Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., January 26, 2009 Shvat 1, 5769 | | Israel Time: 12:01 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Joy of Giving Travel Week's End Anglo File
Yes, hate
By Gideon Levy
Tags: settlers, Israel News 

Click here for more articles by Gideon Levy

My settler colleague, Israel Harel, his community's champion at rolling his eyes, playing innocent and speaking with a honeyed tongue, is once again grieving and playing the victim. In a column published here last week ("Have we become Sodom?" October 23), he complained that the reason for what he termed destructive criticism of the settlers is hatred. And indeed, Mr. Harel, this time, you're right: Large segments of Israeli society do indeed hate. But this is not baseless hatred, not hatred for the sake of hatred, to use your words. It is hatred for your enterprise. You have earned this hatred honestly - the only honest thing about your enterprise.

Yes, there are Israelis who do not want to see their countrymen despoiling the vineyards and burning the fields of poor farmers. Yes, there are Israelis who do not want to see troops of masked settlers beating elderly shepherds with clubs. Yes, there are Israelis who do not want to see other Israelis sicking their dogs on and puncturing the tires of the soldiers who protect them. Yes, there are Israelis who are embarrassed by the fact that tens of thousands of their fellow Israelis live on privately owned lands that were robbed, stolen and extorted, both in broad daylight and under cover of darkness.
Advertisement
And yes, there are Israelis who think that you have brought disaster upon us, a tragedy that will last for generations. That via your actions, you have brought wars and bloodshed and the brutalization of society upon us. That if you were not there, none of us would be there any longer, in a land that is not ours. That just as we withdrew from occupied South Lebanon - solely because, fortunately, you were not there - we would also long since have been able to withdraw from the areas you have occupied. Yes, there are Israelis who hate all this.

Harel complains about the fact that Israeli society is angry at the settlers as a collective. Unfortunately, he does not get out enough, for their enterprise is flourishing. Every class and institution of Israeli society defends the settlements, finances them from its own pockets, and is a full partner in the theft, even if some of them are disgusted by it. The collective guilt is justified: Every settler and every settlement is equal. There are no illegal outposts and legal settlements - they are all illegal, according to both international law and universal justice, which have no need of legal sophistries. There are also no moderate and extremist settlements: No one who chooses to live in occupied land is a moderate.

And now for the playing innocent part: There are "some young men," Harel writes, just "a few dozen youths," who attack Arabs. Harel says that he, like most of his colleagues, "cannot understand" this. He has already told them, during a "heated discussion," that "this is not my halakha." And he goes on to say that his fists clench when he sees violence against the elderly in Haifa and Tel Aviv or gang rapes in Ramat Hasharon. But in Ramat Aviv Gimmel people do not ask what values were instilled in these youth, Harel writes; there, it is just juvenile delinquency. Yet when the same thing happens among settlers, the guilt is collective.

So here is the real difference: Secular society denounces and rejects those who rob the elderly and rape young girls. The perpetrators are given a fair trial, they receive lengthy sentences, and both the media and secular society ostracize them totally.

But what happens in your community? Have you ever heard, Israel, of a single settler who filed a complaint with the police against another settler over a rampage against Arabs? After all, you, too, see the rioters every day, on the road from Ofra - much of whose land, incidentally, is private land that was stolen. And what do you do when you see those rioters? Have another "heated discussion"? When we see people who assault the elderly, we call the police. Do you?

And if such a thing were to happen, how would your aggressive society treat the "informers"? After all, people who have dared to voice even a hint of "moderation" in their positions - and we are not even talking about anything as drastic as a complaint to the police - have been forced to abandon the settlements where they lived for fear of vengeance. It is not the lawbreakers who are ostracized in your community, but those who try to denounce them. Look at what happened to Rabbi Yoel Bin Nun - with no ostracism and no denunciation, other than laughable lip service. Only on the day when the settlement leadership starts cooperating with the law enforcement agencies will I believe you that those "few dozen youths," who are in fact a large and violent army of thousands, are indeed loathed by you.

You must admit the truth: To you, they are the pioneers who go before the camp, the ones who stand at the forefront. They are the ones who are realizing what your generation tried and failed to do in its day. In the deepest recesses of your souls, your hearts go out to them.

You spoke with Benny Katzover and Elyakim Ha'etzni, and they told you that the main opposition to the olive harvest stemmed from "security worries"? Had you not stolen the harvesters' lands, there would be no security risk. And after you have taken over their lands, you dare to justify the theft of what little remains to them on the grounds of security - your security only, of course? Evidently, chutzpah also has no limits.

And finally, the punch line: Harel writes that people like him will soon be hunkering down in bunkers due to the "unbridled" events in commemoration of Yitzhak Rabin's assassination. It is not the murder or the events leading up to it that were unbridled, but the commemorations? It is not we who have all been in bunkers for 40 years because of you, but you, the robbed Cossacks? That is already one sentence too many - perhaps even for your too numerous fans.
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Disturbing trend
Jewish Agency says Anti-Semitic acts in Jan. 2009 triple last year's records.
After the war
IDF gains in Gaza have softened Israel's stance on Shalit deal.
  1.   Hating is not enough 08:41  |  Natallie Durson 26/10/08
  2.   Sorry Gideon, for once you are wrong, only very few Israelis..... 08:42  |  Swiss (Dino) 26/10/08
  3.   It`s time to admit that the "settlers" have been correct 08:49  |  Liat 26/10/08
  4.   HOW TOUGH THESE PEOPLE WOULD BE 08:55  |  indrajaya 26/10/08
  5.   Pseudo Progressive post zionists have earned hatred too!!!!!!!!!! 09:00  |  Ben Yeppi 26/10/08
  6.   Hating the settlers 09:04  |  Gad Giladi 26/10/08
  7.   Thanks for the unvarnished truth, Gideon Levy. 09:21  |  Esther 26/10/08
  8.   Levy, speak for yourself - We love the settlers 09:24  |  Dan 26/10/08
  9.   That is exactly what Europeans said about the Jews 09:27  |  Ben 26/10/08
  10.   Slander&libel by G.Levy must be judged in court! 09:52  |  sam 26/10/08
  11.   Haaretz has earned the hate of real Jews. 10:18  |  Gideonisanazi 26/10/08
  12.   First class human being 10:30  |  tiddly winks 26/10/08
  13.   gideon will now invite us to view settlers through the ages 10:30  |  victor hardman 26/10/08
  14.   Hate for hate, and the standstill P1 10:35  |  TonyL 26/10/08
  15.   Hate for hate, and the standstill P2 10:42  |  TonyL 26/10/08
  16.   Hate for hate, and the standstill P3 10:45  |  TonyL 26/10/08
  17.   Gideon Levy time is running out for Israel 10:48  |  Dutch 26/10/08
  18.   thank you Gideon 10:52  |  steven 26/10/08
  19.   If Israel was a commodity it would be taken off the shelf ... 11:05  |  Dutch 26/10/08
  20.   Hurts me to say this for 1st time to a point I agree with Levy 11:07  |  Ari ben Yisrael 26/10/08
  21.   # 20 Ari ben Israel 11:16  |  Swiss (Dino) 26/10/08
  22.   Swiss Dino on BIG demonstrations & gut feelings 11:34  |  Ari ben Yisrael 26/10/08
  23.   Ari ben Yisrael 11:37  |  TonyL 26/10/08
  24.   #11, haaretz has earned the respect of the world 11:38  |  steven 26/10/08
  25.   Gideon`s hypocrisy 11:47  |  alex 26/10/08
  26.   Very Impressed with your evaluation of the facts 11:59  |  Arison 26/10/08
  27.   Levy scores! Settlers are an existential threat to Israel 12:01  |  Ivar 26/10/08
  28.   # 24, STEVEN 12:04  |  indrajaya 26/10/08
  29.   The truth of the matter.... 12:17  |  Johnboy 26/10/08
  30.   couldnt have put it better myself ! 12:20  |  sj 26/10/08
  31.   Mr. Levy look in the mirror and say to yourself: So did leftists 12:21  |  Genuine Tosefta 26/10/08
  32.   steven in the USA 13:06  |  x-ray 26/10/08
  33.   #25 Alex well said 13:10  |  x-ray 26/10/08
  34.   # 25 alex`s hypocrisy 13:45  |  Natallie Durson 26/10/08
  35.   Yishar Koach 13:47  |  ben 26/10/08
  36.   Every American should read this 13:57  |  TimothyL 26/10/08
  37.   Every American should read this 13:57  |  TimothyL 26/10/08
  38.   Jeff Northridge and his denial of land theft 14:00  |  Labhras 26/10/08
  39.   and the "poor Leftists" who hate Zionism and Judaism, 14:05  |  Yaakov K. 26/10/08
  40.   Moral responsibility 14:17  |  Jessica 26/10/08
  41.   **** HOORAAAYYYY **** 14:27  |  Che 26/10/08
  42.   Celebrating Labhras 15:02  |  Labhrass`s admirer 26/10/08
  43.   As usual, the truth is in between the two dingbats 16:00  |  David Teich 26/10/08
  44.   The old tired , well known , predictable Gidy 16:06  |  TOMY 26/10/08
  45.   # 1 and # 2 : they suppose to know about us 16:20  |  Israeli citizen 26/10/08
  46.   See for example, Durson # 34: she is our Doctor. How much , Dr? 16:23  |  Israeli citizen 26/10/08
  47.   Steven #18 16:32  |  Jonny 26/10/08
  48.   gideon levy - steven - so go live in sweden 16:33  |  Danielle 26/10/08
  49.   Bravo Gideon, I hope you have a body guard... 16:47  |  BBSNews 26/10/08
  50.   Swiss (Dino) - gideon levy`s hatred 16:47  |  Danielle 26/10/08
  51.   gideon levy`s misplace hatred 16:50  |  Danielle 26/10/08
  52.   And yes, Giddy, there are plenty of Israelis who hate the ones,.. 16:54  |  misha 26/10/08
  53.   I don`t want 2 live in Sweden, thanx... 17:49  |  Yam Erez 26/10/08
  54.   Gideon Levy 18:04  |  lady from USA 26/10/08
  55.   Good news 18:09  |  lady from USA 26/10/08
  56.   Be honest Gidon 18:17  |  Afikoman 26/10/08
  57.   YES, HATE 18:24  |  ANNETTE GILADI 26/10/08
  58.   Esther (#7) what an Ostrich 18:28  |  Gil 26/10/08
  59.   # 1 continuation Yor are right.. Natalie 18:30  |  Ines 26/10/08
  60.   Re # 2 Israeli apathy ...may be ... 18:48  |  Ines 26/10/08
  61.   They are land thieves 18:59  |  Marilyn 26/10/08
  62.   Re # 2 ..To tired to demonstrate ..continuation 19:14  |  Ines 26/10/08
  63.   Reverse the sentences and you get? 19:16  |  Shlomo 26/10/08
  64.   Re# 3 19:17  |  Ines 26/10/08
  65.   The third Palestinian intifadha 19:35  |  salem awaad 26/10/08
  66.   Re # 5 19:40  |  Ines 26/10/08
  67.   Who hates whom? 19:49  |  Baruch 26/10/08
  68.   And you Ines, # 59, # 60, # 62, and # 64, beware... 19:59  |  Israeli citizen 26/10/08
  69.   Gideon Levy have you the courage to apologize too? 20:07  |  Gil 26/10/08
  70.   Thank You, Gideon: An Excellent Start Against The REAL Threat 20:10  |  Gray 26/10/08
  71.   Re # 5 Continuation 20:11  |  Israel 26/10/08
  72.   Re# 6 Well said Gad Giladi 20:19  |  Ines 26/10/08
  73.   Re# 8 Self hating.... jews ??? 20:29  |  Ines 26/10/08
  74.   Gideon Levy have you the courage to apologize too? 20:29  |  Gil 26/10/08
  75.   Settlements were necessary 20:30  |  Marty Green 26/10/08
  76.   there are jews who wish to live in their homes too 20:33  |  JfromC 26/10/08
  77.   Re: 8 To Dan...continuation 20:34  |  Ines 26/10/08
  78.   hate or not 20:39  |  frank 26/10/08
  79.   #36 Timothy: If only..... 20:39  |  Gray 26/10/08
  80.   Re # 9 Which Europeans say that ... 20:40  |  Ines 26/10/08
  81.   who is responsible for the situation 20:40  |  Fair 26/10/08
  82.   3rd Intifada=next Nakba 20:47  |  Hatem Bazian 26/10/08
  83.   Re # 9 Continuation 20:48  |  Ines 26/10/08
  84.   Re # 10 Sam did You ever hear of... 20:51  |  Ines 26/10/08
  85.   Re# 11 Real Jews ??? 20:55  |  Ines 26/10/08
  86.   Danielle you are wrong 20:56  |  Dave Duncan 26/10/08
  87.   Re # 12 Sure I agree ..... 20:57  |  Ines 26/10/08
  88.   Thanks, Gideon 21:03  |  Mibble 26/10/08
  89.   Re | # 13 ... Victor... 21:38  |  Israel 26/10/08
  90.   Hey Gideon! Go all the way! Israel is an illegal settlement 21:40  |  Maurice 26/10/08
  91.   Re# 14 Settlers are there 21:49  |  Ines 26/10/08
  92.   # 60 / # 62 Ines, do they have no vitamin pills in Israel....??? 22:15  |  Swiss (Dino) 26/10/08
  93.   The over 500,000 `settlers` have served in the IDF 22:25  |  Meir Weinstein 26/10/08
  94.   #89 israel and which post is he answering 22:31  |  v.hardman 26/10/08
  95.   Re # 61 They are land thieves 22:34  |  Ines 26/10/08
  96.   Re# 61 Continuation 22:55  |  Ines 26/10/08
  97.   #92 dopey dino and who asked olmert at anytime 23:08  |  v.hardman 26/10/08
  98.   Swiss (Dino) #92 I really don`t give a shit what 23:13  |  Gil 26/10/08
  99.   Swiss (Dino) #92 I really don`t give a shit what 23:14  |  Gil 26/10/08
  100.   #95 Where you are wrong, Ines 23:24  |  Johnboy 26/10/08
  101.   Re# 65 The third Palestinian intifadha 23:25  |  Israel 26/10/08
  102.   #93 Meir Weintein confirms Israeli child soldiers 23:38  |  Labhras 26/10/08
  103.   Yes, Hate 23:41  |  Monty Pogoda 26/10/08
  104.   Re # 65 ...continuation 23:48  |  Ines 26/10/08
  105.   Re# 65 Continuation 23:52  |  Ines 26/10/08
  106.   Outrageous Settler Behavior 23:53  |  Steve 26/10/08
  107.   #95 Ines 00:03  |  Labhras 27/10/08
  108.   #98/99 Gil Gil to Swiss Dino it is our business 00:07  |  Labhras 27/10/08
  109.   That Tiresome Zionist Creation Myth 00:19  |  Gray 27/10/08
  110.   This extremist orthodoxy is going to destroy eretz Israel 00:29  |  Aaron 27/10/08
  111.   They certainly make Israel look awful 00:37  |  Mark Lincoln 27/10/08
  112.   Right on, as always 00:47  |  Shelley 27/10/08
  113.   # 97 # 98 Gil and Pauli, "gratitude" is not really your thing.... 01:02  |  Swiss (Dino) 27/10/08
  114.   Settlers have been correct in every instance. 01:14  |  Chaim 27/10/08
  115.   #111 Mark. There is nothing "awful" about defending your rights. 01:19  |  Chaim 27/10/08
  116.   66 Gideon Levy, Never apoligize for the truth... 01:53  |  Dutch 27/10/08
  117.   #93 where do you glean your figures from? 02:12  |  Ari ben Yisrael 27/10/08
  118.   Your rights? 02:41  |  Mark Lincoln 27/10/08
  119.   Dear Arabs - 3 strikes and you are out... 02:47  |  Terminator 27/10/08
  120.   Swiss Dino 02:47  |  kay 27/10/08
  121.   It is very weird... 03:04  |  Terminator 27/10/08
  122.   Aaron..... 03:08  |  Terminator 27/10/08
  123.   #120 Kay ........ quotes Eliyahu McLean 03:08  |  Ari ben Yisrael 27/10/08
  124.   Clearification; #109 "That Tiresome..." 03:34  |  Gray 27/10/08
  125.   What are u? 04:11  |  Harry 27/10/08
  126.   Wait a moment, Gideon 04:15  |  Otto Rand 27/10/08
  127.   Gray 04:39  |  TonyL 27/10/08
  128.   #118 Chaim is thinking bigger than that, Mark 04:41  |  Johnboy 27/10/08
  129.   Gideon 05:06  |  Jasper 27/10/08
  130.   YES, HATE, MANY HATE YOU AND THE LIKES OF YOU 05:55  |  Jorge 27/10/08
  131.   Well, Jasper.... 06:00  |  Gray 27/10/08
  132.   Ben Yappi, Dan, Sam, Victor Hardman, Tosefta, Yaakov K., ... 06:35  |  Joel A. Levitt 27/10/08
  133.   The settlers need to go 07:07  |  doug denham 27/10/08
  134.   To Mr.Otto Rand 07:27  |  Salem Awaad 27/10/08
  135.   126, Re: the government was terribly wrong 08:11  |  Dutch 27/10/08
  136.   #3 Liat - totally agree with you/ 08:15  |  sharon 27/10/08
  137.   Gideon Levy never apologise for the truth: find it first 08:43  |  x-ray 27/10/08
  138.   Meeting hate with hate 08:46  |  sh 27/10/08
  139.   Labhras (#108) So says Drag Queen Labhras 08:46  |  Gil 27/10/08
  140.   Gray #134 Why attribute to Haaretz the words of a desperate 08:47  |  x-ray 27/10/08
  141.   Labhras (#108) So says Drag Queen Labhras 08:47  |  Gil 27/10/08
  142.   Gideon Levy is an expert in hate - self hate mainly 09:16  |  David 27/10/08
  143.   #135 doris cadigan again with the international law 09:19  |  victor hardman 27/10/08
  144.   Terminator...... 09:24  |  Aaron 27/10/08
  145.   Levitt, you make me lugh! 10:48  |  Yaakov K. 27/10/08
  146.   YES, gideon levy TELLS the truth, the HOLE truth & NOTHING but 12:13  |  CK Tan 27/10/08
  147.   #145 Yaakov K. 14:04  |  Joel A. Levitt 27/10/08
  148.   92: We do, Dino, but they`re as expensive as you are bigoted 14:21  |  David Teich 27/10/08
  149.   Don`t forget the American Jewish Establishment 18:56  |  John 27/10/08
  150.   stolen land? 20:02  |  ben 27/10/08
  151.   hate won`t bring peace 23:10  |  Simon 27/10/08
  152.   #126 Otto Rand tries very, very hard.... 01:15  |  Johnboy 28/10/08
  153.   Durson wrong again, can`t get her facts right 07:51  |  Joe Sittizen 28/10/08
  154.   #147: Blame the LEFT, Levitt! 12:38  |  Yaakov K. 28/10/08
  155.   just as we withdrew from South Lebanon 21:16  |  Gershon 28/10/08
  156.   Nonsense to make a dinstinction 01:01  |  Shlomo 29/10/08
  157.   Settlements on every hilltop- go and see! 13:54  |  Laura 29/10/08
  158.   Sad and despicable 14:08  |  Joe 29/10/08
  159.   152: Which is more than we can say for JB (2nd try) 16:27  |  David Teich 29/10/08
  160.   For Ari ben Yisrael 00:27  |  Eliyahu McLean 03/11/08
 Read & React
Livni: Israel should strike Hamas again to halt arms smuggling
Responses: 42
Amir Oren: 'Decisive' Gaza offensive merely rehearsal for next crisis versus Iran
Responses: 3
Netanyahu: Likud-led government wouldn't build new settlements
Responses: 27
Akiva Eldar: Saudi plan offers Israel united front with Arab states against Iran
Responses: 3


More Headlines
11:52 Egypt to Hamas: Take Gaza truce before Netanyahu is PM
09:23 Veteran ultra-Orthodox MK Avraham Ravitz dies aged 75
10:36 Netanyahu: Likud-led coalition wouldn't build new settlements
07:33 Survey: Most Israelis want Benjamin Netanyahu to be prime minister
11:24 Iran MPs plan Gaza visit to praise Hamas resistance against 'Zionist offensive'
10:14 Nine held for allegedly attacking Israeli Arabs in Upper Nazareth
10:35 Haaretz probe: Unknown overseas sources paid MK Lieberman NIS 2.5m
09:33 IDF rabbinate publication during Gaza war: We will show no mercy on the cruel
11:55 Sky News joins BBC in refusing to air Gaza fundraiser
10:51 2 hurt, 1 seriously, after light plane crashes near Beit She`an
04:42 EU presses Egypt to take action against Gaza arms smuggling
11:27 Number of laid-off Israelis set new high in December
07:41 U.S. businessman Guma L. Aguiar gives $8m to Nefesh b'Nefesh
07:43 Program launched to bring all Jewish teachers worldwide to Israel
04:43 Court to state: Let foreign media into Gaza when borders open
04:45 Egypt evacuates Rafah area, fearing IAF strike on Gaza
Previous Editions
Special Offers
Advertisement
Summer in Israel
Israeli style - Tzofim Chetz V'Keshet 2009
Blue And White Forever Israel Army T-shirts
Wear with Proud Donate the Soldiers Kit
You can make a direct IMPACT!
on the life of an Israeli soldier
State of Israel Bonds
During this time of market volatility, Israel bonds can help.
SURF RAMBAM
Keep current about new-wave medical care, education and research.
Summer Camp in Israel
The best place for your children this summer
Fattal Hotel Chain
Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel.
Eldan Rent a Car
Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
Jewish Singles Personal Ads
Find the love of your life on JDate.com
Junkyard
Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |
Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel
birthright Israel | Search engine marketing
Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved