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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. Advertisement 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. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Bread will abound J'lem court allows pizzerias, bakeries to sell leavened products during Passover. The looking glass A T.A. film festival tackles Israel's hardest issues from war to polygamy.   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 21:51  |  Dutch 16/03/08   73.   Dutch spread your hate in Amsterdam 21:56  |  Magav 16/03/08   74.   # 62 / # 67 Dr Eric (2nd try) 21:59  |  Swiss (Dino) 16/03/08   75.   Danite (Post No. 65) 22:22  |  Johnny Weintraub 16/03/08   76.   Barak is not alone 22:23  |  Ibrahim 16/03/08   77.   Barak failed in Oper. Accountability & will fail against Hamas 22:29  |  Yossi Cronenberg 16/03/08   78.   Gideon Levy : a Minister for Hamas 22:49  |  Claire 16/03/08   79.   He is an angry Jewish man 23:19  |  EL-BIRAWI 16/03/08   80.   This is just the beginning, what will you all say 23:20  |  Kris Lazar 16/03/08   81.   you are a good man Gideon Levy 23:26  |  a rarity 16/03/08   82.   netaniahu 23:33  |  jose marcio 16/03/08   83.   # 39 Swiss....PETA??? 23:51  |  Lynn 16/03/08   84.   Delussional Gidy is again grambling . 00:01  |  TOMY 17/03/08   85.   The Military Junta in Israel. 00:12  |  Maureen Ann 17/03/08   86.   We don`t seem to learn Pt 1 00:20  |  Ilya 17/03/08   87.   Smadass #46 00:22  |  GABE1 17/03/08   88.   Barak is Sharon in Labour 00:27  |  Truth 17/03/08   89.   We don`t seem to learn Pt 2 00:27  |  Ilya 17/03/08   90.   # 71 He is angry Jewish 00:36  |  ElEffendi 17/03/08   91.   # 67 Dr.Eric............Thank you, good doctor. 00:39  |  Stephen. 17/03/08   92.   We don`t seem to learn Pt 3 00:43  |  Ilya 17/03/08   93.   #62 Dennis Ross is a liar, Dr. Eric??? 01:06  |  Johnboy 17/03/08   94.   To Dr. Eric: Wrong, Wrong, Wrong 01:15  |  Dave Levy 17/03/08   95.   Agreed! 01:16  |  Woodah 17/03/08   96.   OLMERT AND BARAK MUST GO 01:29  |  ROB SCHWARTZ 17/03/08   97.   Johnny Weintraub 02:26  |  James 17/03/08   98.   According to Charles Darwin.... Tosefta is correct in 02:33  |  Smadar 17/03/08   99.   According to Charles Darwin....con`t.... 02:45  |  Smadar 17/03/08   100.   4.Ivar,agreed,and there is a growing BDS Movement! 03:13  |  lakshmi 17/03/08   101.   5.Johan Odon,in addition to the BDS 03:17  |  lakshmi 17/03/08   102.   #85 Maureen 03:36  |  Rab Burns 17/03/08   103.   #24 - Re Eric #12 - Esther the lunatic 03:39  |  PlanoStu 17/03/08   104.   #36 - lakshmi 03:51  |  PlanoStu 17/03/08   105.   As per the Weisglass Memo... 04:06  |  Chaim 17/03/08   106.   Barak is bent on ARMAGEDON... 04:07  |  ali 17/03/08   107.   #24 - Re Eric #12 - Esther the lunatic - 2nd attempt 04:11  |  PlanoStu 17/03/08   108.   crazy gideon 04:21  |  Mike 17/03/08   109.   Gabe1 04:36  |  Smadar 17/03/08   110.   Barak`s duty is to defend Israel! 04:38  |  felix 17/03/08   111.   Barak destroying peace LOL 04:43  |  sabra 17/03/08   112.   Ruining the "peace process" means no more rockets, freed terroris 04:44  |  Chaim 17/03/08   113.   a minister of war 05:02  |  abe 17/03/08   114.   A Heroic Minister and a Saviour for all Jews. 05:45  |  Ilan 17/03/08   115.   Oh!: The Mufti 06:04  |  Ruth 17/03/08   116.   By attacking Barak, are leftists trying to make him look good?? 06:11  |  Voice of Reason 17/03/08   117.   # 101 to planostu in TEXAS re: esther 06:30  |  eric 17/03/08   118.   If Barak is as bad as B.N.then they should band togather 07:15  |  YSL 17/03/08   119.   Verbal mayhem..... 07:23  |  Esther 17/03/08   120.   Israel is just an amazing country 07:36  |  Great Admirer 17/03/08   121.   "Olmert`s peace initiative"????? 08:48  |  Chook 17/03/08   122.   K A T H Y ! 08:49  |  THE TEACHER/INSTRUCT 17/03/08   123.   Esther, Hardly verbal mayhem 23:44  |  Dutch 17/03/08   124.   no hope for peace 17:58  |  Observer 04/04/08

Today Online Israel and U.S. to coordinate on boycott of anti-racism meet Responses: 122 Former militant leader: The Palestinian people is finished Responses: 78 Poll: Nearly half of Israeli Arabs say let Iran develop nukes Responses: 39 Syria: We choose peace, but we're ready for Israeli attack Responses: 30 Akiva Eldar: The lie of peace and the nonsense of security Responses: 25 Editorial: What kind of Israel do you want? Responses: 20 More Headlines 17:43 Hamas: Avi Dichter was target of Gazan sniper 11:00 Syria: We choose peace, but we're ready for Israeli attack 14:13 U.K. Foreign Sec.: Israel's future depends on Palestinian statehood 16:07 Gazans eat endangered turtle termed 'as good as Viagra' 16:36 Israel, U.S. to coordinate on boycott of Durban II conference 10:47 'Marching toward total ruin' 13:13 Wiesenthal Center blasts Nazi-themed cosmetics ad in S. Korea 10:00 Poll: Nearly half of Israeli Arabs say let Iran develop nukes 11:39 A little tale about donkeys 04:58 Russian-Israelis abroad unaware repatriation program targets them 14:46 Bill banning MKs from visiting hostile states goes to plenum 10:42 Health Ministry: 'Complacence, negligence' cause patient's death Previous Editions Select Day 03 apr 02 apr 01 apr 31 mar 30 mar 28 mar 27 mar 26 mar 25 mar 24 mar 23 mar 21 mar

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