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Last update - 08:56 22/10/2009
Israel's attacks will lead to its isolation
By Gideon Levy
Tags: Gideon Levy, Israel News 

Israel has been dealing one blow after another to the rest of the world. While China has still not recovered from Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's absence from the reception at its Tel Aviv embassy - a serious punishment for China's support for the Goldstone report - France is licking its wounds after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "vetoed" a visit by the French foreign minister to Gaza. And Israel has dealt another blow: Its ambassador in Washington, Michael Oren, will boycott the conference next week of the new Israel lobby J Street.

China, France and J Street will somehow get by despite these boycotts, Turkey will also recover from the great vacationers' revolt, and we can expect that even the Swedes and Norwegians will recover from Israel's loud reprimands. But a country that attacks and boycotts everyone who does not exactly agree with its official positions will become isolated, forsaken and detestable: North Korea of today or Albania of yesterday. It's actually quite strange for Israel to use this weapon, as it is about to turn into the victim of boycotts itself.

Israel strikes and strikes again. It strikes its enemies, and now it strikes out at its friends who dare not fall exactly in line with its official policies. The J Street case is a particularly serious example. This Jewish organization rose in America along with Barack Obama. Its members want a fair and peace-seeking Israel.
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That's their sin, and their punishment is a boycott.

Oren, meanwhile, is a devoted representative: He also is boycotting. After criticizing Israeli columnists, including this one, in an article in The New Republic for daring to criticize Netanyahu's speech at the UN - an outrage in its own right - the ambassador-propagandist uses the boycott weapon against a new and refreshing Jewish and Zionist organization that is trying to battle the nationalistic and heavy-handed Jewish-American establishment.

In whose name is Oren doing that? Not in the name of Israeli society, whose ambassador he supposedly is. The former ambassadors from Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union would have acted the same way.

Such aggressiveness is a bad sign. It will drive away our last true friends and deepen our isolation. "A nation alone" has turned into our goal, our isolation has become an aspiration. Whom will we have left after we attack and boycott everyone? Abe Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League? Our propagandist-attorney Alan Dershowitz?

Dividing the world up between absolute good and evil - our side and our enemies, with no middle ground - is a sign of despair and a complete loss of direction. It's not just our ambassador in Washington, who knows nothing at all about democracy and pluralism and only wants to please his masters. Such behavior - kicking and barking crazily in every direction - is destroying Israel.

Without giving us a chance to voice our opinion, Israel is falling to the status of an international pariah, the abomination of the nations. And whom can we thank for that? Operation Cast Lead, for example. Only the United States remains our automatic and blind ally for all our mistakes. Another democracy that saw its status deteriorating so much would ask itself first and foremost what mistakes it had made.

In Israel our approach is exactly the opposite: The rest of the world is guilty. The Scandinavians are hostile and the Turks are enemies, the French and British hate Israel, the Chinese are only Chinese and the Indians can't teach us anything.

Any legitimate criticism is immediately labeled here as anti-Semitism, including Richard Goldstone, the Jewish Zionist. We are pushing everyone into a corner roughly and hope they will change their opinions and suddenly be filled with a deep understanding for the killing of children in Gaza. Now America too, even its Jews, are no longer immune to this aggressive Israel mad with grandeur.

The damage is piling up from Beijing all the way to New York. After the J Street boycott even American Jews will know that Israel is not a tolerant, open-minded or liberal country, despite what they are being told.

Now they will know that "the only democracy in the Middle East" is not exactly that, and whoever does not repeat and proclaim its propaganda messages will be considered an enemy - they may also be punished severely.

They should just ask the billion Chinese who are licking their wounds from the mortal blow the Israeli Foreign Minster dealt them personally.

Related articles:
  • European official: Economic boycott of Israel is 'not justified'
  • Israel envoy Michael Oren rejects J Street invite
  • J Street embraced by Obama administration, but not in Israel
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      1.   Good article, and once again, it`s unfortunate that Ambassador 05:32  |  Smadar 22/10/09
      2.   Labeling Goldstone a "Jewish Zionist" 05:37  |  Israeli 22/10/09
      3.   Baby and bathwater? 05:56  |  Joel 22/10/09
      4.   Friends 05:56  |  Paul Fingerhut 22/10/09
      5.   Well said again Gideon..and... 06:02  |  Davide C. 22/10/09
      6.   Say it like it is. 06:07  |  Ben W 22/10/09
      7.   anoher upside down analysis for gideon 06:16  |  the self hater 22/10/09
      8.   Right on!! 06:29  |  Jenny 22/10/09
      9.   Sanity and Courage 06:50  |  Steve Benassi 22/10/09
      10.   Levy could have said all this with a single word 06:53  |  Johnboy 22/10/09
      11.   There is no point pretending you accept unfair treatment 06:59  |  hmpierson 22/10/09
      12.   better alone than hypocrite "friends" 07:16  |  tiki Belgium 22/10/09
      13.   Israel is the voted as no 2 in pariah states 07:20  |  Roger 22/10/09
      14.   Poor Gideon - Never reading your submissions 07:22  |  Rara 22/10/09
      15.   Implosion Bibi Style 07:27  |  peter rouget 22/10/09
      16.   An "Iron Wall across Europe ........Now Israel 07:29  |  Basil Rathbone 22/10/09
      17.   Sad but true. We need a change!!!! 08:16  |  tel aviv eyes 22/10/09
      18.   Levy is hopefully alone in his extreme and harmful views 08:51  |  Kenny 22/10/09
      19.   "Are you not ashamed?" (UN speech in our name) 08:57  |  sh 22/10/09
      20.   It`s a mentality thing 09:00  |  Sarah 22/10/09
      21.   Hubris (Johnboy) 09:09  |  david 22/10/09
      22.   Nobody likes us but we don`t care! 09:48  |  Manny Goldstein 22/10/09
      23.   Now Gideon does it! J Street nonsense. 09:50  |  S 22/10/09
      24.   As long as Israel is treating the rest of the world with contempt 09:50  |  Swiss (Dino) 22/10/09
      25.   On the mark 09:52  |  Les Lyshkov 22/10/09
      26.   Mr. Levi, Balaam said it better ! 09:56  |  Zev Davis 22/10/09
      27.   @Jenny, Miami 09:57  |  Ilan 22/10/09
      28.   If boycotts are bad, why does the Left boycott Israel? 09:58  |  Binyamin Dissen 22/10/09
      29.   Religion will always destroy God`s chosen. 10:09  |  Michael 22/10/09
      30.   Gideon is 100% correct 10:35  |  Sylvie 22/10/09
      31.   Don`t Worry Gideon 10:36  |  Arieka 22/10/09
      32.   JOHNBOY Simple.Don`t bomb Israel esp.civillians & expect to 10:39  |  PETER SM 22/10/09
      33.   To Jenny 10:44  |  Arieka 22/10/09
      34.   #16, IIan 10:50  |  Fritz 22/10/09
      35.   Boycotts are not bad. They are good. 10:50  |  Ron 22/10/09
      36.   Yes, Gideon, you are absolutely correct but you forgot to mention 10:58  |  Esther 22/10/09
      37.   Israel slams 11:01  |  kibishi 22/10/09
      38.   OH MY, JEWS FIGHTING BACK! 11:05  |  steve 22/10/09
      39.   MICHAEL UK Jews in Germany bent over backwards to be GERMANS 11:07  |  PETER SM 22/10/09
      40.   I love Israel and Jews 11:09  |  Cengiz 22/10/09
      41.   RON too bad did you see what Solana said?The EU spokesperson a 11:11  |  PETER SM 22/10/09
      42.   michael UK - where on earth is this JEWISH state? 11:27  |  CK Tan 22/10/09
      43.   MGOLDSTEIN"Strength to strength" Do you read what EU leaders say? 11:29  |  PETER SM 22/10/09
      44.   Israel NOT alone at all 11:30  |  TJ 22/10/09
      45.   J street supported Chas Freeman who then railed against jews 11:31  |  jeff 22/10/09
      46.   What`s a matter Gideon? Afraid your allies would dump you 12:20  |  Absolute Sweden 22/10/09
      47.   Gideon get real: Russia, China, France, UK et al voted or 12:33  |  Genuine Moshe 22/10/09
      48.   Mr. Levy....you have tunnel vision 12:46  |  Lynn 22/10/09
      49.   To Michel U.K 12:47  |  Arieka 22/10/09
      50.   PETER SM and Spain, Britain, weren`t they once 12:48  |  Petra 22/10/09
      51.   israel`s isolation 12:51  |  ana 22/10/09
      52.   # 14 Kenny 12:52  |  Bob 22/10/09
      53.   jews never ever crushed again part 2 13:18  |  dave 22/10/09
      54.   #28 You are such a knee-jerk, PETER SM 13:51  |  Johnboy 22/10/09
      55.   Bad news for you guys..... 14:03  |  Cem 22/10/09
      56.   Now These Same Pit Bulls Will Attack the Messenger 14:33  |  Yaakov Sullivan 22/10/09
      57.   Israel don`t need no stinking world! 14:33  |  Mark Lincoln 22/10/09
      58.   Its a Jewish thing 14:37  |  alan the real one 22/10/09
      59.   Congratulations on printing this article 16:51  |  Jeb 22/10/09
      60.   # 51 alan, I thought it was a German thing 16:58  |  Bob 22/10/09
      61.   A very BIG difference alan 17:04  |  Mark Lincoln 22/10/09
      62.   POSTURE vs BELIEF 17:08  |  SIMON 22/10/09
      63.   Israel deserving isolation 17:15  |  david 22/10/09
      64.   Fifth Column/Sedition 17:29  |  HPL 22/10/09
      65.   What is this country? 18:05  |  Avram Cohen 22/10/09
      66.   Levy`s Attacks on Israel lead to Sedition 18:12  |  moll 22/10/09
      67.   Mr.Levy and the Phillies 18:22  |  Connie 22/10/09
      68.   Levy`s Attacks on Israel lead to Sedition/Treason 18:23  |  Moll 22/10/09
      69.   Israel will have all friends back as soon as settlements freeze 18:40  |  Siam Kerry 22/10/09
      70.   Tempest in a Teapot 18:47  |  Tom C 22/10/09
      71.   "Gee, maybe if we`re EXTRA nice, then..." 18:50  |  RfaelMoshe 22/10/09
      72.   For God`s sake 18:58  |  Jon 22/10/09
      73.   Hopefully the Israeli people will realise 19:12  |  Chris Linthwaite 22/10/09
      74.   Gideon Levy The Clarivident 19:14  |  Peacefull Observer 22/10/09
      75.   israel attacks will lead to its isolation 19:31  |  Paul Stock 22/10/09
      76.   Punish Everyone That Does Not Agree With Israel 19:38  |  Vladek 22/10/09
      77.   Gideon, Israel has been in the wasteland for a long time.. 19:53  |  Dutch 22/10/09
      78.   Why do those that correctly diagnose the Israeli disease 20:09  |  Michael M 22/10/09
      79.   #2 for Israeli 20:10  |  Janice 22/10/09
      80.   # 56 mark lincoln 20:36  |  Axel 22/10/09
      81.   Great Article; #2, 7 & 14 21:17  |  Czarkazem13 22/10/09
      82.   Bitter sully 21:21  |  Nathan Mizrahi 22/10/09
      83.   Israel, i wanna love you again 21:48  |  annie 22/10/09
      84.   Yaakov, like it or not, in Israel Levy IS a pariah! 21:50  |  Paraclete 22/10/09
      85.   Petra 22:01  |  Hugh 22/10/09
      86.   Paraclete: Of course and that would be because...? 22:11  |  Yaakov Sullivan 22/10/09
      87.   Levy and appeasement 22:13  |  Brod 22/10/09
      88.   Good column 22:13  |  Don Boston 22/10/09
      89.   Rara - liberal zionist? 22:31  |  liberal anti-zionist 22/10/09
      90.   Hugh in Toronto 22:35  |  mariapalestina 22/10/09
      91.   Brod 22:41  |  Hugh 22/10/09
      92.   Axel - true, bur 23:54  |  Mark Lincoln 22/10/09
      93.   `Kicking and barking crazily in every direction` - love it! 00:25  |  David 23/10/09
      94.   For Gideon Levy, in respect and brotherhood. 00:27  |  Fortuna Benmayor 23/10/09
      95.   Brod 02:03  |  stella westwell 23/10/09
      96.   Israel needs to learns some lessons from Hamas 02:29  |  Avi W 23/10/09
      97.   ...those who will not see. 02:32  |  EGB 23/10/09
      98.   Israel will always be alone 03:10  |  Robert 23/10/09
      99.   don boston #88 03:19  |  Robert 23/10/09
      100.   Israel`s right thinks it does not need the world 03:43  |  Mark Lincoln 23/10/09
      101.   hugh 03:47  |  michael 23/10/09
      102.   THE DOOMSDAY MACHINE, BROUGHT TO YOU BY: 04:26  |  EL 23/10/09
      103.   This is Israel ...., 05:29  |  One 23/10/09
      104.   Gideon, we are not ghetto Jews anymore. 05:30  |  leoblue 23/10/09
      105.   Neither automatic nor blind 05:36  |  Steve 23/10/09
      106.   Mistakes or character traits? 05:47  |  hollingsworth 23/10/09
      107.   Who in the wolrd, besides zions, cares about Israel? 06:02  |  Niva dos Santos 23/10/09
      108.   Appeasement doesnt work with them arabs 06:13  |  silly levy DUMB 23/10/09
      109.   I would of suggested Mr. Levy our president next time 06:48  |  Miron 23/10/09
      110.   Re: "Appeasement doesnt..." 07:00  |  Miron 23/10/09
      111.   Correction: Israel`s attacks HAS LED to its isolation 07:24  |  binny 23/10/09
      112.   Israel`s paranoid implosion and islation 08:06  |  bar kochma 23/10/09
      113.   Levy`s Article 14:12  |  Selman Bayoglu 23/10/09
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