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No moderates left
By Gideon Levy
Tags: Gideon Levy, gaza 

Click here for more articles by Gideon Levy

The three leading candidates for prime minister are extremists. Tzipi Livni and Ehud Barak went to war in Gaza and are therefore as radical as can be. Benjamin Netanyahu is more radical in rhetoric only.

We must not be led astray in this election campaign and consider both Livni and Barak as moderates, in contrast to the "extremist" Netanyahu. This is a deception. Kadima and Labor, the center and left-wing parties, have led Israel to two awful wars within two years. Netanyahu has yet to go to war once. True, he speaks more radically than the other two, but so far it has only been words, while the "moderates" have taken radical, aggressive action.
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"Bibi is unreliable and terribly right-wing," Kadima's electoral broadcast asserts. Is he? Livni and Barak are just the same.

None of the people involved in the Gaza war can speak of peace now. Those who delivered such a brutal blow to the Palestinians, only to sow more hatred and fear among them, have no intention of making peace with them. Those responsible for firing white phosphorous shells into a civilian population and destroying thousands of homes cannot talk the following day about two states living peacefully side by side.

In one fell swoop, Ehud Olmert, who issued some of the bravest statements ever made in these parts about ending the occupation, singlehandedly turned them into a cynical babble of hollow cliches. Who will now believe that he wanted peace? And who will believe Barak or Livni?

This war unmasked Livni, the woman who had promised us "different politics." She, who as foreign minister was supposed to show Israel's sunny side to the world, chose to present an arrogant, violent and brutal face. During the war she boasted that Israel was acting "savagely," threatened to let Hamas "have it" and announced that the cease-fire would come into effect "whenever Israel decides."

As far as she was concerned, there was no world, no United States and Europe, no UN Security Council, and no bleeding and defeated other side - only Israel will decide. No foreign minister has ever spoken like this before.

In her pathetic attempts to assume a masculine, militaristic, even macho, posture of someone who would know what to say if the telephone rang at 3 A.M., Livni was exposed as a failed foreign minister, whose words and deeds are no different from those espoused by the radical militaristic men around her. No self-respecting voter who considers himself an upstanding centrist could vote for her. Whoever votes for Kadima will be voting for the right, which is eager to embark on any war and risk the accompanying crimes.

Voting for Labor also means voting for the war and its horrors. This war's marshal, Ehud Barak, has forever deprived himself of the moral right to talk of coexistence, political arrangements and diplomacy. If he really believed in them, he would have given them a chance before going to war, not afterward. Barak took the army to war and Barak must pay for it, together with his "left-wing" party, which joined the most radical, far-right parties in supporting the move to outlaw Israel's Arab parties.

Avigdor Lieberman, Netanyahu, Livni and Barak are one - they all voted in support of an undemocratic decision. And don't be alarmed by Lieberman - he, too, only talks. But at least he does so honestly, while Barak fires off salvos and deceives.

Granted, these impostors still enjoy the support of world leaders, but for many people around the globe, they have become war-mongers and suspected war criminals. Their diplomatic immunity will protect them - but who wants those leaders, with their bloodied hands, to represent us?

No less severe is the fact that there are no ideological differences between the candidates. Let Barak and Livni step up and explain what the hell sets them apart. What ideological argument are they conducting, apart from bickering on who should be credited for the war?

Facing them is Netanyahu - what does he have to offer? "Economic peace." After this war, which wasn't enough as far as he is concerned, his doctrine sounds even more ludicrous than ever.

This is how we're going into elections - with three leading parties that are hardly different from each other.

We always used to say, "There aren't any moderates in the Arab world." Now we are the ones who don't have any. Vote as you will, but don't fool yourself. Every ballot cast for Kadima, Labor and Likud is an endorsement of the last war and a vote for the next one.
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  1.   Only extreme reporters 07:13  |  stanley 25/01/09
  2.   its always been this way 09:28  |  Ben 25/01/09
  3.   Dear Mr Levy 09:42  |  john and the TRUTH! 25/01/09
  4.   Perhaps you`re the extreme one? 10:22  |  Mildly amused 25/01/09
  5.   No moderates left 10:27  |  Ralph 25/01/09
  6.   The only fair-minded people left in Israel today...... 10:29  |  Swiss (Dino) 25/01/09
  7.   Mr Levy. 10:30  |  elsie 25/01/09
  8.   Levy, do you believe that if Hamas would not threaten Israel`s ex 10:55  |  S 25/01/09
  9.   So tell us Levy Who you gonna vote far ... Balad? 11:04  |  Ari ben Yisrael 25/01/09
  10.   Israeli society highjacked! 11:08  |  Stem Cell 25/01/09
  11.   No moderates left 11:35  |  Natallie Durson 25/01/09
  12.   Spot on 11:40  |  Mitch Katz 25/01/09
  13.   Thank goodness 11:55  |  David 25/01/09
  14.   Apologies to all the other Gideons 12:04  |  Jay A Friedman 25/01/09
  15.   NOBODY CARES IN ISRAEL UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE 12:07  |  indrajaya 25/01/09
  16.   NEW ALERT: 6.000 rockets is enough! 12:31  |  US CITIZEN 25/01/09
  17.   NEWS ALERT: 6,000 rockets is enough! 12:35  |  US CITIZEN 25/01/09
  18.   Ari ben Yisreal 12:38  |  A.M. 25/01/09
  19.   Israel took over Kahane ideology 13:22  |  Daniel 25/01/09
  20.   Gideon, you must be joking, they ARE moderates. 13:26  |  Harvey 25/01/09
  21.   No moderates on the left either 13:32  |  Zev 25/01/09
  22.   Amen, Gideon! Only International pressure to Saudi Plan can save 13:39  |  Ivar 25/01/09
  23.   A coin has two sides 13:42  |  Fred 25/01/09
  24.   If only most the israelis thinks like you 13:44  |  Mustapha 25/01/09
  25.   Bibi Nutbar 14:37  |  Patrick 25/01/09
  26.   I really would like to know 14:47  |  JL 25/01/09
  27.   Gideon Levy 14:55  |  Haim Grusin 25/01/09
  28.   Mr. Levy, You convinced me not to vote Labor, Kadima, Likud 15:10  |  Rafi 25/01/09
  29.   its time for somone new! 15:18  |  xenophobia... 25/01/09
  30.   Israeli left????? 15:26  |  Freeatlast 25/01/09
  31.   # 10 Spot on 15:28  |  Mariam 25/01/09
  32.   The paradox 16:10  |  h.abdelahad 25/01/09
  33.   100% correct 16:34  |  Dovi 25/01/09
  34.   Dear Mr Levy 16:54  |  Tali 25/01/09
  35.   war pays off 16:56  |  arik 25/01/09
  36.   So true 17:03  |  julie 25/01/09
  37.   Lefties 17:24  |  Michael 25/01/09
  38.   Gideon better is to say no fools left. War is the answer to Hamas 17:25  |  arthur 25/01/09
  39.   right wing israel 17:34  |  jim the mechanic 25/01/09
  40.   Sometimes extremism can only be stopped by extremism 17:37  |  Harry 25/01/09
  41.   There never were moderates in Israel 17:41  |  Kris Lazar 25/01/09
  42.   on moderates and radicals 17:43  |  Will 25/01/09
  43.   Livini - Iron handed lady 17:44  |  UK 25/01/09
  44.   Gideon alone knows the truth 17:59  |  Proud Zionist 25/01/09
  45.   blood 17:59  |  S Awaad 25/01/09
  46.   night dreams 18:15  |  B Saleem 25/01/09
  47.   What a disapointment Livni turned out to be.So vote for Lieberman 18:21  |  JustMe 25/01/09
  48.   Sour Grapes 18:29  |  Joe 25/01/09
  49.   Israel Needs More Like Levy.... 18:48  |  Gray 25/01/09
  50.   Durson is right! (can you believe me saying that?!?) 19:04  |  Joe Sittizen 25/01/09
  51.   Al Jazeera Shaping New American Opinions 19:42  |  Gray 25/01/09
  52.   my little revange to Gideon Levy 19:49  |  Claude Sternberg 25/01/09
  53.   AS YOU MAY RECALL 20:18  |  Robert 25/01/09
  54.   Thank you for being a voice of reason 20:20  |  M.S. Brown 25/01/09
  55.   Israel 20:43  |  Ed 25/01/09
  56.   Everyone is an extremist except you and me, and I`m not... 20:44  |  Voice of Reason 25/01/09
  57.   No moderates left, never have been any in 21:13  |  Hamas 25/01/09
  58.   Vote for next WAR 21:15  |  AH 25/01/09
  59.   lets vote meshaal or abbas instead 21:23  |  alberto 25/01/09
  60.   Jay 21:42  |  Jake1948 25/01/09
  61.   Kadima, Likud, Labour - no moderates 21:59  |  Ricardo Kolbe 25/01/09
  62.   Lone voice of reason inside Hamas is Atef Edwan 22:35  |  Tali 25/01/09
  63.   To Sittizen 22:49  |  El-Kadri 25/01/09
  64.   Nader on Gore v Bush? 22:52  |  The Wise Bard 25/01/09
  65.   Yeah, Right - From a Kapo`s Perspective 22:55  |  Tod Zuckerman 25/01/09
  66.   Vote For Collision With The US - Confrontation The World Needs 22:57  |  chet 25/01/09
  67.   To Gideon Levy 23:00  |  El-Kadri 25/01/09
  68.   G. Levy 23:51  |  The Teacher/Instruct 25/01/09
  69.   #57Jake - That`s the Best You Can Do? 00:02  |  Jay A Friedman 26/01/09
  70.   Indrajaya- Palestinian robots. 00:05  |  Avrum 26/01/09
  71.   Daniel # 19 00:15  |  Avrum 26/01/09
  72.   Can`t we just capitulate? 00:19  |  Shalom Achshav 26/01/09
  73.   # 15 indrajaya HAMAS put their children to death! 00:53  |  Giora 26/01/09
  74.   No moderates 01:24  |  Amin 26/01/09
  75.   Poor and irresponsible comments ! 01:57  |  Johann 26/01/09
  76.   Israeli extremists ?...how about Arab extremists ? 02:14  |  Romy 26/01/09
  77.   Legitimate extremism against murderers of innocents civilians 02:21  |  Oleg 26/01/09
  78.   Giddy Gideon Getting A Free Ride From The State That Protects Him 02:32  |  Lavi 26/01/09
  79.   a pal `state` to a pal `authority` who run away from hamas 02:36  |  Joseph.E 26/01/09
  80.   Only with people like Gideon Levy peace will be reached 04:16  |  Saïf 26/01/09
  81.   suicide bombers have acheived their jihad goal 04:57  |  tony 26/01/09
  82.   Gideon Levy for Prime Minister 05:12  |  VJ 26/01/09
  83.   So vote for Abbas 06:15  |  UsedToPostHere 26/01/09
  84.   Isthat the correct title 06:34  |  David R. Zukerman 26/01/09
  85.   No Peace possible, no matter who is 06:38  |  spyguy 26/01/09
  86.   Chet from Canada 06:41  |  David R. Zukerman 26/01/09
  87.   Shalom Achshav 06:41  |  john and the TRUTH! 26/01/09
  88.   For #81 D R Zukerman - AIPAC 06:59  |  chet 26/01/09
  89.   To Joe Sittizen 07:20  |  B Saleem 26/01/09
  90.   Gideon`s - rhetoric and accountability 07:42  |  allang 26/01/09
  91.   The Biggest Extremeist 08:50  |  Ron 26/01/09
  92.   El Kadri, truth is not dangerous in Israel 08:51  |  really 26/01/09
  93.   I would vote only for Communist or Muslim party 08:58  |  Yaakov Sullivan 26/01/09
  94.   Gideon`s - rhetoric and accountability 09:19  |  allang 26/01/09
  95.   # 8 to my friend "S" re: moderation 09:30  |  eric 26/01/09
  96.   no moderate- the article 10:59  |  ida 26/01/09
  97.   Zuckeman from the Bronx 13:29  |  John , Canadian 26/01/09
 Read & React
Obama: Time for Palestinians, Israel to resume peace talks
Responses: 57
Miri Eisin: Is only the Israeli narrative 'the truth' and all the others wrong?
Responses: 36
Bradley Burston: The Gaza War as reality television
Responses: 20
EU aid chief: Hamas 'enormously responsible' for Gaza war
Responses: 61
IDF soldier killed, three wounded, in bomb blast on Gaza border
Responses: 35


More Headlines
16:25 IDF soldier killed, three wounded, in bomb blast on Gaza border
15:29 Tzipi Livni: Israel must respond immediately to Gaza bomb attack
16:16 Obama envoy Mitchell in Cairo on first leg of Mideast tour
15:31 Sarkozy to update Shalit's father on latest efforts to free son
15:07 Egypt warns EU against sending ships to patrol Gaza coast
14:51 ANALYSIS / Recognizing that Israel's effort to topple Hamas has failed
12:25 Police arrest Jewish teens for allegedly assaulting Arab youth in Galilee
14:54 U.S. Jews to quit UN Holocaust memorial if host attacks Israel
14:09 Egypt: Palestinian reconciliation talks to begin on February 22
14:43 Iran protests to Egypt for turning back Gaza 'aid ship'
13:32 Israel to face 'catastrophe' without Palestinian state, says Jimmy Carter
13:32 After 60 years, Jewish siblings separated in Holocaust reunited
13:45 Shas to endorse Likud's Netanyahu as next prime minister
10:27 Israel stymies French push to lift European boycott of Hamas
13:33 Kadima kicks off campaign with threat to assassinate Hamas chiefs
11:22 Auschwitz survivors gather to mark Nazi death camp's liberation
09:05 Police say case against Lieberman boosted by newly revealed documents
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