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Last update - 00:14 03/10/2008 Killer of the year By Gideon Levy Tags: Meir Dagan, Mossad  White smoke emerged from the tribal campfire on Rosh Hashanah Eve, announcing Channel 2 News' choice for man of the year. Commentators from the most popular and influential media outlet in the country announced their decision after holding a shallow and absurd discussion. "[He is] a man who has done only good," political analyst Emmanuel Rosen said of the selection, speaking on behalf of judging panel. Who is this rare and illustrious person who did so much good? Mossad chief Meir Dagan. An excited Rosen added: "[He is] a man who would cut the throats of terrorists with his own hands, using a box-cutter - a man of action with a knife in his teeth." By way of supporting their decision they presented a "rare journalistic achievement": a glimpse of a meeting between our hero Dagan and outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The images echoed Communist Romania or North Korea: Olmert hosting Meirkeh, as the Mossad head is called by U.S. President George Bush, in his office. Both said very little in front of the cameras. "You did well," the prime minister said to Rosen, about the recognition. Then two character witnesses were called in. Major Gen. (res.) Yossi Ben Hanan spoke about how Dagan once killed a terrorist with his own hands, though of course he did not specify how, and reminisced about how they had once traveled together in the Far East. National Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer added: "I recommend that you don't get too close to him - I suggest your story had best be favorable." Later the panel made intimations about his doings in the past year: The killing of senior Hezbollah leader Imad Mughniyeh in Damascus, a few more mysterious and unnecessary killings and, of course, the bombing of the alleged nuclear site in Syria, operations that they said should make Meirke deserving of "at least 10 Israel Prizes." Advertisement Indeed, our man of the year is a declared killer. Whether by box-cutter or car bomb, his craft is killing. His killer instincts are our source of pride, the peak of our creativity. We should be thankful to Rosen and friends: They did not even try to sugar-coat anything. They did not pick a humanist, a scientist, an industrialist or an author; Attorney General Menachem Mazuz came in second and Olmert third, but Dagan is our killer of the year. He himself is not the problem. Rather, it's the disgusting worship of people of his kind. Never has the head of the Mossad been such a dark figure with so much blood on his hands. Never has anyone thought of picking the Mossad chief, of all people, as man of the year. It is doubtful whether there is any other free country where the top journalists would consider choosing the head of such an organization as man of the year. Only in Israel. Only in Israel are Dagan's past activities still censored. He is responsible for much of the blood that was shed in Gaza in the 1970s and Lebanon in the '80s. A shocking expose prepared by two reputable journalists a few years ago about his doings in Lebanon was never published. That report would have only made the Channel 2 dream team panel worship Dagan evern more, and supported his image as a killer with a knife in his teeth. Bookmark to del.icio.us   No light at the end Amira Hass / Powerless in Gaza, residents rely on the tunnels. Offensive strikes Report: U.S. secretly attacked dozens of Mideast targets since 2004.   1.   Gideon Levy 12:11  |  George 02/10/08   2.   You`ve Got it Wrong 16:53  |  Howard 02/10/08   3.   Censorship 17:45  |  Sean 02/10/08   4.   Hardly surprising ! 17:52  |  Sean 02/10/08   5.   #2 According to your logic 18:46  |  T A Sheppard 02/10/08   6.   George, this has nothing to do with brownie points 19:22  |  newageblues 02/10/08   7.   T A 21:05  |  Howard 02/10/08   8.   Meir Dagan 21:21  |  A. Kl 02/10/08   9.   George 21:24  |  truth seeker 02/10/08   10.   what a pity 22:27  |  nawras 02/10/08   11.   #1 response 22:44  |  observer 02/10/08   12.   Gideon Levy 23:19  |  Angel of Oregon City 02/10/08   13.   Ridiculous 23:44  |  Abraham 02/10/08   14.   Sean from Derry 00:18  |  rich 03/10/08   15.   newageblues & observer 00:21  |  rich 03/10/08   16.   truth seeker 00:24  |  rich 03/10/08   17.   man of the year 01:08  |  ron raines 03/10/08   18.   Great guy! 03:38  |  Montrealer 03/10/08   19.   Dagan is not a killer. He is a great warrior. 05:00  |  Chaim 03/10/08   20.   Gideon is just jealous 05:59  |  Herbert Kaine 03/10/08   21.   God bless Meir Dagan. What`s Gideon Levy done to protect Israel? 07:09  |  Phil 03/10/08   22.   Gideon - you would call a mother defending her children a murdere 07:45  |  Allon 03/10/08   23.   oh dear 08:05  |  sharon 03/10/08   24.   Gideon Levy`s opinion is worth less than Olmert`s 08:10  |  Me 03/10/08   25.   Gideon leftie whiner of the year. 08:11  |  sharon 03/10/08   26.   Only Haaretz 09:17  |  Robert Haymond 03/10/08   27.   Herbert Kaine#20- spot on!!! Read him. 09:30  |  sharon 03/10/08   28.   Don`t let the door hit you 09:48  |  M.J. Eizen 03/10/08   29.   This is an outrageous accusation undermining 10:51  |  concerned citizen 03/10/08   30.   Kapo Levy:Churchill ,Eisenhower &Zhukov they`re also "responsible 11:55  |  Absolute Sweden 03/10/08   31.   horses for courses 11:57  |  harzion 03/10/08   32.   Thats rich Rich ! 12:08  |  Sean 03/10/08   33.   Sean,Eamon De Valera expressed "deep sorrow on death of Mr.Hitle 13:16  |  Absolute Sweden 03/10/08   34.   Gideon Levy Hater and Traitor 13:27  |  Shalom Freedman 03/10/08   35.   #11 so for hundreds of years Mossad has been pushing pogroms? 14:16  |  David 03/10/08   36.   Absolute rubbish ! 15:31  |  Sean 03/10/08   37.   Howard #7 Your script 15:32  |  T A Sheppard 03/10/08   38.   Jesuit casuiustics from Sean of Ireland,where else.. 17:36  |  Absolute Sweden 03/10/08   39.   T A 17:42  |  Howard 03/10/08   40.   Food for thought - Thank you, Mr. Levy. 17:52  |  Robert 03/10/08   41.   Absolute censorship ! 23:50  |  Sean 03/10/08   42.   Gideon the cowardly Traitor 09:45  |  Baruch Gold 04/10/08   43.   gideon levy, it is a matter of intelligence 11:16  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 04/10/08   44.   Do you think you can protect your country only with nice op-eds? 17:49  |  JEL 04/10/08   45.   An obituary written 17:54  |  Arie 04/10/08   46.   gideon 23:02  |  gab 04/10/08   47.   Gideon Levy thanks 04:24  |  Robert 05/10/08   48.   Gideon appologise now to the Argentinian Jews!!!! 10:09  |  arthur 05/10/08   49.   Get rid of Palestinians! 16:24  |  John 05/10/08   50.   Levy dislikes Dagan, `cuz he saves Jewish lives. 07:15  |  shneerhere 06/10/08   51.   Gideon Levy-imbecile 02:54  |  Herb Glaser 12/10/08   52.   Celebrating Criminality 17:19  |  Sarah 14/10/08   53.   Killer of the Year 20:47  |  Bill 09/11/08   54.   Misguided of the Year! 01:24  |  Sam 10/11/08   55.   Killer of the year 19:10  |  mark21 10/11/08   56.   Killer of the year 19:30  |  mark21 10/11/08   57.   Killer of the year 20:01  |  mark21 10/11/08

Read & React Aluf Benn: No leader before Olmert explicitly urged return to '67 borders Responses: 97 Nehemia Shtrasler: We shouldn't copy Obama, he should copy us Responses: 21 Report: Hamas says its officials met Obama aides before U.S. election Responses: 87 Moshe Arens: History may judge Bush, Iraq war, very differently Responses: 30 Israel renews fuel deliveries to Gaza, after week-long halt Responses: 53 U.S. Jews to Mormons: Stop baptizing Holocaust victims Responses: 72 More Headlines 15:58 Report: Hamas says its officials met Obama aides before U.S. election 15:21 Tight mayoral races in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem galvanize voters 10:09 Livni distances herself from Olmert comments on '67 borders 01:46 ANALYSIS / No leader before Olmert has explicitly called for return to '67 borders 15:59 UN: Gaza food aid to halt if Israel keeps crossings closed 15:51 Blair's bodyguard accidentally fires gun at Ben Gurion airport 15:59 Sweden court: Civil servant unlawfully demoted for pro-Israel views 08:28 Obama, and the first Arab prime minister of Israel 14:47 Saudi King to meet U.S. Jewish leaders at interfaith summit 15:57 At Arafat memorial rally, Abbas blames Hamas for continued rift 23:18 U.S. Jewish group to Mormons: Stop baptizing Holocaust victims 01:47 Experts: 'Water lettuce' chokes Lake Agmon, threatens Kinneret 01:48 Foreign troops could deploy in West Bank after peace deal 05:50 How wealth passes from the many to the few 06:36 Women in politics - Between the glass ceiling and the mud floor Previous Editions Select Day 10 nov 09 nov 07 nov 06 nov 05 nov 04 nov 03 nov 02 nov 31 oct 30 oct 29 oct 28 oct

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