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Last update - 01:47 17/02/2008 Liquidation sale By Gideon Levy Tags: Israel, Imad Mughniyah  It was like an especially wild orgy: First the great intoxication of the senses, then the bitter sobering up the next morning. Within a few hours, Israel went from celebrating the assassination of Imad Mughniyah to the fear of what would follow. The "great feat of intelligence," the "perfect execution," the "humiliation of Bashar Assad" were replaced in the blink of an eye with a spate of fear-inducing "travel advisories" by the Counterterrorism Office - don't travel, don't identify yourself, don't congregate, be careful, take every precaution - and with states of high alert on the northern border, and at all of Israel's embassies and consulates, and Jewish community centers worldwide. If these are the dangers that lie in wait for us, one has to ask: What did we need this assassination for? Whoever killed Mughniyah was once again playing with the most dangerous fire of all: He undermined Israel's security. If it was Israel, one has to ask whether there was any shred of sense in this move. If it was not Israel, our famed intelligence agencies would do well to prove this quickly, before the next disaster. Was the security of Israel's citizens improved? Was terror dealt a permanent blow? History, with its multitude of previous assassinations, teaches that the answer is no. The chain of "terrorist chieftains" liquidated by Israel, from Ali Salameh and Abu Jihad through Abbas Mussawi and Yihyeh Ayash to Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and Abdel Aziz Rantisi - all "operations" that we celebrated with great pomp and circumstance for one sweet and intoxicating moment - have thus far brought only harsh and painful revenge attacks against Israel and Jews throughout the world, as well as infinite replacements no less effective than their predecessors, and sometimes more so. From assassination to assassination, terror has only increased and become more sophisticated. We have never really demanded an accounting from those responsible for these liquidations; we have merely been excited by their "achievements." How we enjoy wallowing in these childish tales of heroism! Yihyeh Ayash was killed via his cell phone? That is fine for an action flick, but our film ended in a wave of suicide bombings that killed more than 100 Israelis. Did anyone ever ask whether it was worth it? And who is the guilty party? We were excited about the cell phone that blew up in "the engineer's" face, but in the end, it blew up in our faces. Now, we have Ehud Barak as defense minister and Meir Dagan as head of the Mossad, both great fans of assassinations and hush-hush James Bond operations. And thus, there is good reason to suspect that this time as well, Israel had a hand in what happened. Advertisement First, the partying: It is depressing to see the pseudo-victory celebrations. What, for heaven's sake, is there to celebrate, other than the oldest and most primitive feeling of all - revenge? The parade of generals and pundits who were interviewed in every possible platform, putting their heads together and dispensing cunning smiles, inflated with their own self-importance, along with the generations of terror victims who were called on to express the joy of their personal revenge, and the deciphering of hints - here is Ehud Olmert smiling in the Knesset and Ehud Barak standing tall in Ankara - all of these painted a picture of unparalleled grimness. Even devoted fans of the genre need to think about the morning after. Even for them, vengeance for the sake of vengeance, an eye for an eye, in the best spirit of our biblical values, cannot be the be-all and end-all. Moreover, a society that rejoices and takes pride in its media victory after every assassination is a society in bad shape, while a war on terror that only encourages ever more vicious reprisals is a lost war. But this time, the celebration was shorter than ever. The execution was indeed perfect, but the questions that should have been asked before the operation cropped up immediately afterward, with appalling belatedness. For instance, the location and timing of the operation: Last summer, not long ago, they stuffed us full of warnings about the explosive situation with Syria. Then, on September 6, came the mysterious bombing in northern Syria, and now the assassination, once again on the territory of that same dangerous country. What interest is served by humiliating Bashar Assad? How long will he continue to restrain himself and simply absorb these humiliations? Does this bring him closer to negotiations with us - something that we, of course, have been stubbornly rejecting - or drive him even further away from us? And regarding the purpose of the assassination: Will it prevent terror attacks, or will it actually increase them? Was Mughniyah one of those rare people who are irreplaceable, or will his replacement be even more dangerous than he was? Imad Mughniyah has been killed. Wonderful. Whoever liquidated him did "great work," as they say. But the morning after, additional pressing questions arise, beyond how they got on his track and how they fooled him. "The world is a better place" after Mughniyah's assassination, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department declaimed poetically. Better? That is doubtful. But less safe? That is certain. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Artistic justice Israel Museum to exhibit art looted by Nazis and unclaimed. Let in snow For second time this winter, Jerusalem braces for snow.   1.   Thoughts On A Better Place And A Safer World 02:15  |  Norman F Birnberg 17/02/08   2.   Profit vs loss analysis in this case is repugnant and immoral 09:41  |  S 17/02/08   3.   jewish blood is not cheap. 12:41  |  jock 17/02/08   4.   Liquidation sale 12:51  |  Ralph 17/02/08   5.   The liquidation by Gideon Levy 12:51  |  Bamboustic 17/02/08   6.   A silly article by Gideon Levy 13:00  |  Moonsh 17/02/08   7.   #1, NORMAN the dreamer 13:04  |  VIPER 17/02/08   8.   if Israel indeed should 13:09  |  cool 17/02/08   9.   SO SHALL PERISH ALL THY ENEMIES, O GOD ALMIGHTY!!!)))))))))) 13:18  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 17/02/08   10.   giddy and the crocodile tears for a no1 terrorist 13:31  |  v hardman 17/02/08   11.   zionists like that idiot Norman Birnberg on this thread,Gideon`s 13:48  |  lakshmi 17/02/08   12.   Missing the point 13:59  |  Eleni 17/02/08   13.   Nazism Was Not Based On Allah , That`s What Makes Jihad Worse 13:59  |  Joseph . E 17/02/08   14.   Fire indeed..... 14:13  |  Esther 17/02/08   15.   stormin normin 14:18  |  666 17/02/08   16.   ISRAEL WON`T ABLE TO HIDE THE FACTS 14:25  |  indrajaya 17/02/08   17.   Assasinating yassin and rantisi ended 2nd intifada 14:31  |  JewishHeart 17/02/08   18.   Ass backward logic 14:50  |  ariel 17/02/08   19.   viper by name and viper by nature 14:52  |  snakebite 17/02/08   20.   viper the snake 14:54  |  snakebite 17/02/08   21.   Humiliate Assad until he gives up Golan Heights 15:04  |  Rick and TC 17/02/08   22.   gideon levy "we should have invited imad mugahniyah 15:04  |  loveyourenemy 17/02/08   23.   Another great article by Gideon Levy. 15:40  |  Deborah 17/02/08   24.   Mr Gideon Levy we are on war and you are a coward 15:49  |  San 17/02/08   25.   Gideon Levy , The real fools are in Israel 15:51  |  Dutch 17/02/08   26.   "playing"? 15:56  |  jewish doctor 17/02/08   27.   Known danger is a calculated danger 16:12  |  Kris 17/02/08   28.   Mr Levy brings back some balance 16:16  |  Brian Freund 17/02/08   29.   #22doris on the moon again counting 16:18  |  v hardman 17/02/08   30.   THE LEAGUE OF TREMBLING JEWS 16:20  |  Brant 17/02/08   31.   magic 16:21  |  magicians 17/02/08   32.   Wiping the smiles of their faces 16:23  |  Gemayel 17/02/08   33.   Short-sighted objectives, long-term trouble 16:35  |  sh 17/02/08   34.   Gideon Levy has so many questions... 16:35  |  Yaron S. 17/02/08   35.   Re: Norman The Dreamer 16:44  |  Norman F Birnberg 17/02/08   36.   no1... norman... one eye shut. 16:51  |  ravi 17/02/08   37.   Liquidation Sale 16:54  |  Ron 17/02/08   38.   # 17 " Gideon Levy : you are a coward" 17:14  |  Magnolia N 17/02/08   39.   Gideon`s Dad decried killing of Heydrich in Prag in 1942 17:18  |  Absolute Sweden 17/02/08   40.   Levi would have opposed killing Hitler too 17:22  |  Herbert Kaine 17/02/08   41.   Missing the point. 18:05  |  Colin Wright 17/02/08   42.   without emotion 18:16  |  toby 17/02/08   43.   What are you saying , Levy 18:30  |  Brichto S 17/02/08   44.   But Zionism`s strategy is to provoke 18:31  |  Rowan Berkeley 17/02/08   45.   Internal Hezzy Liquidation job according to US 18:35  |  I 17/02/08   46.   Gideon Levy 18:37  |  Ron 17/02/08   47.   A very vicious circle 19:00  |  Janice 17/02/08   48.   Levy is a moronic Jew-hater 19:02  |  Maya 17/02/08   49.   For One Sweet and Intoxicating Moment/Excellent article 19:02  |  Dorothy 17/02/08   50.   If Levy was mentally sane he would have left Israel years ago 19:02  |  A Jew 17/02/08   51.   Has Gideon Levy ever approved of killing any terrorist? 19:08  |  Genuine Tosefta 17/02/08   52.   Maybe there are motives to kill Mughniyah regardless of Israel. 19:24  |  christoph 17/02/08   53.   Berkeley-the ramblings of a Jew-obsessed fruitcake 19:24  |  Sam 17/02/08   54.   ROWAN BERKELY AND ZIONISTS 19:25  |  Brant 17/02/08   55.   Response to Absolute Sweden (39) - Great Post 19:39  |  Tod Zuckerman 17/02/08   56.   sale 19:40  |  Shmuelshachor 17/02/08   57.   Reply to Brant (30) - Spot On 19:42  |  Tod Zuckerman 17/02/08   58.   Everyone has missed the most important point Gideon said. 19:46  |  Eric Wood 17/02/08   59.   Am I on the celeb list too after Nasrallah and Meshal? 20:05  |  Suha Arafat-Paris 17/02/08   60.   Extremist Views 20:13  |  Akram Kotze 17/02/08   61.   Gideon Levy hysterically shaking in his boots 20:18  |  Free Gilad Shalit 17/02/08   62.   Mr. Levy: Since zionist Bankers supported Hitler... 20:58  |  Dutch Dirk 17/02/08   63.   The world IS a better place after the death of a terrorist 21:18  |  Voice of Reason 17/02/08   64.   #60 Akram Kotzele "martyrs will be victorious"?- No, martyrs will 21:26  |  Vittorio 17/02/08   65.   Yaron S in Vancouver 21:35  |  rich 17/02/08   66.   mightiest empire of all time cannot at this 21:47  |  bozhidar balkas 17/02/08   67.   25 Dutch,greetings! Well said,the international community has had 21:57  |  lakshmi 17/02/08   68.   And what if Hezbollah killed him? 22:04  |  B (The other one) 17/02/08   69.   Gideon Levy, and triumph of shallow thinking 22:05  |  Bob 17/02/08   70.   Extremist views 22:17  |  Molocheiyaa 17/02/08