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Last update - 09:21 24/10/2006 Lieberman is a strategic threat By Haaretz Editorial In a cynical move with few parallels in Israeli politics, the cabinet voted on Sunday in favor of Avigdor Lieberman's proposal for amending the system of government. Most cabinet members oppose the proposal, so when they voted for it, they knew that they were being untrue to themselves. Particularly egregious was Minister of Pensioner Affairs Rafi Eitan, who said that he voted in favor because he knew this terrible proposal has no chance of making it through the Knesset. The reason that most cabinet members voted for the bill was their desire to stay in power at any price. Lieberman is entering the government with a big wink. He knows that the system of government will not be changed, but he also knows that he has managed to do something that, until Sunday, seemed impossible - to secure himself the most sensitive post in the country, minister in charge of strategic threats. Advertisement The choice of the most unrestrained and irresponsible man around for this job constitutes a strategic threat in its own right. Lieberman's lack of restraint and his unbridled tongue, comparable only to those of Iran's president, are liable to bring disaster down upon the entire region. There was a time, not so long ago, when those responsible for defense strategy were neither seen nor heard; and the same applied to the holders of classified jobs who served under or alongside them. There was a time when strategic discussions were conducted in whispers in the innermost chambers; when then minister Dan Meridor, who dealt with this issue, never spoke about it; when classified Knesset committees met with no public announcements; and when the prime minister would never have dreamed of abandoning such strategy to a man whose eyes flash and whose entire appearance is threatening - a sort of kindergarten style of deterrence. But this is a time of irresponsibility, and appointments do not require even a facade of genuine national need, even the faintest shadow of a genuine public interest. The defense minister, whose party symbolizes the opposite of Lieberman's ideology, maunders about a delusional agenda of possible talks with Syria and the Palestinians, as if he were working for a different government, while at the same time agreeing to the entry of a super-defense minister who is even less suited than he for the job. Who will be employed in the Ministry of Strategic Threats and what will their areas of responsibility be? Who will control Lieberman's tongue, and has anyone taken into account the dangers inherent in his threats? Was he chosen for this nonexistent post solely because he wanted it? If there is indeed an Iranian threat, should responsibility for dealing with it be entrusted to a junior coalition partner? Does not his very appointment convey fear rather than deterrence? Can one conclude from this appointment that the Iranian threat will be handled with the same lack of seriousness as the decision to go to war in Lebanon, and will the results not be much worse? The appointment of Lieberman - someone who not long ago demanded that Israel bomb the Aswan Dam - as the minister responsible for strategic threats indicates a loss of judgment by the Olmert government. The stability that this government will derive from the entry of Yisrael Beiteinu thus bodes ill. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Star is born Report: Hezbollah taps Mughniyah replacement. The namesake Why did Holland fund megaship named after prominent Nazi?   1.   nonsense he gives the government confidence 09:35  |  bar-kochba 24/10/06   2.   lieberman knows the important issues 09:40  |  fagin 24/10/06   3.   remember France`s LePen 09:47  |  justajew 24/10/06   4.   ha ha haaretz & readers get it up the **** 09:51  |  harold 24/10/06   5.   What a couple! 09:58  |  Lena 24/10/06   6.   no haaretz he did not recommend that we 10:12  |  zadok the priest 24/10/06   7.   the left wing media loves to bully lieberman 10:14  |  zadok the priest 24/10/06   8.   Lieberman 10:15  |  Yisrael 24/10/06   9.   "his eyes flash and his appearance is threatening" 10:16  |  zadok the priest 24/10/06   10.   oh gosh haaretz 10:19  |  zadok the priest 24/10/06   11.   Lieberman is an inflated megalomaniac balloon 10:21  |  Judith 24/10/06   12.   haaretz then continues the next sentence 10:22  |  zadok the priest 24/10/06   13.   the REAL THREAT is the radical left of peretz, olmert, livni!!!! 10:22  |  Joe 24/10/06   14.   To # 2 and 4 10:28  |  Choni 24/10/06   15.   Mendel`s prediction 10:44  |  Mendel the Mean 24/10/06   16.   #14 Choni in Durban SA 10:55  |  Ari ben Yisrael 24/10/06   17.   No, The slef-Hatered promoted by Haaretz is strategic threat 11:03  |  Ron 24/10/06   18.   New Ministry 11:21  |  sh 24/10/06   19.   To Ari # 16 12:09  |  Choni 24/10/06   20.   Lieberman 12:09  |  Blima Abramson 24/10/06   21.   what did u do in Lebanon? 12:22  |  Rania 24/10/06   22.   Olmert`s Protection 12:30  |  Ronnie Wolman 24/10/06   23.   Haaretz editorial unfortunately accurate 12:39  |  Nathaniel 24/10/06   24.   This forum dominated by right-wing fascists 12:47  |  Khalid 24/10/06   25.   Ministerri of Stratidjik Trretz - thanx Borat old pal 12:50  |  sh 24/10/06   26.   From a long time Ahdut Avoda and Mapam supporter, 50 years ago.. 12:51  |  Haham me Bat Yam 24/10/06   27.   Lieberman 12:53  |  JewishHeart 24/10/06   28.   To # 15 Mendel the Mean 13:22  |  Maxim Zamir 24/10/06   29.   He`s no different from the rest 13:23  |  David Teich 24/10/06   30.   TIME WILL TELL 13:33  |  B 24/10/06   31.   Haaretz and Lieberman 13:38  |  Jonathan S 24/10/06   32.   Haaretz is dominated by left wing fascists 13:46  |  Gene 24/10/06   33.   Lieberman = Israel`s Ahmadinejad 13:46  |  TimothyL 24/10/06   34.   revulsion 13:56  |  david 24/10/06   35.   ari ben israel re choni 14:19  |  michael 24/10/06   36.   Khalid and Lieberman 14:27  |  JewishHeart 24/10/06   37.   Liberman - a joke in very bad taste 14:42  |  Paul Usiskin 24/10/06   38.   A True Son of Stalin 14:44  |  Yaakov Sullivan 24/10/06   39.   To that out-of-control Sullivan 15:19  |  Jonathan S 24/10/06   40.   "B` and his concerns for light and darkness 15:34  |  Yaakov Sullivan 24/10/06   41.   Why so upset about Lieberman, Khalid? 16:23  |  Jacob Blues 24/10/06   42.   Remember! 16:24  |  Ben 24/10/06   43.   The long term Lieberman threat 16:26  |  Tosefta 24/10/06   44.   Yaacov and his love of Stalin 16:27  |  Jacob Blues 24/10/06   45.   racists 16:31  |  John 24/10/06   46.   Yaakov- Pissing Match with a Skunk 16:34  |  B 24/10/06   47.   So Haaretz Doesn`t Trust Olmert or Lieberman: Then Endorse Bibi! 16:57  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 24/10/06   48.   Lieberman Strategic threat to Haaretz and its 17:07  |  Sal 24/10/06   49.   editorial 17:09  |  kazablan 24/10/06   50.   # 24 - Khalid 17:10  |  ziggurat 24/10/06   51.   # 24 - Khalid 17:10  |  ziggurat 24/10/06   52.   #1 Your namesake brought a great tragedy upon us 17:41  |  Yonatan 24/10/06   53.   Labor can still stop Lieberman 17:43  |  Tosefta 24/10/06   54.   It is not just Lieberman 17:58  |  Gene 24/10/06   55.   28. thank you, Maxim 17:58  |  Mendel the Mean 24/10/06   56.   Yaakov Sullivan: Stop the Racist Bashing Please 18:03  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 24/10/06   57.   indeed Gene - is not just Lieberman 18:14  |  Mendel the Mean 24/10/06   58.   Ovadia ben Avraham 18:31  |  Yaakov Sullivan 24/10/06   59.   Never Mind About Liebermann! 19:22  |  Yosemite Sam 24/10/06   60.   53 New 19:50  |  Paul Usiskin 24/10/06   61.   THE ARABS SHOULD ARM THEMSELVES NOW 20:09  |  Dutch 24/10/06   62.   Khalid 20:26  |  Jane 24/10/06   63.   What about Lieberman? 21:03  |  peter 24/10/06   64.   Olmert chose Lieberman in order to hold omto power 21:20  |  Yaakov K. 24/10/06   65.   Haaretz`s Predictable Hypocrisy 21:45  |  Tod Zuckerman 24/10/06   66.   Ovadia Ben Avraham-WHAT SMEARS!? #55 22:14  |  Yaakov Sullivan 24/10/06   67.   Dan Quayle protection plan? 22:28  |  Jacob Blues 24/10/06   68.   Reverse time to election and more far please... 23:18  |  cfs 24/10/06   69.   For love of Lieberman 23:24  |  asa 24/10/06   70.   Lieberman in Government 23:44  |  Nat Weinstein 24/10/06   71.   * 14 CHONI 00:28  |  Bill. 25/10/06   72.   no kidding 00:34  |  expat 25/10/06   73.   DO WE GET THE GOVERNMENT WE DESERVE ?? 00:55  |  Bill. 25/10/06   74.   Thankyou Choni, we see you clearly 01:48  |  David James Vickery 25/10/06   75.   What is this man ? 02:01  |  Whizbang 25/10/06   76.   At last: Time for strategic correction. 03:05  |  Akram Zekaria 25/10/06   77.   Today`s Israel is not worth killing for nor worth dying for. 03:27  |  Timothy 25/10/06   78.   Yakov Sullivan and Russian drinking customs 04:11  |  SG 25/10/06   79.   #70 - D.J. Vickery thanks for the amo for the anti-semites 04:21  |  SG 25/10/06   80.   Yaakov sullivan 04:30  |  Oh come on 25/10/06   81.   Yaakov sullivan 04:41  |  Neutral Observer 25/10/06   82.   Lieberman debates ahmadinejad 05:09  |  jinx 25/10/06   83.   Isn`t Lieberman a secularist?? 06:03  |  Voice of Reason 25/10/06   84.   To Bill # 71 07:14  |  Choni 25/10/06   85.   Voice of reason 07:58  |  sh 25/10/06   86.   MORE LOVE/LESS FEAR 08:05  |  david 25/10/06   87.   the antisemites` dream 08:25  |  goodbye 25/10/06   88.   `Haaretz editorial` has a habit of being wrong 09:01  |  Shalom Freedman 25/10/06   89.   Yaakov Sullivan should be the last one 09:11  |  Yonatan 25/10/06   90.   Yonatan from Kfar Sava on the local patois 13:17  |  Yaakov Sullivan 25/10/06   91.   Libberman is Evil 19:35  |  Ayelet 25/10/06   92.   77# Timothy is not the only one. 04:53  |  Akram Zekaria 26/10/06   93.   For less than that ... 09:27  |  alberto 31/10/06   94.   The Left`s house of cards is collapsing 20:57  |  Yaakov K. 01/11/08   95.   Lieberman 03:06  |  Jane 02/11/08

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