sharon is elected."
If there is to be found any comfort in Sarid's blatherings, it is that Sarid is actually afraid of someone who pledges to defend Jews in Israel. Certainly, Sarid should be afraid of such people, since Sarid has spent his entire political career trying his darndest to damage Israel and harm its Jewish population. If the spectre of Lieberman as Internal Security minister frightens Sarid, I will support Lieberman being given that position.
Sarid was not finished, though. He added that "his plans would put Israel into the category of deranged states such as Saddam Hussein's Iraq or Muammar Gadaffi's Libya," and that "the plan would be first and foremost a threat to the existence of the State of Israel."
Sarid has come out and plainly stated that defending Jews would mean the end of the State of Israel. Given that Israel was founded first and foremost to defend Jews against anti-Semitism around the world, it strikes me as unfortunate that Yossi Sarid must prove so often how hypocritical the Israeli left can be. In his opinion, fulfilling the purpose of the State of Israel leads to its destruction.
But even more bothersome is Sarid's earlier comment. Since when does defending Jews from attack by anti-Semitic terrorists make Israel deranged? That is the entire purpose, beginning and end, of the State of Israel. Is it not those who kill Jews simply because of their Judaism the ones who should be called deranged?
Rather, Yossi Sarid has come out and openly stated that he prefers the killing of Jews to the defense of Jews, and that anyone who supports the latter is deranged and deserving of nothing but derision from the rest of the world. He equates Jewish defense with terrorism (as practiced by Hussein and Gaddafi) and the murder of Jews with the peace-loving opponents of terrorism.
I think it is high time that Sarid is arrested for incitement to terrorism against Israeli citizens. Never mind that he has proven to be a blathering fool whose interest is so plainly treasonous. The longer he is allowed to continue uttering such incredible nonsense, the worse the situation will be for Israel.
In the meantime, it appears that those to whom Israel still holds out the hope of a Jewish homeland have something to look forward to: the rise of a true Zionist who makes defense of Jews the top priority in Israel.
Copyright 2001. Yehuda Poch is a writer living in Israel. Reproduction in electronic or print format by permission only.
