Botched, Bungled and Blundered…writes Michael Kuttner
Quote from George Orwell: “political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind”.
Michael Kuttner
Bear this perceptive statement in mind as the spin doctors work overtime in order to convince us that the campaign to destroy Hamas has been a glorious success. Remember, also, that the buck ultimately stops on the desks of the politicians who formulated, directed and issued the instructions for the military to follow. Therefore any failings are directly the responsibility of the political echelon.
The best way to ascertain whether the past 50 days or so have been a resounding success or failure is to ask some pertinent questions.
Has this operation brought security to the communities in the south of Israel and in particular to those bordering the Gaza area? The answer is NO. The existence of more terror tunnels so far undiscovered is quite likely. The motivation of the terrorists to cause more death and murder is undiminished.
Has the rocket capabilities of the terrorists been destroyed? NO again. They still have the ability to fire more rockets and manufacture and import plenty more.
Have the leaders of Hamas and other terror groups been eliminated? NO! Although some were dispatched to the virgins in the sky those at the very top, hiding under the main Gaza hospital and in Qatar emerged unscathed. In fact they now roam freely around Gaza boasting that Israel is constrained from targeting them. At the end of World War 2 the political leaders of Nazi Germany and Japan were tried and hanged. In Italy the locals shot Mussolini. Other war crimes suspects were arrested and dealt with except those scientists the Americans deemed valuable and who found refuge in the USA. In addition as a result of a rapidly diminishing interest in bringing other war criminals to justice hordes of those who willingly helped in the murder of Jews escaped to various safe havens where they managed to successfully avoid justice until that relentless Nazi hunter, Efraim Zuroff, tracked them down and made sure that they did not enjoy a peaceful retirement. Does anyone anticipate that the same fate awaits the leaders of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and other such groups?
Have the Gaza terror groups been disarmed and disbanded? Has their ability to rearm been destroyed? Will the territory be successfully demilitarized? The answer to all these questions is a resounding NO.
Obama and Kerry state that the UN will be asked to ensure that this takes place. Can there be any better example of a total detachment from reality? Indyk has popped out of the woodwork again and is complaining that the current right wing politicians in Israel have no respect for the USA. Gee whiz, fancy those pesky Jews in Israel having the chutzpah to disagree at their own suicide.
Who will guarantee that terror tunnels are not rebuilt? Who will make sure that the material which an eager international community, led by Washington, will not be used to construct more terror infrastructure?
The answer to this question encapsulates everything that is rotten and hypocritical today. None other than the Fatah/Hamas Palestinian Authority is being promoted as the guardian. The fact that Israeli politicians can even contemplate this insane suggestion is mind boggling. The fact that a Hamas/Fatah coalition with Abbas as its leader can be touted as a peace partner is obscene yet this very idea promoted by our so called “friends” is accepted as worthy by many Israeli politicians.
Has this campaign against Gaza terror resulted in the elimination of hate, delegitimisation and incitement? NO. On the contrary it has ensured its more potent mutation. Will Judeophobia worldwide disappear as a result of this farce of a truce we have agreed to? NO. Those who hate Jews and Israel will merely redouble their efforts now that they can see hate pays.
Has this truce diminished the desire to eliminate Israel and murder Jews? NO. Hezbollah and other terror groups having witnessed the international community’s gang up against Israel’s fight against terror are now buoyed in the belief that terror against Jews pays and will be preparing for the next round.
Did our soldiers and civilians die in vain? YES. Can our children in the south feel safe going to school next week? NO. Has our Government left the citizens in the south hostage to the terrorists who can resume terror any time they like? YES.
Has the threat to our only international airport been permanently eliminated? NO. Have those politicians who advocate a total withdrawal from Judea and Samaria woken up to the fact that having a Hamas/Fatah terror group overlooking Ben Gurion airport and the coastal plain is a mortal danger? NO.
Has this campaign decimated Hamas? NO. They are euphoric because they know that the rest of the world is waiting with baited breath to pour more millions into their coffers via the PA and that all they have to do is divert much of it for rebuilding their ability to cause more mayhem. In Lebanon the UN was supposed to prevent the rearming of Hezbollah. Instead we face over 100,000 rockets all pointed at us and primed for use at some convenient time. This is the same failed scenario now being peddled by Bank Ki Moon and friends.
Has this Gaza war been a PR triumph for Israel? NO. A lethal combination of a mendacious media and mindless mobs ensured that the real message never gained any headlines.
Has this latest truce ensured the defeat of terror groups and the dawn of a new age of peace? NO. It has instead guaranteed a rebuilt, rearmed and reinvigorated threat to every Israeli.
Will there be political fallout? YES. Undoubtedly heads will roll and the life of the present coalition has been dramatically shortened. The public will once again have to decide whether they want to continue failed policies which bring terror, truce and then more terror or whether they want to elect those who will once and for all bring about the unconditional surrender of those who seek our destruction.
Is there any alternative to physically taking out those who wage terror? NO. Those who bleat that only by making temporary truces and accommodating terrorist demands can we live safely are totally detached from reality in this part of the world. Listen carefully to the daily ranting of these groups and carefully read their charters and you will realize that appeasement, accommodation and meaningless resolutions will only delay their evil intent. Most Israelis look with incredulous amazement at the feeble efforts by the rest of the world to stem the tide of barbarism now engulfing Christians and others in Islamic countries. Churchill knew that pure evil can only be defeated by the total defeat of those promoting it. Many of our own politicians have yet to learn the lessons of the recent past.
The pursuit of genuine peace can only succeed when those with whom we are destined to coexist accept that the homeland of the Jewish People is a legal, moral and historical fact. The renunciation of terror tactics is a first priority and any politician who cannot ensure this occurs should be repudiated at the ballot box.
Michael Kuttner is a Jewish New Zealander who for many years was actively involved with various communal organisations connected to Judaism and Israel. He now lives in Israel and is J-Wire’s correspondent in the region.
Michael Kutner, yet another one gone meshuge !!! Another strategist left out of the loop in the decision making “situation room” !! How unfair !!!!
Let’s see:
– no security for Sth. Israeli communities because Hamas and their palestinian stormtroopers have not been annihilated. Michael would know how to do it, I suppose. One option, I also suppose, would have been to continue the assault on Gaza for as long as it takes to achieve the “Michael Kutner plan “. How many more days, months or, why nor years !!! Tell us Strategist Michael !!!
– Hamas leaders should have been eliminated !! Fair enough, but how does one identify a Hamas leader, or, can ANYONE be a Hamas leader !! What does it take to be one, any high education, foreign language spoken !! I would venture that if a child, say 11, 12 is elected Hamas top dog he will be as good as any. All they do is incite to violence, collect their parasite dues and stay more or less out of the firing line. Practically you take out one , a replacemmnt is in the wings, but what am I saying, a million replacements are in the wings.
– can we all refrain from analogies with other wars and, mainly will you all professional commentators STOP quoting George Orwell !! It is utterly outmoded, redundant, it is fifth term infantile stuff !!!
– who would Michael select as current “peace” partners among the bloody palestinian criminal lot !!! if the current ones do not qualify, but, more importantly what kind of “peace” negotiators can be born from a palestinian parental duo at this stage of their DNA configuration !!!
– Is really Bibi responsible for the spread of “Judeophobia” !!! This trumps hysterical clap-trap.
I will stop here for now and just advise Michael to find solace in the winning by his all-blacks of the bloody Bloody-slow Cup and give ….peace a chance. Israel is still in a very commanding position, it is not as if ( and as Hamas claim ) that she lost anything as a result of the past 51 days of solid palestinian arse kicking, is it !!!
Dear Michael, the quote you have quoted: “political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind” is Orwell’s pleading for people to recognise their state’s propaganda and to act before the people are turned to ashes.
Sadly Michael, you too are blind to the Israeli State’s political language designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. The result, after 50 days of war (read: slaughter) is plain for all to see.
Hey, Mr. Yazbek , who did Israel attack and “butcher”, the Norwegians, the Romanians, no habbibi, the Yazbekis, those innocent angels who have been parading on their peaceful streets named after suicide criminals of their preferred target, THE JEW, those listening and obeying their imams calling for the extermination of all Israelis , in fact all Jews found ANYWHERE, such as, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Bruxelles, or even Mumbai.
Your Yazbeki people got what they asked for because the other , opposite version was not and will not be happening, so you can be as pissed off as bad as you want and, to tellya the truth, you shall be enjoying this state of a pissed off mind as long as your people shall keep on marching clutched on their Kalshnikovs, crying murder of the Jew and writing hysterical stuff against the Jew on a Jewish site or anywhere else.