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Last update - 08:20 28/06/2009
Enclosing balconies
By Gideon Levy
Tags: settlements, U.S. 

I remember the image from my childhood: the amputee salesman knocking on our doors in the evening and offering his forlorn-looking wares - floor rags and razor blades from a wooden suitcase. He would arouse a mixture of terror and compassion in us, but no one wanted his merchandise. I was reminded of him last week when I saw pictures of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knocking on the doors of the leaders of Italy and France, among the last friends of Israel.

From capital to capital, our Benjamin Netanyahu went around suggesting that the open balconies in the settlements be enclosed. Everywhere he went, he heard the same thing. The doors were slammed in the face of the salesman, and Netanyahu for his part persevered, suggesting an arrangement maybe like the Italian hill town of San Gimignano, with its houses built upwards, trying in vain to continue juggling. Even Silvio Berlusconi, whose pro-Israel positions are sometimes ridiculous and embarrassing, slammed the door in his face.

But lest we do injustice to the amputee salesman of our childhood: He tried to make an honest living. Netanyahu, however, is trying to deceive. They'll enclose balconies and build another 100 houses, too.
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This grotesqueness would be funny if it didn't involve such a fateful matter. In 100 days, Netanyahu has managed to turn the whole world against him, including his last remaining friends. Washington sent his envoy, Isaac Molho, who had also tried to ply the balcony solution, home in disgrace. The meeting with U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell was canceled, and Netanyahu made himself a laughing stock in Paris and Rome. And all over a balcony - another desperate Israeli prank designed to deceive the world.

Netanyahu was left stark naked. A prime minister without an agenda is the worst possible news for Israel. "Mr. Terror" without terrorism, "Mr. Iran" without Iran. Even a Thatcherite without Thatcherism, which has breathed its last breath. All the fears that he had generated, and upon which he built his career, were dissipated or dismissed in one fell swoop. Netanyahu was left with nothing. He has nothing to offer. His suitcase is empty. You can no longer scare the world with Palestinian terrorism, because - what to do? - there hasn't been any for a long time, touch wood.

Netanyahu's second career, as "Mr. Iran," has been indefinitely postponed as irrelevant. When the Iranian regime has been split in the face of such impressive and courageous popular protest, and with U.S. President Barack Obama trying to change course, can Netanyahu continue to wag his tail over the danger of the bomb, as he again tried to do in such a ridiculous way on his European tour?

It's a case of beating on an empty vessel. There are no buyers for Netanyahu's Iranian goods. Bomb or no bomb, we've been left with enclosing balconies.

What a pathetic sight: An Israeli prime minister, who was just elected with new promise, travels around the world with such moldy wares. While Obama talks big, Netanyahu talks about the smallest of the small. While Obama is portrayed as the harbinger of historic change, Netanyahu is seen as dealing in trivialities, a petty merchant trying to sell defective trinkets that no one wants.

Thanks to Obama, we have returned to the fateful, fundamental question: Will the Israeli occupation last another 40 years, or has the world become totally fed up with it, having decided to put an end to it? Obama is sending signals that he has chosen the second option. The controversy over freezing the settlements is therefore indeed a "waste of time," as Netanyahu declared in Europe. The time has come to get to the heart of the matter: evacuating them. Netanyahu's words at Bar-Ilan University are therefore also seen as futile. Two states don't begin with enclosing balconies, but with evacuating them.

To Netanyahu all that is left, sooner than expected, is survival - in the face of the United States and the Habayit Hayehudi party. In March 2007, I wrote the following: "The prime minister, what does he have in life? He rises in the morning, but the morning doesn't arise in him. He gets into bed at night and what does he think? That he again managed to satisfy the American administration and reject Syrian signals? What will the prime minister say to himself at the end of his first year in office? And the second? What does he think he will leave behind other than surviving?"

I was writing about Netanyahu's predecessor, Ehud Olmert. A year and a half later, Olmert is finished, leaving behind only battlefield remains from two unnecessary wars. But my words, to my great sorrow and shame, apply twofold to Olmert's successor.
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  1.   We Will ALWAYS Build Here In OUR Land: Better Get Used To It 08:42  |  Yishai Kohen 28/06/09
  2.   A salesman of moldy wares that nobody wants 08:46  |  Natallie Durson 28/06/09
  3.   Amazing Gideon 09:03  |  Big 28/06/09
  4.   #1 09:06  |  Michael 28/06/09
  5.   Actually in America they are very embarrased by Obama 09:06  |  Zev 28/06/09
  6.   giddy extols nuremburg laws in the 21st century 09:08  |  v hardman 28/06/09
  7.   Iran hasn`t dissipated. It is even more belligerant. 09:28  |  Fortuna Benmayor 28/06/09
  8.   Don`t let the door hit ya... 09:41  |  John E. Smoke 28/06/09
  9.   singing the "mantra" 09:41  |  tiki 28/06/09
  10.   An empty vessel, like Gordon Brown 09:47  |  Manny Goldstein 28/06/09
  11.   Levy`s writing turns him into laughing stock 10:02  |  Angry Arab - As`ad 28/06/09
  12.   #2 Unoriginal Nuttily & as always IRRELEVANT 10:10  |  Ari ben Yisrael 28/06/09
  13.   Gideon, you are the amputee.. 10:11  |  Joe 28/06/09
  14.   The emperors new clothes 10:14  |  Chris Linthwaite 28/06/09
  15.   Gideon, you made my day... even the opening Yishai post... 10:32  |  Esther 28/06/09
  16.   Even stupid Australia has finally got it 10:38  |  Marilyn 28/06/09
  17.   Bibi as Ali Hakim 10:39  |  Mark of Lewiston 28/06/09
  18.   #1 10:43  |  fedup! 28/06/09
  19.   Zev#5, Bibi is pathetic because he himself is of two minds... 10:54  |  Esther 28/06/09
  20.   Yishai #1... what have you got against ... 11:04  |  Esther 28/06/09
  21.   OK, Fortuna #7, so you`ve brought us back-to-earth... 11:16  |  Esther 28/06/09
  22.   It was bound to turn out this way 11:17  |  Colin Wright 28/06/09
  23.   Putting things in prespective 11:20  |  GaileeHero 28/06/09
  24.   #1 11:30  |  Jack 28/06/09
  25.   Well, at least you`ve given Natallie a chuckle.. 11:30  |  Nemesis 28/06/09
  26.   Terror and Iran are no longer a problem, right Levy? 11:38  |  Oh, good! 28/06/09
  27.   #14 Esther - You are correct 11:52  |  Zev 28/06/09
  28.   26 oh God! 11:55  |  Lieberman 28/06/09
  29.   To Fedup in OUR Hebron 11:56  |  Yishai Kohen 28/06/09
  30.   # 1 yishai 12:03  |  Axel 28/06/09
  31.   They wait the whole week for their Sunday fix of Levy hatred 12:13  |  Nemesis 28/06/09
  32.   Soon no one will open the door to this shoddy salesman 12:13  |  Tzfonit 28/06/09
  33.   #1 Yishai--Yishai-Yishai----it is over--arise and awaken 12:33  |  Jane@amazon.com 28/06/09
  34.   gidon levy 12:37  |  shmuel gurewicz 28/06/09
  35.   Gideon 12:56  |  rob 28/06/09
  36.   #22 colin got it wright at last! why does israel get 12:59  |  v hardman 28/06/09
  37.   Rome, Paris, And Washington May Not Be Laughing So Loudly 13:02  |  Jeff Northridge 28/06/09
  38.   What country on Earth supports the settlements? 13:40  |  newageblues 28/06/09
  39.   To 5 Zev - Actually in America they are very embarrased by Obama 13:53  |  David 28/06/09
  40.   Gideon, one of the 10 righteous who will save Israel 13:55  |  Lebanese 28/06/09
  41.   Zev, The rest of the world will like Obama for a long time 13:58  |  Stephen L 28/06/09
  42.   #27 the same countries that did nothing about the holocaust blues 14:03  |  v hardman 28/06/09
  43.   Natallie and Johnboy. Keep up the good work 14:04  |  Stephen L 28/06/09
  44.   To Zev 14:09  |  Jezreel 28/06/09
  45.   Joe #13 You are correct sir about Gideon 14:39  |  The Equalizer 28/06/09
  46.   Take me to Your Leader 14:40  |  Ronnie Wolman 28/06/09
  47.   Whay give up the best card without somethong back? 14:45  |  a wandering Jew 28/06/09
  48.   #1, God`s own, the world will never accept it 14:45  |  newageblues 28/06/09
  49.   congress is also sending signals to obama 15:01  |  ameneyman 28/06/09
  50.   Europe is financially dangeling from arab balconies! 15:06  |  ameneyman 28/06/09
  51.   Slamming the door in the salesman`s face 15:14  |  Tzfonit 28/06/09
  52.   #30, wandering Jew, do you mean the settlements or the occupation 15:30  |  newageblues 28/06/09
  53.   enclosing balconies 15:32  |  shimshon kinory 28/06/09
  54.   great imagery, 15:37  |  edgar 28/06/09
  55.   to Zev 15:38  |  edgar 28/06/09
  56.   Bracha/Tzfonit: You are living on Palestinian land 15:39  |  Lanlan 28/06/09
  57.   Enclosing Balconies 15:48  |  Yosef Leibowitz 28/06/09
  58.   #42 v hardman 16:01  |  Chris Linthwaite 28/06/09
  59.   Only a Matter of Time 16:06  |  Jane 28/06/09
  60.   To no. 8 16:27  |  Sara 28/06/09
  61.   As if Netanyahu cares 16:32  |  Mark Lincoln 28/06/09
  62.   Next Israeli concession 16:37  |  Axel 28/06/09
  63.   Another of Northridge--that is already in progress 16:40  |  abacus 28/06/09
  64.   Sara "I am so ashamed of what we look like to other countries" 16:58  |  Nemesis 28/06/09
  65.   Enclosing Balconies 17:19  |  Leeguy 28/06/09
  66.   Mark Lincoln, it`s not quite that simple. 17:22  |  Tzfonit 28/06/09
  67.   Josef leibowitz spoken like a true seperatist 17:34  |  Labhras 28/06/09
  68.   The wandering salesman. Or the enforcer.? 17:35  |  Stephen. 28/06/09
  69.   There is hope 17:35  |  WHG 28/06/09
  70.   Netanyahu reminds one of having the two differing sons... 17:59  |  Smadar 28/06/09
  71.   America interested in big picture now 18:15  |  U.S. Citizen 28/06/09
  72.   settlements/Levy 18:19  |  bob wilson 28/06/09
  73.   to Zev # 5 we are VERY proud of Obama, thank you very much 18:20  |  melissa 28/06/09
  74.   37 Jeff Northridge - Underway for Months 18:46  |  Mark of Lewiston 28/06/09
  75.   Zev actually we 18:53  |  Chet 28/06/09
  76.   The sound of music 18:55  |  Bazmann 28/06/09
  77.   v hardman 42 19:22  |  potobac 28/06/09
  78.   AD HOMINEM 20:00  |  JJ 28/06/09
  79.   Netanyahu is left to clean up the mess 20:05  |  Ronnbo 28/06/09
  80.   re #64. The responsibility for our survival is ours 20:16  |  Ronnbo 28/06/09
  81.   to Zev Re: Obama 20:19  |  Siba 28/06/09
  82.   Netanyahu still might sell the return of the settlers into Israel 20:24  |  Kris Lazar 28/06/09
  83.   Mr. Gideon Levy 20:32  |  Arbil 28/06/09
  84.   #78: JJ, the simple response 20:39  |  DOC HOLLIDAY 28/06/09
  85.   #42, v hardman, Europe just wants this damn thing settled 20:46  |  newageblues 28/06/09
  86.   Settlements ? What settlements? 20:57  |  Witness 28/06/09
  87.   Evacuating Settlers 21:00  |  rwr 28/06/09
  88.   # 84 21:06  |  JJ 28/06/09
  89.   Lebanese, you forgot Sanunu... 21:20  |  Tao Te Ching 28/06/09
  90.   #5 We Are So Relieved To Have A Fair President 21:21  |  Alaska 28/06/09
  91.   #78 JJ: You`re the one with the Ad Hominem attack 21:28  |  Robert 28/06/09
  92.   Why must Jews label other Jews as anti-Jewish 21:45  |  justis 28/06/09
  93.   Uh, no. 21:46  |  Lennon 28/06/09
  94.   No, Levy, the laughingstock is YOU. 21:57  |  Andreas 28/06/09
  95.   oh levy just give it up 22:01  |  Connie 28/06/09
  96.   The Balcony Has Collapsed 22:02  |  Yaakov Sullivan 28/06/09
  97.   enclosing balconies 22:09  |  Danny 28/06/09
  98.   #11 "angry arab" 22:09  |  lior 28/06/09
  99.   re this article 22:16  |  Hilda 28/06/09
  100.   Zev # 5 you haven`t a clue 22:54  |  American in NY 28/06/09
  101.   Enclosing balconies 22:55  |  S Cohen 28/06/09
  102.   #5 Zev--We`re not ashamed of him 22:58  |  ghostoflutherblisset 28/06/09
  103.   Gideon Levy 23:03  |  Rebecca Durick 28/06/09
  104.   Too biased 23:24  |  Manuel 28/06/09
  105.   Wow, Andreas, attacking Levy from the left! That makes you a 23:40  |  n 28/06/09
  106.   Get it through your heads Bibi, Yishai & others 23:47  |  Janice 28/06/09
  107.   #38 newageblues 00:09  |  e. a. 29/06/09
  108.   #37 JEFF NORTHRIDGE 00:52  |  Courcey 29/06/09
  109.   Natural growth...... insulting our intelligence 01:05  |  allang 29/06/09
  110.   Danny #96, you`re kidding right? Part 1 01:10  |  William Schmidt 29/06/09
  111.   its all hot air as they say 01:17  |  david caldani 29/06/09
  112.   Sour Grapes from the Left 01:29  |  Barry 29/06/09
  113.   #88 02:20  |  Ronnbo 29/06/09
  114.   Netanyahu will lose 03:20  |  Gully Foyle 29/06/09
  115.   Enclosing balconies 04:15  |  sonicgumel 29/06/09
  116.   Is Haaretz broke? No money? No staff? 05:59  |  BBSNews 29/06/09
  117.   Connie, you are a sad person aren`t you? 06:06  |  BBSNews 29/06/09
  118.   #16 Stupid Australian finally gets it 06:45  |  Sardaukar 29/06/09
  119.   Jeff 06:53  |  Chet 29/06/09
  120.   Levy Speaks the Truth 07:21  |  Vladek 29/06/09
  121.   For Esther # 21 07:38  |  Fortuna Benmayor 29/06/09
  122.   Gideon...when are you going to tell the truth 08:12  |  MMM 29/06/09
  123.   Gideon Levy It is not us that did an injustice to the amputee 17:21  |  Gil 29/06/09
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