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A minister of war
By Gideon Levy
Tags: Israel




Defense Minister Ehud Barak is a bitter disappointment. He was the first statesman who dared suggest brave, though lacking, solutions. Now, he has turned into the chief saboteur of any chance for a calm in the fighting, a cease-fire or diplomatic progress. Barak has long forsaken talk of peace. He certainly does not believe in Olmert's peace initiative and istrying his best to destroy it.
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If you fear Likud Chair Benjamin Netanyahu, how much worse can his potential damage to the peace process be than Barak's? Their rhetoric, as well as their actions, have now become indistinguishable. If calm seems at hand, Barak gives the go-ahead for a silly and dangerous assassination attempt in tranquil Bethlehem; just to rekindle the fire, lest there be a lull.

If there's a lull in Qassams fired, then Barak does everything he can to ensure their renewal to justify the "large-scale op" in Gaza he intends to make. IF Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is desperately trying to push forward talks, Barak eliminates any chance of bolstering his support. If Hamas suggests a cease-fire, Barak responds: "We will witness harsh scenes in Gaza before a calm is reached." If all's quiet on the northern front, then Israeli pyromania claims Hezbollah's Imad Mughniyah, according to allegations. The security establishment does as it pleases: Killing; destroying; barring; seizing funds; issuing orders
to close stores and factories in the West Bank; allowing construction in West Bank settlements; utterly humiliating the Palestinian Authority. It is oblivious to negotiations, Israeli commitments or lofty talk of peace.

Barak, as vociferous as the most zealot settler or a Hamas leader, bragged about the Bethlehem operation. "Once again, we've proved that Israel will search and destroy murderers with Jewish blood on their hands," he said. Once again, he has proved that he talks and thinks only of revenge. Is he unaware of the 2006 High Court decision that prohibits targeted killings intended to punish, avenge or deter? Or is he simply ignoring it? One of the son's of those killed in Bethlehem said IDF soldiers promised to put his father whom he had not seen in a
decade in a body-bag. Something for Barak to take pride in. He has unleashed the Israel Defense Forces on the Palestinians and ordered shows of force, including the failed Gaza op which killed 120 people and produced zero results. Hamas had been talking about a cease-fire, and who rejected it? Israel, the peace objector.

Instead of issuing a clear IDF order to calm the area to coincide with the government's new initiative, he is doing everything he can to disrupt it. And we have yet to mention morality: Long gone are the days when targeted killings were disputed. When people argued they were carried out only against "ticking bombs." Now, even retired terrorists are being killed in cold blood in their cars. They are charged with old crimes and executed without trial, instead of being arrested, a method that would prevent the next outbreak of violence while remaining moral.

Barak is not alone. Though his political party is small and ailing, it is nonetheless a political party, and its silence is abominable. Shas can milk more and more construction plans
for the settlements, but Labor is not even trying to obtain its goals. Where have Amir Peretz, Ami Ayalon, Yuli Tamir, Shelly Yachimovich, Colette Avital, Raleb Majadele and Ophir Pines-Paz gone at a time that their party leader is leading them to oblivion? Why do they not raise their voices in protest? And why doesn't the prime minister restrain his defense minister?

When the conflagration begins, very soon, because of Barak's policies, none of them will be free from blame. They will all be remembered as full participants in the terrible disgrace. Then we'll remember how there used to be hope, but that the Labor leader, of all people, did everything he could to sabotage it. And no one did a thing.

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  1.   He needs to do more - against Hamas 09:35  |  Charles 16/03/08
  2.   Lack of topics 09:40  |  lily 16/03/08
  3.   Blame the labor electorate !!! 10:02  |  Swiss (Dino) 16/03/08
  4.   Amen. Time for international boycots, sanctions against Israel 10:04  |  Ivar 16/03/08
  5.   Israeli Leaders Must Destroy Peace to Further The Zionist`s Goals 10:11  |  Johan Odon 16/03/08
  6.   Gideon Levy & Amira Hass 10:11  |  Ralph 16/03/08
  7.   Defense Minister Ehud Barak 10:12  |  Johnny Weintraub 16/03/08
  8.   gideon barak has learnt from experience ! 10:14  |  v hardman 16/03/08
  9.   I love to know what you Gideon write to palestinian press! 10:18  |  Dr Eric 16/03/08
  10.   Gideon do you support these terrorists that tzahal killed? 10:21  |  Dr Eric 16/03/08
  11.   #4 more from ivar the political genius 10:23  |  v hardman 16/03/08
  12.   Haaretz and Israel`s left is the number 1 obstacle to peace!! 10:26  |  Dr Eric 16/03/08
  13.   Dispappoinment in Barak 10:45  |  Esther 16/03/08
  14.   golpe 10:53  |  anna 16/03/08
  15.   LEVY TRYING TO WIN ANOTHER "PRIZE" 10:53  |  Robert 16/03/08
  16.   gideaon blind 11:22  |  victor sondos 16/03/08
  17.   Gideon Levy : a correspondent of incitement to trouble 11:49  |  Sholem BenTov 16/03/08
  18.   Barak thinks that he has something to prove 11:51  |  Natallie Durson 16/03/08
  19.   Saying it like it is!! Well done Mr Levy 11:56  |  just another jew 16/03/08
  20.   #3, Dino referring to DM Barak as the "trickster/thug" 11:56  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/03/08
  21.   Barak Has Always Been A Sabateur 11:57  |  Moshe 16/03/08
  22.   The silent endorsement of Barak`s policies, by ... 12:06  |  Dutch Dirk 16/03/08
  23.   what peace process 12:06  |  english jew 16/03/08
  24.   Re Eric #12 12:06  |  Esther 16/03/08
  25.   ivar 12:16  |  danny 16/03/08
  26.   The Prophets and peace 12:29  |  Keith T. 16/03/08
  27.   Barak future lies behind bars with other Israeli killers 12:35  |  Dutch 16/03/08
  28.   Until the Pals mature to stable governance a "peace process" is 12:51  |  David Turner 16/03/08
  29.   a demon revealed in an excellent article, gideon! 13:07  |  eric 16/03/08
  30.   Barak on a limb. Tough choices. 13:08  |  Stephen. 16/03/08
  31.   I`M CONVINCED RIGHT NOW 13:23  |  indrajaya 16/03/08
  32.   # 15 to robert 13:25  |  eric 16/03/08
  33.   Another excellent column 13:34  |  peacelover 16/03/08
  34.   # 12 Dr Eric you left out bush and his audi sponsors. 13:43  |  petra 16/03/08
  35.   #22 dirk and astrange theory? peace without muslim and arab 13:47  |  v hardman 16/03/08
  36.   27Dutch greetings! Quite right! This guy is considered a 13:48  |  lakshmi 16/03/08
  37.   # 13 to esther 13:48  |  eric 16/03/08
  38.   # 20 Cipora, the word "truth" has more relevance than the word... 13:49  |  Swiss (Dino) 16/03/08
  39.   It`s getting more and more obvious, there is a "good" part..... 14:22  |  Swiss (Dino) 16/03/08
  40.   PEACE comes when enemy is DEFEATED 14:49  |  Rafi 16/03/08
  41.   Gideon Levy warns you. But you refuse to listen! 14:53  |  VOICE OF SANITY 16/03/08
  42.   Gideon have point of view 15:02  |  Aymon 16/03/08
  43.   Haaretz crosses the "holy line" of journalistic independence 15:17  |  Shlomo Liberman 16/03/08
  44.   Peace Process is OXYMORON 15:22  |  B 16/03/08
  45.   One thing is certain 15:26  |  Mark Lincoln 16/03/08
  46.   Ehud Barak leading Israel down the wrong path... 15:40  |  Smadar 16/03/08
  47.   Israel is there to stay 15:44  |  American Christian 16/03/08
  48.   Levy and the Peace process 16:31  |  Asher 16/03/08
  49.   Christian Zionists: definitely not on God`s side of the issue 16:43  |  Ivar 16/03/08
  50.   To Esther #24 - you obviously don`t understand the problem!!! 17:30  |  Dr Eric 16/03/08
  51.   Mr. Levy, the pal terrorists sabotage peace 17:34  |  KUTW 16/03/08
  52.   A lull means more qassams will come afterwards 17:36  |  KUTW 16/03/08
  53.   # 6 Gideon Levy & Amira Hass 17:41  |  Norwegian from Oslo 16/03/08
  54.   Abbas authority humiliated by Fatah 17:42  |  KUTW 16/03/08
  55.   Yes indeed eric #29 17:47  |  Esther 16/03/08
  56.   Once Again 18:12  |  Janice 16/03/08
  57.   Some credit for Barak in this speciific case.... 18:24  |  Esther 16/03/08
  58.   # 57 Esther 18:46  |  Swiss (Dino) 16/03/08
  59.   57 Esther,fighting fire with fire?Somehow I don`t think so! 18:47  |  lakshmi 16/03/08
  60.   Barak is somebody who`s able to change his mind in Israel. 19:17  |  Fortuna Benmayor 16/03/08
  61.   Re Dr, Eric #50 19:23  |  Esther 16/03/08
  62.   Swiss Dino - I guess Dennis Ross is a liar!! 19:25  |  Dr Eric 16/03/08
  63.   Esther 57 re Targetted Assasination 19:31  |  Reader 16/03/08
  64.   Even Barak canbot ruin a piss process that does not exist 19:38  |  Yael 16/03/08
  65.   Swiss dino 19:44  |  Danite 16/03/08
  66.   Re Dutch Dirk #22 19:46  |  Esther 16/03/08
  67.   Swiss dino & Esther - I don`t have a short memory!! 20:02  |  dr Eric 16/03/08
  68.   # 65 Danite 20:26  |  Swiss (Dino) 16/03/08
  69.   By the way, Danite....... 20:57  |  Swiss (Dino) 16/03/08
  70.   Levy Has It All Confused and Backwards 21:25  |  Dave Levy (Zionist) 16/03/08
  71.   Pieces of Peace and Barak 21:30  |  Zev 16/03/08
  72.   Esther, Dutch Dirk is right on