Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., May 28, 2008 Iyyar 23, 5768 | | Israel Time: 02:52 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Advertising
Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
Last update - 14:18 03/09/2006
An endangered state
By Yair Sheleg

It is hard to believe, but only 60 years after the Holocaust the Jewish people is once again in danger of being destroyed - at least in its own state, where 40 percent of the world's Jews are concentrated. Evidence of the severity of the danger can be found not only in the explicit threats by Iran's president, which are backed up by an arms program that would provide the means to carry them out. It can also be found in recent articles in the European press that discuss the possibility of Israel's 'disappearance' as a reasonable 'working assumption.' Additional evidence regarding the threat level exists in the fact that not only is Israel the only country in the world that is threatened with destruction, it is also the only state whose right to exist is the focus of international polls, with many respondents answering negatively. That is an honor that even Iran, North Korea and apartheid-era South Africa were never granted.

The high degree of danger places before Israel a challenge no less serious than that facing the Jewish people in the 1930s. To face it, we must depart from the routines of hedonistic Western society. As a layman, I will not make recommendations in the area of security, but will instead relate to the general nature of public debate: first of all, there must be a focused agenda. The public, and in particular diplomatic and military officials, must put this threat at the top of their priorities, even at the expense of issues that during normal times would be the focus of attention.

Personal interests must be put aside in favor of concentrating all the forces of good in Israel, the Jewish people and its supporters worldwide. One practical conclusion might be to create an emergency government in Israel, or at least to invite the opposition to participate in decisions on the Iranian issue. Another possible conclusion is that 'making heads roll,' for example in the wake of this summer's war, is a means and not an end, and should be considered a waste of energy and avoided unless absolutely necessary. In the event that it is necessary to restore public trust, which currently appears to be the case, then it must be done without hesitation.
Advertisement
The same principle holds for the structure of the various committees of inquiry into the war: The goal is not to make heads roll but rather to learn lessons for the future. Thus it is preferable to create a two-stage process. In the first stage, the committee should not punish individuals, but rather make recommendations and draft an implementation schedule. In the second stage, the committee should check whether the recommendations have been carried out and only then fire those who were negligent in their implementation.

Complete openness of thought is required, from extreme hawkishness to extreme dovishness. The threat to the very existence of Israel demands that any means to preserve it should be adopted, without giving in to ideological assumptions. If hesitating to hurt Lebanese civilians in response to attacks on us could send Iran the message that we will hesitate to hurt civilians if Iran strikes us, then we must not be deterred. If making peace with Syria, even if it entails evacuating communities, could damage the new 'eastern front,' then we should do that. Here it is worthwhile to note another step that appears even more important than peace with Syria. One of the reasons Iran can threaten to destroy Israel with impunity is Israel's image as a Jewish 'weed' combined with the tendency to ignore Israel's 1 million Arabs, who would also be affected by a nuclear attack. Israel's Jews and Arabs thus have a shared existential interest in strengthening their partnership. It is also necessary to drive home to the Arab world the fact that a leader who is neither Arab nor Sunni is willing to destroy not only millions of Jews but also hundreds of thousands of Muslim Arabs.

Calmness is necessary: the threat level is high enough to warrant panic, but precisely because of the seriousness of the situation, various solutions should be examined with cool objectivity. For example, is it true that peace with Syria would dissolve its alliance with Iran, or would it only reinforce its militancy?

The need to shape policy relatively quickly must not lead to hurried decisions taken without regard for consequences. The very degree and urgency of the threat reduces the room for error as well as the need for precise solutions.
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
From hunted to hunter
Jerusalem camera catches brutal attack by Jewish teens on Arab youths.
The will to power
Palestinian governments violate human rights in quest for control.
  1.   AN ENDANGERED WORLD IS THE ISSUE 10:02  |  MEIR WEINSTEIN 03/09/06
  2.   To survive Israel should: 10:02  |  Nabil 03/09/06
  3.   Unjustified panic 10:05  |  Sami 03/09/06
  4.   Long-term vision 10:07  |  sh 03/09/06
  5.   If hesitating to hurt Lebanese civilians ....... 10:09  |  Mark 03/09/06
  6.   Yair Sheleg suould read Gideon Levy`s ... 10:12  |  ROSEMARY`S BABY 03/09/06
  7.   An Endangered Sate 10:15  |  Sauheil 03/09/06
  8.   TO SURVIVE ISRAEL SHOULD: 10:17  |  nasreen 03/09/06
  9.   EXPAND ISRAEL:LIBERATE GAZA,W.BANK, LEBANON,SINAI 10:21  |  -VOICE of MOSHIACH)) 03/09/06
  10.   EXPIRE RIGHT TO EXIST FOR SOME 10:24  |  indrajaya 03/09/06
  11.   Balfour 10:35  |  Hannah 03/09/06
  12.   israel is not in danger 10:37  |  thucydides 03/09/06
  13.   Henny Penny 10:37  |  Clickfool 03/09/06
  14.   Sami #2 - "Regime Change" 10:40  |  Niv 03/09/06
  15.   Endagered. reply to Nabil #1 10:41  |  Judy Eliasov 03/09/06
  16.   WHAT AN IGNORANT SH.. IS? 10:47  |  arab 03/09/06
  17.   Endangered State 10:47  |  Alasdair 03/09/06
  18.   If Israel`s survival is put in question... 10:47  |  Nostradamus 03/09/06
  19.   IT WON`T WORK 10:51  |  arab 03/09/06
  20.   Israels Survival 10:51  |  Believer 03/09/06
  21.   Don`t Wait For The USA! 10:53  |  Sam The Sham 03/09/06
  22.   Israel 11:00  |  James 03/09/06
  23.   respondents show their naivete & contempt 11:04  |  Abir 03/09/06
  24.   Better Pray That Iran Does Not Nuke Israel! 11:05  |  Sam The Sham 03/09/06
  25.   Was always endangered 11:14  |  Passerby 03/09/06
  26.   #13 Judy Eliasov 11:19  |  ROSEMARY`S BABY 03/09/06
  27.   Rosemary I agree,peace with PAL is the only way 11:24  |  gus 03/09/06
  28.   The Arab state in Palestine is endangered 11:25  |  Rolf 03/09/06
  29.   Moshiach not a good idea 11:27  |  gus 03/09/06
  30.   folie 11:27  |  WGDC 03/09/06
  31.   Israel`s Next War 11:30  |  GEORGE BOUNDS 03/09/06
  32.   Israel is NOT endangered! 11:32  |  Judah 03/09/06
  33.   I think it is hopeless for Israel and for this region! 11:37  |  Joe 03/09/06
  34.   RE:Niv 11:38  |  Sami 03/09/06
  35.   Response to "Unjustified Panic" 11:49  |  George 03/09/06
  36.   We are doing the job ourselves!! 11:49  |  Robert 03/09/06
  37.   We are an endangered state and always have been 11:53  |  Shalom Freedman 03/09/06
  38.   Poor, poor Israel 11:54  |  Kobus 03/09/06
  39.   Existential threat...... 11:54  |  mike lee 03/09/06
  40.   A very stupid, misleading article 12:01  |  Khalid 03/09/06
  41.   Reply to Hannah - 9. 12:05  |  James 03/09/06
  42.   "Existential" 12:06  |  Clickfool 03/09/06
  43.   kobus 12:10  |  thucydides 03/09/06
  44.   dear ehud 12:13  |  herodotus 03/09/06
  45.   david ivry 12:17  |  lord byron 03/09/06
  46.   Deceived 12:18  |  Alicia 03/09/06
  47.   Nastrodamus? Nastroidiot 12:19  |  john 03/09/06
  48.   Israel in danger only if... 12:19  |  Albert Fischer 03/09/06
  49.   judah-growing economy 12:23  |  Albert Fischer 03/09/06
  50.   S.AFRICA DID IT 12:30  |  NeutralObserver 03/09/06
  51.   are you serious? 12:30  |  fidelio 03/09/06
  52.   #18 arab 12:32  |  Proud Israeli Jew 03/09/06
  53.   To Nabil 12:35  |  Rolens Pinskhey 03/09/06
  54.   When has a nation so strong fought so long to lose much to so few 12:36  |  Knave Dave 03/09/06
  55.   DON`T PANIC 12:39  |  john 03/09/06
  56.   TO ALL ISRAELIS 12:40  |  NeutralObserver 03/09/06
  57.   #20 Israel`s Survival -Believer 12:49  |  Knave Dave 03/09/06
  58.   Reply to Arab - 16. 12:52  |  James 03/09/06
  59.   Existential threat real or not is irrelevant. 12:57  |  Joe 03/09/06
  60.   #9 Moshiach - Do not pretend to be the voice of Moshiach 13:02  |  Knave Dave 03/09/06
  61.   Endangered Israel. Reply to Khalid 13:04  |  Judy Eliasov 03/09/06
  62.   CLUCKFOOL 13:04  |  Star of David 03/09/06
  63.   Clickfool #42 13:09  |  Avi Magen 03/09/06
  64.   Israel on the verge of Destruction 13:19  |  Yakov 03/09/06
  65.   Balfour Hannah (11) 13:26  |  Kiki Bardot 03/09/06
  66.   The only danger comes from within, implosion of society 13:39  |  fritz 03/09/06
  67.   endangered&so shall remain 13:39  |  sameoldsermon 03/09/06
  68.   Comment to #10--Indrajaya 13:40  |  Louis T. Sigel 03/09/06
  69.   Be smart like IRAN 13:41  |  the solution 03/09/06
  70.   The "endangered" lie 13:43  |  Mahmoud 03/09/06
  71.   Commettees, emergency governments etc vs. democracy... 13:44  |  fritz 03/09/06
  72.   Just what recent articles in the European press? 13:56  |  Louis T. Sigel 03/09/06