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Gideon Levy / An open response to A.B. Yehoshua
By Gideon Levy
Tags: israel news, Gideon Levy 

Click here for more articles by Gideon Levy

Dear Bulli,

Thank you for your frank letter and kind words. You wrote it was written from a "position of respect," and I, too, deeply respect your wonderful literary works. But, unfortunately, I have a lot less respect for your current political position. It is as if the mighty, including you, have succumbed to a great and terrible conflagration that has consumed any remnant of a moral backbone.
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You, too, esteemed author, have fallen prey to the wretched wave that has inundated, stupefied, blinded and brainwashed us. You're actually justifying the most brutal war Israel has ever fought and in so doing are complacent in the fraud that the "occupation of Gaza is over" and justifying mass killings by evoking the alibi that Hamas "deliberately mingles between its fighters and the civilian population." You are judging a helpless people denied a government and army - which includes a fundamentalist movement using improper means to fight for a just cause, namely the end of the occupation - in the same way you judge a regional power, which considers itself humanitarian and democratic but which has shown itself to be a brutal and cruel conqueror. As an Israeli, I cannot admonish their leaders while our hands are covered in blood, nor do I want to judge Israel and the Palestinians the same way you have.

The residents of Gaza have never had ownership of "their own piece of land," as you have claimed. We left Gaza because of our own interests and needs, and then we imprisoned them. We cut the territory off from the rest of the world and the occupied West Bank, and did not permit them to construct an air or sea port. We control their population registrar and their currency - and having their own military is out of the question - and then you argue that the occupation is over? We have crushed their livelihood, besieged them for two years, and you claim they "have expelled the Israeli occupation"? The occupation of Gaza has simply taken on a new form: a fence instead of settlements. The jailers stand guard on the outside instead of the inside.

And no, I do not know "very well," as you wrote, that we don't mean to kill children. When one employs tanks, artillery and planes in such a densely populated place one cannot avoid killing children. I understand that Israeli propaganda has cleared your conscience, but it has not cleared mine or that of most of the world. Outcomes, not intentions, are what count - and those have been horrendous. "If you were truly concerned about the death of our children and theirs," you wrote, "you would understand the present war." Even in the worst of your literary passages, and there have been few of those, you could not conjure up a more crooked moral argument: that the criminal killing of children is done out of concern for their fates. "There he goes again, writing about children," you must have told yourself this weekend when I again wrote about the killing of children. Yes, it must be written. It must be shouted out. It is done for both our sakes.

This war is in your opinion "the only way to induce Hamas to understand." Even if we ignore the condescending tone of your remark, I would have expected more of a writer. I would have expected a renowned writer to be familiar with the history of national uprisings: They cannot be put down forcibly. Despite all the destructive force we used in this war, I still can't see how the Palestinians have been influenced; Qassams are still being launched into Israel. They and the world have clearly taken away something else from the last few weeks - that Israel is a dangerous and violent country that lacks scruples. Do you wish to live in a country with such a reputation? A country that proudly announces it has gone "crazy," as some Israeli ministers have said in regard to the army's operation in Gaza? I don't.

You wrote you have always been worried for me because I travel to "such hostile places." These places are less hostile than you think if one goes there armed with nothing but the will to listen. I did not go there to "tell the story of the afflictions of the other side," but to report on our own doings. This has always been the very Israeli basis for my work.

Finally, you ask me to preserve my "moral validity." It isn't my image I wish to protect but that of the country, which is equally dear to us both.

In friendship, despite everything,

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      1.   dear Gideon 02:25  |  zeev 18/01/09
      2.   Dear Gideon Levy 03:06  |  Marlene N. 18/01/09
      3.   questions 04:31  |  Aaron 18/01/09
      4.   gideon levy 04:40  |  frank linetsky 18/01/09
      5.   Thank You! 04:44  |  Arturo 18/01/09
      6.   Get rid of Gideon Levy 04:50  |  Take-a-pen 18/01/09
      7.   Why Hamas refuses to TALK? 04:50  |  My 18/01/09
      8.   Gideon Levy is an intellectual superpower 04:52  |  Sam (UK) 18/01/09
      9.   Gideo Levy 04:54  |  Israeli 18/01/09
      10.   Two videos I would like A.B. Yehoshua to study carefully. 04:54  |  Maureen Ann 18/01/09
      11.   to # 1 04:55  |  AJ 18/01/09
      12.   A. B. Yehoshua: doing his bit to defend war crimes 04:56  |  Ben Alofs 18/01/09
      13.   If you don`t like Israel, please move to Aza! 04:58  |  Sad to say it, but.. 18/01/09
      14.   To Mr.Levy 05:25  |  Ariel 18/01/09
      15.   Matn Vilnai: We will create a Shoah 05:29  |  Seawife 18/01/09
      16.   Gidon: read this: 05:29  |  Alex 18/01/09
      17.   The State of Israel is no Eratz Y`Israel 05:53  |  Emekmiyahu 18/01/09
      18.   Imagine 05:59  |  baffled 18/01/09
      19.   I don`t hear anymore suicide bombing 06:06  |  MMM 18/01/09
      20.   #10 Videos proven to be fakes 06:09  |  Gili 18/01/09
      21.   Arturo....the Hamas killed them 06:10  |  Maria 18/01/09
      22.   Ariel #14 06:12  |  Jasper 18/01/09
      23.   Thank You! 06:14  |  Julie 18/01/09
      24.   Gideon Levy/An open response to A.B. Yehoshua 06:17  |  Carol H 18/01/09
      25.   Arab world produces no Gideon Levys 06:47  |  duh 18/01/09
      26.   Dear Gideon 06:55  |  James 18/01/09
      27.   To Sam (UK) #8 06:57  |  Peter 18/01/09
      28.   An Open Response 06:59  |  Phil Craig 18/01/09
      29.   Hamas` "just cause" 06:59  |  fiona 18/01/09
      30.   Who is the Palestinian Gideon Levy? 07:01  |  don`t see anybody 18/01/09
      31.   please have your eyes examined 07:12  |  Robert 18/01/09
      32.   Gidon vs A.B.Y. 07:31  |  m 18/01/09
      33.   Horrendous? Yes. But peace is a two-way street 07:33  |  DesMnsDave 18/01/09
      34.   Of course you can negotiate peace with Hamas 07:33  |  Bobby Peace 18/01/09
      35.   Devoid of critical thought 07:35  |  Jeff 18/01/09
      36.   A question of intent 07:42  |  Yamin Salahi 18/01/09
      37.   Surely you jest 07:43  |  Jeffrey 18/01/09
      38.   An open response to Gideon 07:46  |  judith 18/01/09
      39.   Sick of this bore! Sick of this bore! I repeat...! 07:46  |  mea 18/01/09
      40.   Ben Alofs 07:51  |  judith 18/01/09
      41.   #20Gili. Get with it Gili, the year is 2009! 07:52  |  Maureen Ann 18/01/09
      42.   Only a very disturbed mind can defend Hamas! 07:57  |  Dr 18/01/09
      43.   Two loony left nutbars conversing in public 08:02  |  Maya 18/01/09
      44.   How can one defend Hamas? 08:03  |  Dr Eric 18/01/09
      45.   Gideon Levi is the classic Self HatingJew!! 08:06  |  Dr Eric 18/01/09
      46.   Gideon Levy 08:10  |  steve 18/01/09
      47.   Gideon Levy has been brainwashed 08:11  |  Bob 18/01/09
      48.   Thank you Gideon 08:19  |  Farooq 18/01/09
      49.   "I`ve never heard of a bad peace or of a good war" Albert Einstei 08:22  |  Ziad from Lebanon 18/01/09
      50.   Doing your job!! 08:24  |  Nicky 18/01/09
      51.   To #6 and those calling for Mr Levy`s silence 08:26  |  Nick 18/01/09
      52.   Fact Mr Levy: Hamas was always committed to the destruction of Is 08:28  |  Robert 18/01/09
      53.   Gideon Levy 08:32  |  Jerry 18/01/09
      54.   It is always the same with the apologists of Hamas, Taliban, Soma 08:42  |  S 18/01/09
      55.   war 08:56  |  MLK 18/01/09
      56.   #10 09:06  |  Rab Burns 18/01/09
      57.   The conscience of Israel 09:14  |  Janice 18/01/09
      58.   Gideon suffers from delusionary omnipotence 09:22  |  tz 18/01/09
      59.   Thank you Gideon 09:22  |  J. Raymond 18/01/09
      60.   Gideon Levy/An open letter 09:23  |  lynn Fux 18/01/09
      61.   #20 Gili 09:31  |  Janice 18/01/09
      62.   GIDEON Either you mourn ALLcasualties or you are playing partisan 09:34  |  PETER SM 18/01/09
      63.   In interesting historical parallel. 09:37  |  Jonathan Levy 18/01/09
      64.   Gideon Levy is a fraud and i can prove it 09:46  |  David Stoler 18/01/09
      65.   Gaza have a border with Egypt 09:48  |  Rick 18/01/09
      66.   Thank you 09:49  |  GB 18/01/09
      67.   Nothing but praise 09:53  |  Faraz 18/01/09
      68.   Gideon Levey and Haaretz 09:55  |  GalileeHero 18/01/09
      69.   Link to Two videos 09:55  |  Reader 18/01/09
      70.   ZIAD You must really dislike NO PEACE Ever 10:13  |  PETER SM 18/01/09
      71.   Gideon, are you really honest? 10:18  |  Rob 18/01/09
      72.   More over heated self-flagellation? 10:24  |  Jordan 18/01/09
      73.   to frank linetsky #4 11:31  |  zeev 18/01/09
      74.   Gideon`s response 11:34  |  rm 18/01/09
      75.   superb! 11:35  |  Efrat 18/01/09
      76.   Fiona 11:42  |  A.M. 18/01/09
      77.   Thank you so much for your human voice 13:04  |  Miss Copenhagen 18/01/09
      78.   Gideon`s response 13:08  |  Mitch Katz 18/01/09
      79.   Very well written Mr Levy 13:18  |  Jeff Northridge 18/01/09
      80.   gideon levy/a.b. yehoshua 13:28  |  isacco 18/01/09
      81.   God Bless You Gideon 14:36  |  Peaceful Human 18/01/09
      82.   to Israeli #9 (2nd try) 14:39  |  zeev 18/01/09
      83.   A Voice Crying in the Wilderness 14:50  |  JC 18/01/09
      84.   gideon levy`s response to yehoshua`s letter 14:50  |  maurice 18/01/09
      85.   Gideon, Todah Rabah 14:53  |  Moshe Chertoff 18/01/09
      86.   was lebanon occupied? 16:45  |  yosi 18/01/09
      87.   Gideon Levy / An open response to A.B. Yehoshua 19:09  |  geny 18/01/09
      88.   The text speaks against itself 20:55  |  L. Gordon 18/01/09
      89.   Letter from an Ole Hadash from Greece 21:08  |  Sabby Mionis 18/01/09
      90.   To Dr. #42 `Only a very disturbed mind can defend Hamas!` 21:25  |  Colin Wright 18/01/09
      91.   Levy, the Voice of the Bitter Truth 21:29  |  Jade 18/01/09
      92.   The world needs more Gideon Levys 21:29  |  peacelover 18/01/09
      93.   Gideon Levy/ An open response 00:09  |  El-Kadri 19/01/09
      94.   a beautiful response to an unnecessary war 00:27  |  Deborah 19/01/09
      95.   Mr. Levy is a giant among his detractors 00:28  |  Steve the Pals. 19/01/09
      96.   Levy 00:33  |  Paul 19/01/09
      97.   A question 00:38  |  David 19/01/09
      98.   Another question for David 02:03  |  hollingsworth 19/01/09
      99.   WRIGHT Living in denial of what Hamas says and does is? 02:23  |  PETER SM 19/01/09
      100.   Take a pen 02:47  |  sladin 19/01/09
      101.   Another question to Hollingsworth 03:16  |  David 19/01/09
      102.   Hard but marvelous response 04:29  |  Rick 19/01/09
      103.   Yes, Gaza has an Egypt border 04:37  |  yonatan 19/01/09
      104.   Finally an intellectual trial..... 05:09  |  NoGideonYrWrong 19/01/09
      105.   # 49 Ziad ....... re-establishing compassion 05:09  |  allang 19/01/09
      106.   Gideon, World is your home 06:02  |  OMC 19/01/09
      107.   STEVE the Pals where is YOUR giant? 06:04  |  PETER SM 19/01/09
      108.   Gideon`s one-sided honesty (4th try) 06:04  |  S 19/01/09
      109.   FRANK LINETSKY 06:14  |  AL 19/01/09
      110.   #7 MY - Israeli mantra "there is noone to talk to" 06:24  |  Pablo B 19/01/09
      111.   Haniyeh: "Hamas won the war" 08:58  |  Robert 19/01/09
      112.   U R SO WRONG, AL OF USA 10:27  |  yonatan 19/01/09
      113.   Where are the Candies? 11:25  |  Gaza Bar and Grill 19/01/09
      114.   Not a Romance Novel 11:51  |  Gaza Bar and Grill 19/01/09
      115.   to David #97 - an answer - 2nd try 12:02  |  zeev 19/01/09
      116.   to AJ #11, in Gaza - 3rd try 12:04  |  zeev 19/01/09
      117.   Toda raba 12:10  |  katri-Ann 19/01/09
      118.   toda raba 12:15  |  katri-ann malin 19/01/09
      119.   #113 Gaza bar and Grill..Gideon Levy is too obstinate. 16:04  |  Kathy 19/01/09
      120.   To #9 19:16  |  erik 19/01/09
      121.   Thank you for being a lone beacon of hope! 00:19  |  Pawel Stefanski 20/01/09
      122.   # 108 to "S" re: one-sidedness? 07:49  |  eric 20/01/09
      123.   Gaza 09:18  |  Marie Louise Bratt 20/01/09
      124.   Gideon Levy 10:20  |  K.G. 20/01/09
      125.   Kathy, Re: being a good and better Israeli 11:07  |  Dutch 20/01/09
      126.   to Sabby Mionis #89 - welcome aboard (4th try) 12:01  |  zeev 20/01/09
      127.   to Rob #71 (6th try) 12:02  |  zeev 20/01/09
      128.   Egypt`s Gaza border empties the left 14:08  |  Talia 21/01/09
      129.   Many Gideon Levis in the Arab World 08:15  |  PalestinianNYC 22/01/09
      130.   Dear Gideon Levy 09:41  |  Kerstin 22/01/09
      131.   Well Done 16:27  |  Eyad 22/01/09
      132.   Sederot 17:10  |  OSCAR 22/01/09
      133.   thank god 00:57  |  sirhan sirhan 23/01/09
      134.   Dear Mr. Levy, a solution... 01:38  |  BigD 23/01/09
      135.   to Dutch #125 - re: Kathy (8th try) 14:08  |  zeev 26/01/09
      136.   Thankyou Mr Levy 02:41  |  Jonathan 27/01/09
      137.   GIDEON you are wrong 16:09  |  Daniel 05/02/09
      138.   TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT HAMAS 16:13  |  Daniel 05/02/09
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