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Fed up with the whiners
By Gideon Levy
Tags: Gideon Levy

Click here for more articles by Gideon Levy

"The candle kids" grew up and became the "protest movement" of this war. The confused youth who sat crying with their guitars and candles in the city square in Tel Aviv after Rabin's assassination are now sitting in the Rose Garden opposite the Prime Minister's Office, no less confused, and seemingly protesting against the war - of course only after it ended.

Just as it was impossible to know what the candle kids wanted, it is difficult to understand what the reservists and the bereaved families want. Most of their complaints should be directed at themselves: Where were you until now? If it is only the demand that some officials go home, it's a waste of their time and ours. Clones of those who are deposed will replace them very quickly and nothing will change. Olmert, Peretz and Halutz will go home, and Netanyahu, Mofaz and Barak will come to power.
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For the first time after many terrible years in which we killed and were killed for no reason, there are question marks hanging over the public discourse. That change should be welcomed. But those who examine the content of the new protest should not hold out great hopes. The arguments of the protesters come down to two main issues, both of them as narrow as the world of the reservist: the IDF wasn't prepared for the war, and the war was cut short.

On the first matter, many are responsible, and the second issue doesn't warrant protest. Much weightier and deeper questions hover in the air about why we even went to this war, how it could have been avoided, why is war our only language, what are the limits of power that can be used and where are we going now. The new protest movement is not raising those questions.

Even if this wave of protests succeeds, a commission of inquiry is established and two or three people even pay with their seats, nothing will change. Just as the protests of 1973 did not bring about the desired change, except for a few people removed from office, the protests of 2006 won't bring real change. Whining after the war is not a national agenda, and certainly not if it runs for its life from any of the main questions. If it is just the "orange" disengagement protesters in disguise, it even foretells new dangers.

Above all, the petition signers and sit-in protesters in the Rose Garden should ask themselves where they were until now. Except for the "oranges" among them, most voted Kadima, maybe Likud or Labor, many of them served in reserves in the occupied territories, dealt with their personal affairs and kept quiet. For years they took direct or indirect part in worthless national projects, from building the wall to the settlement enterprise and deepening the occupation. With their own eyes they saw how the IDF was turned into an occupying police force, bullying the weak but untrained to deal with the strong.

They protected settlers, saw the suffering caused by the occupation, were witness to or participated in abuse of Palestinians. The responsibility for the IDF's lack of preparation, therefore, is theirs, partly because of what they did and partly because of their silence. They cannot claim now that they were surprised by the IDF's failure to execute: they were there when the army changed its face. They knew all these years that checking IDs at roadblocks, invading bedrooms, chasing children in alleys and demolishing thousands of houses is no preparation for war.

They were supposed to understand that the occupation army's activities in the territories inspires great hatred of us, that Israel's rejectionists policies endanger it more than anything else and that the real test of the army is not in the casbahs. Even the home front's lack of readiness should not have surprised them: a country that abuses its weak at times of quiet will do so in times of war, as well. What is so new and surprising about all this?

The other matter, the halt in the fighting, certainly does not warrant protest, but actually a compliment. Instead of asking why the war broke out, the protesters are asking why it ended. If there is anything that the war's command deserves credit for it is its hesitation in the final stages of the war. It is a shame they did not hesitate sooner. And if we had continued the war, where exactly would we have ended up? It was the resolve, hubris and haste of the war's leadership in the first stages that were the original sin against which the protest should be directed.

Above all, it is depressing to find out that none of the protesters are raising moral questions. A protest movement that says nothing about the terrible destruction we wreaked in Lebanon, how we killed hundreds of innocent civilians and turned tens of thousands into impoverished refugees is by definition not a moral movement. Even after it has been proved that the excessive force was not effective, no protest has been directed at it. How long will we only focus on ourselves and our distress?

Is it too much to ask for the protesters, who are supposedly the cadres of the avant garde, to look for a moment at what we did to another nation? Why is it that after Sabra and Chatilla massacres, which were not even directly our handiwork, masses of people took to the streets and now nobody peeps about the destruction we sowed in Lebanon with our own hands, and for nothing?

With such protest movements, Israel does not need the silent sheep that has so characterized it in recent years. We should be fed up with such whiners. Maybe they are brave soldiers on the battlefield, but on the fields of protest they are nothing more than cowardly soldiers.
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  1.   The strategy of blows and insults 10:31  |  sh 27/08/06
  2.   Thank you Gideon 10:34  |  Marilyn 27/08/06
  3.   Gideon Is the Man 10:38  |  Haytham 27/08/06
  4.   There is hope 11:00  |  Ziad 27/08/06
  5.   Machoism 11:06  |  Ahmed 27/08/06
  6.   Brilliant as usual 11:09  |  A European 27/08/06
  7.   Actions speak louder than words 11:10  |  Lebanese admirers 27/08/06
  8.   Marilyn`s insult 11:11  |  observer 27/08/06
  9.   well done Levi! 11:24  |  sam 27/08/06
  10.   You gave me hope 11:26  |  Archi 27/08/06
  11.   MARILYN: Ignorant From Down Under! 11:27  |  Lavi 27/08/06
  12.   What could have happened if we continued the war? 11:27  |  Dave 27/08/06
  13.   Gideon, stop whining! 11:34  |  Yerushalimey 27/08/06
  14.   To #2 Marilyn 11:36  |  Imad 27/08/06
  15.   Semitic Family/Observer 11:49  |  Kiki Bardot 27/08/06
  16.   Semitic Family/Observer 11:49  |  Kiki Bardot 27/08/06
  17.   14,000 rockets? Bollocks 11:51  |  Marilyn 27/08/06
  18.   Mr. Levy, All DEMOCRACIES Allow for Protest, though you disagree 11:55  |  Nannette 27/08/06
  19.   Fed up with Gideon Levy`s whining 12:00  |  Asylum Aleikum 27/08/06
  20.   2#, Marilyn....you poor thing! 12:12  |  Judah 27/08/06
  21.   Nanette democracy 12:58  |  Kiki Bardot 27/08/06
  22.   Kiki Bardot? 12:59  |  observer 27/08/06
  23.   #2 MARILYN - POMPOUS TWIT 13:00  |  Scott M 27/08/06
  24.   Extremists Everywhere 13:02  |  will 27/08/06
  25.   Exactly 13:09  |  Bruno 27/08/06
  26.   The only wise Israeli voice 13:16  |  Rose 27/08/06
  27.   Gideon, You`d Have To Wait On Line 13:30  |  Yonatan Netser 27/08/06
  28.   Thank you!!!! 13:50  |  Barbra 27/08/06
  29.   Gideon Levi 13:54  |  Ex Haaretz reader 27/08/06
  30.   Freedom for Palestine 13:55  |  Marilyn 27/08/06
  31.   Wisdom from a brave man,thank you Mr.Levy 14:00  |  Michael 27/08/06
  32.   C`mmon, the guys do not protest against this war 14:20  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 27/08/06
  33.   levy rocks ! 14:27  |  skaya 27/08/06
  34.   Better Ways? 15:00  |  Ronnie Wolman 27/08/06
  35.   Fed up with Whiners 15:03  |  Patrick McGuire 27/08/06
  36.   Speaking for me 15:16  |  Michael N 27/08/06
  37.   NARROW WORLD OF THE RESERVIST 15:24  |  vladimir 27/08/06
  38.   you spoke the truth 15:35  |  mark 27/08/06
  39.   Thank you Gideon 15:45  |  Beiruti 27/08/06
  40.   "nothing will change" 15:50  |  Zev 27/08/06
  41.   confused 15:57  |  izzy d 27/08/06
  42.   THANKYOU GIDEON 16:06  |  NeutralObserver 27/08/06
  43.   Here`s why there is no protestors Mr Levy 16:07  |  Michael 27/08/06
  44.   To Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 16:12  |  Roberto 27/08/06
  45.   change 16:23  |  gina 27/08/06
  46.   I wonder ... 16:25  |  Roberto 27/08/06
  47.   Image of Deterence and Morality 16:26  |  the third man 27/08/06
  48.   Gina #38 16:56  |  Roland 27/08/06
  49.   Gideon Levy, I Couldn`t agree with you more... 17:05  |  Dutch 27/08/06
  50.   Roberto, I also wonder 17:27  |  Shlomo 27/08/06
  51.   Pressure Needed 17:35  |  Hank N Tennessee 27/08/06
  52.   Gidon, you miss the point 18:05  |  kalman 27/08/06
  53.   Gideon prevents us from slipping back to a Drak Age 18:11  |  Brian 27/08/06
  54.   TO DUTCH 18:19  |  NeutralObserver 27/08/06
  55.   stolen victory 18:23  |  Rolf 27/08/06
  56.   Finally, someone asks the right questions- Thanks Mr.Levy 18:27  |  Lubnani Yehudi 27/08/06
  57.   to 13, Yerushalimey 18:29  |  Yohanan 27/08/06
  58.   I CAN SAY MORE, BUT I WILL RESPECT YOUR COURAGE 18:29  |  arab 27/08/06
  59.   The ones who don`t agree with Levy get censored 18:36  |  Jack Cadillac 27/08/06
  60.   Fed up with whiny Gideon Levi. Move him to Gaza 18:40  |  Soldier 27/08/06
  61.   to shlomo 18:43  |  benni 27/08/06
  62.   Hypocrite 18:49  |  David 27/08/06
  63.   Anti-Levy posts GET REJECTED!! NOT FAIR!! 18:50  |  ANTI-LEVY POSTER 27/08/06
  64.   Similar article about the Palestinian side 19:16  |  Hasan Abbas 27/08/06
  65.   re SOLDIER 19:18  |  T A Sheppard 27/08/06
  66.   Benni, are you daft? Do settlers have missiles? 19:29  |  Shlomo 27/08/06
  67.   Arab #58 19:37  |  Roland 27/08/06
  68.   Excellent article again. Thanks Gideon! 19:38  |  Andre 27/08/06
  69.   The protest will solve some serious problems, not all 19:40  |  David ben Avigdor 27/08/06
  70.   arab - to say some more 19:42  |  krystal 27/08/06
  71.   IGNORANT LEFTISTS LIKE GIDEON LEVY, I`m FED UP! 19:46  |  G 27/08/06
  72.   Israeli posters don`t talk here! 19:52  |  Sarah 27/08/06
  73.   Haaretz and Gidon Levi 19:53  |  Tim Johnson 27/08/06
  74.   to benni 20:00  |  observer 27/08/06
  75.   Ideologies 20:02  |  Yohanan 27/08/06
  76.   Marilyn: Feigning intellignec won`t help you 20:06  |  NYC Jew 27/08/06
  77.   settlers 20:08  |  Sarah 27/08/06
  78.   observer in honolulu 20:08  |  Kiki Bardot 27/08/06
  79.   Gideon, fed up of you 20:08  |  Ralph 27/08/06
  80.   Gideon`s whine, way off base 20:09  |  peter 27/08/06
  81.   Protests can solve the most serious problems, not all 20:10  |  David ben Avigdor 27/08/06
  82.   to Yohanan 20:11  |  observer 27/08/06
  83.   we must understand them 20:11  |  ana 27/08/06
  84.   MArilyn: You are a Human Rights Activist on in name 20:16  |  NYC Jew 27/08/06
  85.   To Yohanan 20:23  |  Shlomo T 27/08/06
  86.   Sarah #71 20:32  |  krystal 27/08/06
  87.   Actually Gideon whines in every story 20:33  |  Avrum 27/08/06
  88.   the security barrier a "worthless national project"?! 20:34  |  Camilo 27/08/06
  89.   Fed up with the whiners who post here 20:37  |  Hannah 27/08/06
  90.   Gideon Levy`s Jihad 20:41  |  Jane 27/08/06
  91.   NYC Jew 21:28  |  Avi 27/08/06
  92.   Why doesn`t Gidion rent a closet some place? 22:07  |  Mark Lincoln 27/08/06
  93.   #25 22:24  |  Earl 27/08/06
  94.   GIDEON LEVY DID YOU EVEN SERVE IN THE IDF? 22:29  |  FROM THE IDF 27/08/06
  95.   BOYCOTT GIDEON LEVY 22:32  |  GIDEON HAT`S ISREAL 27/08/06
  96.   #71 MOST ISRAELIS CHANGED THEIR MINDS;DON`T WANT FURTHER RETREATS 22:39  |  the AVERAGE ISRAELI 27/08/06
  97.   on the way to Armaggedon 22:45  |  Wiktor 27/08/06
  98.   Very positive: muslims` participation in the dialog 22:46  |  angelo 27/08/06
  99.   You need a person like Gideon 22:49  |  Dog 27/08/06
  100.   Welcome home 22:56  |  bystander 27/08/06
  101.   fed up 23:01  |  avi 27/08/06
  102.   GIDEON has not heard the testimony of the soldiers but he knows 23:15  |  PETER SM 27/08/06
  103.   Correct earlier and correct again 23:28  |  Wally 27/08/06
  104.   Fed up with pathetic writier like Levy 23:37  |  Tova 27/08/06
  105.   Gideon encourages foolhardy withdrawals causing many many deaths 23:43  |  who gave `em weapons 27/08/06
  106.   Gideon Levy von Deludedman 23:44  |  muhammed1 27/08/06
  107.   Stab in the back theory 23:44  |  Steve 27/08/06
  108.   Gideon Levy 23:45  |  El Nabulsi 27/08/06
  109.   david ben avigdor DBA 23:56  |  Gabe1 27/08/06
  110.   Hanna #89 00:00  |  Gabe1 28/08/06
  111.   Mark Lincoln #92 00:12  |  gabe1 28/08/06
  112.   Endless war 00:30  |  An American Jew 28/08/06
  113.   Marilyn 00:31  |  Connie 28/08/06
  114.   To all the Reightists/Fascists who denigrate Levi 00:44  |  Michael N 28/08/06
  115.   Gideon Levy 00:51  |  Connie 28/08/06
  116.   Mr. ben Avigdor - Then and Now 01:09  |  Mark Lincoln 28/08/06
  117.   David ben Avigdor - Is it the whole society? 01:16  |  Mark Lincoln 28/08/06
  118.   fed up 01:24  |  marc 28/08/06
  119.   #96 01:26  |  Sarah 28/08/06
  120.   Sheppard: Call Hamas when Nasrallah sends a katyusha up yours 01:28  |  Soldier 28/08/06
  121.   lebanese admirer 01:31  |  marc 28/08/06
  122.   Observers insult (#8) 01:31  |  Mk 28/08/06
  123.   Marilyn #2 01:55  |  Roland 28/08/06
  124.   Fed up with the whiners 02:57  |  Michael Katz 28/08/06
  125.   Fed up with whining 03:14  |  Michael Katz 28/08/06
  126.   A traitor like Levy would be shot in the West Bank 03:56  |  Stan 28/08/06
  127.   Mr. Levy 04:04  |  Free thinker 28/08/06
  128.   FED UP WITH WHINERS 04:10  |  NORMA DOSKY 28/08/06
  129.   Gideon, take my job...please 04:11  |  Olmert 28/08/06
  130.   #53 Brian, Re: Slipping back and moving forward 04:44  |  Dutch 28/08/06
  131.   to marilyn,the "human rights campaigner" 04:50  |  rick 28/08/06
  132.   a few decent voices 04:54  |  Joseph 28/08/06
  133.   Then and now (Mark Lincoln #105) 05:03  |  David ben Avigdor 28/08/06
  134.   The moral compass 05:03  |  B 28/08/06
  135.   Namby Pamby 05:23  |  Mike 28/08/06
  136.   Fed up with Gideon Levy A sign of corruption 05:29  |  Shalom Freedman 28/08/06
  137.   War our only language? 05:37  |  prairdog 28/08/06
  138.   To Ziad #4 05:38  |  Zoog 28/08/06
  139.   Fed Up with Whiney Gideon Levy 05:40  |  McQueen 28/08/06
  140.   Mr. Levy knows everythingl 05:43  |  SG 28/08/06
  141.   Cry Babies 05:52  |  Edward 28/08/06
  142.   Re: Dutch (Doris Cadigan from Mass.USA) and her postings 06:07  |  Vittorio 28/08/06
  143.   Marilyn, take a lesson or 2 06:10  |  Barry 28/08/06
  144.   Aborigines and muslims 06:40  |  Marilyn 28/08/06
  145.   Gideon Levy 06:46  |  Ah 28/08/06
  146.   Gideon, Was such a title necessary? 07:32  |  Timothy 28/08/06
  147.   talented "enervator" 07:37  |  Dr Danielito 28/08/06
  148.   Send the Leftists to Ramallah 07:57  |  Texas Jew 28/08/06
  149.   Marilyn: wake up from your dresm world 08:29  |  NYC Jew 28/08/06
  150.   What makes Mr. Levy such an expert? 08:55  |  Zev 28/08/06
  151.   p1/Angelo#98 RE Question on Jews Rights to Palestine in the Quran 08:56  |  Abdulla 28/08/06
  152.   p2/Angelo#98 RE Question on Jews Rights to Palestine in the Quran 09:07  |  Abdulla 28/08/06
  153.   p3/Angelo#98 RE Question on Jews Rights to Palestine in the Quran 09:15  |  Abdulla 28/08/06
  154.   fed up with the winners 09:29  |  herzl 28/08/06
  155.   Gideon - are u for real? 09:55  |  Mohamed Osman 28/08/06
  156.   p4/Angelo#98 RE Question on Jews Rights to Palestine in the Quran 10:07  |  Abdulla 28/08/06
  157.   To Abdulla 10:19  |  pam 28/08/06
  158.   Gideon and his idiots! 10:20  |  robert 28/08/06
  159.   Kudos to Haaretz 10:29  |  Silver Lining 28/08/06
  160.   p5/Angelo#98 RE Question on Jews Rights to Palestine in the Quran 11:05  |  Abdulla 28/08/06
  161.   To PAM#157 from Abdulla; You are missing the point. 11:43  |  Abdulla 28/08/06
  162.   p6/Angelo#98 RE Question on Jews Rights to Palestine in the Quran 12:17  |  Abdulla 28/08/06
  163.   To Abdulla: carry on, most interesting? 12:24  |  Angelo 28/08/06
  164.   LAVI: Ignorant from over there 13:31  |  Annie 28/08/06
  165.   to Zev #150 13:51  |  Beni 28/08/06
  166.   #150 Zev , Isrealis are listening to themselves 16:18  |  Observer 28/08/06
  167.   Shlomo: In Mideast it`s wars for settlements 16:46  |  Annie 28/08/06
  168.   To Abdullah, FANTASTIC!!! 16:49  |  Lubnani Yehudi 28/08/06
  169.   #167 Annie, the Israeli War Mongers 17:44  |  Dutch 28/08/06
  170.   Gabe1: You`re dreaming 18:43  |  Annie 28/08/06
  171.   Give Peace a Chance 01:08  |  Ayman 29/08/06
  172.   Marylin 02:14  |  David Riseman 29/08/06
  173.   Whiners 03:41  |  Shem 29/08/06
  174.   To you Gideon 08:26  |  Pancho 29/08/06
  175.   To # 166 Observer 10:29  |  Zev 29/08/06
  176.   to Shlomo #66 00:22  |  zeev 30/08/06
  177.   to Nannette #18 01:08  |  zeev 30/08/06
  178.   to Mark Lincoln #117 01:39  |  zeev 30/08/06
  179.   Re 161 DOS, movie adaptations, road shows 09:59  |  DJStahl 30/08/06
  180.   Fed up iwth the whiners 19:37  |  Marlene 02/09/06
  181.   Connie 20:21  |  Marlene 02/09/06
  182.   Fed up with the... 11:33  |  najgeborn olga 05/09/06
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