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With friends like these By Gideon Levy Tags: Sderot, peace process, Israel  Click here for more articles by Gideon Levy The amount of support being shown for Israel these days is almost embarrassing. The parade of highly-placed foreign guests and the warm reception received by Israeli statesmen abroad have not been seen for quite some time. Who hasn't come to visit lately? From the German chancellor to the leading frontrunner for the American presidency. And the secretary-general of the United Nations is on his way. A visit to Israel has become de rigueur for foreign pols. If you haven't been here, you're nowhere. The visitors are taken, of course, to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, the Western Wall and now to Sderot as well - the new national pilgrimage site. A few also pay a perfunctory visit to Ramallah; no one goes to the Gaza Strip, and they all have nothing but praise for Israel. Not a word of criticism on the occupation, on Israel's violent operations in the territories, on the siege and the starving - with the exception of a few vague remarks on the need for a solution. Israel squeezes the Sderot "informational" lemon for all it's worth. Advertisement The mix of Sderot and the Holocaust, international Islamophobia and Hamas rule in Gaza do the trick. Israel hasn't scored this kind of foreign-policy success since the days of the Oslo Accords. To judge by the declarations of our foreign guests and our hosts abroad, no other state in the world is more loved than we. A state that imposes a siege that is almost unprecedented in the world today in terms of its cruelty, that adopts an official policy of assassination, is embraced by the family of nations, if we are to judge by the words of the many statesmen who cross our doorstep. It is, of course, pleasant to revel in this wave of support, but it is an illusion. Public opinion in most of the countries whose leaders are heaping all that praise upon us is not joining in. Israel remains a state without approval, sometimes even outcast and despised. The world sees images from Gaza on television - in comparison, Sderot looks like a resort - and it draws its own conclusions. The natural sense of justice that dictates support for the freedom struggles of oppressed people such as the Tibetan dictates natural support for the Palestinian struggle for liberation. The fact that it is a struggle between a Palestinian David and an Israeli Goliath only adds to the story. With the exception of the U.S., the world is indeed against us, apart from its statesmen. Therefore, we must not give in to the illusion: The current bout of official support for us is not genuine. Also not genuine is the idea that blind, unconditional friendship is friendship. The support for Israel as a just enterprise that is extended by most of the West does not mean accepting all of its caprices. A true friend of Israel, one that is sincerely concerned for its fate, is only that friend who dares to express sharp criticism of its policy of occupation, which poses the most serious risk to its future, and who also takes practical steps to end it. Most of the "friendly" statesmen do not understand this. The stance of the European leaders is particularly perplexing. We're not speaking about the U.S., with its Jewish and Christian lobbies, but rather opinionated Europe; it, too, has lost its ability to act as an honest broker, the type that wields its influence to bring an end to the conflict that endangers it, too. We need Europe, the peace needs Europe, but official Europe covers its eyes and automatically falls in line with the U.S. and its blind support for Israel and its boycott of Gaza. Angela Merkel, who received such a royal reception here last week, did not bring up any controversial issue in her speech at the Knesset. And so, her "historic" speech turned into a hollow one. The same behavior was displayed by her colleague in the European leadership, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, during the visit to his country of President Shimon Peres. The Israeli flags waving along the Champs-Elysees and the much-talked-about Israeli booth at the Paris Book Fair could not hide the fact that many French citizens are pained by the occupation. By not speaking about the siege on Gaza, the starvation imposed on it and the killing of hundreds of its people, Europe's leaders are not meeting their political and moral obligations. Those who believe that only honest international intervention can bring an end to the occupation find themselves desperate and disappointed. Yes, Europe, precisely that continent that carries justifiable feelings of guilt about the Jewish Holocaust, should have found another way to come to Israel's aid. Saccharine visits and sweet speeches in fact express a deep disrespect for Israel - and for European public opinion. This blind friendship enables Israel to do whatever it wants. The days have passed in which every mobile home erected in the territories and every targeted assassination were carefully considered out of fear of international criticism. That time no longer exists. Israel has a carte blanche to kill, destroy and settle. The U.S. long ago gave up the role of honest broker, and Europe is now following in its footsteps. How depressing: With friends like these, Israel almost doesn't need enemies. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Disturbing trend Jewish Agency says Anti-Semitic acts in Jan. 2009 triple last year's records. After the war IDF gains in Gaza have softened Israel's stance on Shalit deal.   1.   IT IS NOT BLIND FIENDSHIP I 09:46  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/03/08   2.   NOT BAD GIDEON 09:58  |  indrajaya 23/03/08   3.   GIDEON LEVY: THE FOOL, DOESN`T SEE 09:59  |  Robert 23/03/08   4.   IT IS NOT BLIND FRIENDSHIP II 10:01  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/03/08   5.   FRIEND, WHAT FRIEND? 10:02  |  indrajaya 23/03/08   6.   The `gideon` enjoymnet 10:11  |  TonyL 23/03/08   7.   Gideon: Nations are finally in touch with reality 10:14  |  Mark Hamil 23/03/08   8.   What did Norman Finkelstein say.....?????? 10:15  |  Swiss (Dino) 23/03/08   9.   BULLSEYE!: straight talk by gideon levy... 10:23  |  eric 23/03/08   10.   it IS! completely blind!; or maybe not quite... 10:25  |  eric 23/03/08   11.   well, one out of two is better than nothing 10:35  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/03/08   12.   Why should Israel NEED outside criticism? 10:36  |  US CITIZEN 23/03/08   13.   Uneasy... 10:43  |  Esther 23/03/08   14.   I didn`t read the news yet today... 11:01  |  nina 23/03/08   15.   peace process 11:17  |  motti 23/03/08   16.   Levy- Israel`s friends are right. You are wrong. 11:35  |  Sam 23/03/08   17.   Europe, Palestine and Israel 11:43  |  Soizic 23/03/08   18.   Gideon... BRAVO!!! A man of Conscience Exists. 11:57  |  Highlander 23/03/08   19.   Spot on, Gideon! 11:58  |  The Prince 23/03/08   20.   Gideon is right 12:00  |  rm 23/03/08   21.   Gideon Levy, the hero and the real man who fears God 12:05  |  Zaki 23/03/08   22.   This is the paroxism of Gideon Levy`s shmock-ness. 12:07  |  Fortuna Benmayor 23/03/08   23.   Really happy to read this article 12:15  |  Someone 23/03/08   24.   Thus, I have apparently remained a genuine friend of Israel... 12:39  |  christoph 23/03/08   25.   A very good article- Lovers of Israel should read 12:43  |  Labhras 23/03/08   26.   #4 Interplanetary Traveller moving too fast to see 12:54  |  Labhras 23/03/08   27.   #4 Cjk-- Interplanetary traveller wrong again 13:02  |  Labhras 23/03/08   28.   A LAUGHING STOCK 13:06  |  indrajaya 23/03/08   29.   When will you guys stop hating each other? 13:07  |  Edward 23/03/08   30.   Even a gadfly takes a day off 13:13  |  Elihu 23/03/08   31.   # 13, EDWARD 13:20  |  indrajaya 23/03/08   32.   No difference ... 13:31  |  Cynical 23/03/08   33.   With friends like these 13:36  |  SSS 23/03/08   34.   LEVY = BEST PR FOR HAMMAS 13:39  |  David B 23/03/08   35.   Levy Is Correct 13:42  |  Moshe 23/03/08   36.   Levy 13:45  |  Michael 23/03/08   37.   Edward from Sweden, when will you stop hating Jews? 13:46  |  Steven 23/03/08   38.   GIDEON LEVY 13:47  |  mostrel 23/03/08   39.   When they accept... 13:48  |  Aish 23/03/08   40.   gideon levy to labhras 13:58  |  mostrel 23/03/08   41.   from the heart 14:29  |  leila 23/03/08   42.   Eat your heart out!!! 14:29  |  Buzaglowe 23/03/08   43.   Well said Mr Levy 14:31  |  Labhras 23/03/08   44.   Leaders today are lacking moral vision 14:32  |  Dutch 23/03/08   45.   #14, I love your Tongue in Cheek 14:33  |  Buzaglow 23/03/08   46.   thank you 14:38  |  gheith abu sharif 23/03/08   47.   The logic of self-hating Jews 14:42  |  Shlomo 23/03/08   48.   Gideon Level 14:44  |  Purple Canary 23/03/08   49.   reproduction 14:45  |  leila 23/03/08   50.   Israel is like the chronic alcoholic 14:52  |  Labhras 23/03/08   51.   One of your best articles Gideon 14:56  |  kiwi girl 23/03/08   52.   Abu Mazzen` Trojan Horse 14:57  |  Joseph E . post 1 23/03/08   53.   The Polarization of Israeli Society 14:59  |  Joseph E . post 2 23/03/08   54.   LEVY, A VOICE OF SANITY 15:41  |  JH 23/03/08   55.   moral equivalence 15:44  |  ruben 23/03/08   56.   Much the same way with apartheid SA 15:54  |  Tacitus 23/03/08   57.   Real friends don`t let their friends drive drunk 16:08  |  newageblues 23/03/08   58.   #11 Teacher in Europe. 16:09  |  John Allen 23/03/08   59.   Frau Merkel 16:30  |  Kacey Mathew 23/03/08   60.   #20 Authority in in KS 16:32  |  christoph 23/03/08   61.   LEVY IS TERRIFIC 16:33  |  JH 23/03/08   62.   They make up for centuries of discrimination 16:36  |  el-birawi 23/03/08   63.   friends? 16:58  |  ezra 23/03/08   64.   Just wait for the end of this year, Gideon Levy 17:35  |  Tosefta 23/03/08   65.   Levy and Finklestein 17:56  |  Gilad 23/03/08   66.   reply to Cipora Julianna Kohn 18:02  |  Marc 23/03/08   67.   #23 Tosefta. Heaven forbid we "mistreat" our would be murderers! 18:03  |  Chaim 23/03/08   68.   imho ... nonsense! 18:04  |  ferdinand 23/03/08   69.   #4 Cipora, Re Blind friendship 18:05  |  Dutch 23/03/08   70.   a day in the life of gideon levy 18:07  |  hollingsworth 23/03/08   71.   A German should moralise to Israel? 18:11  |  Reuben Cohen 23/03/08   72.   Sderot looks like a resort 18:11  |  Raoul 23/03/08   73.   WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE 18:17  |  TED 23/03/08   74.   Some of the friendship is worse than blind 18:19  |  Colin Wright 23/03/08   75.   `the world is indeed against us, apart from its statesmen` 18:23  |  Colin Wright 23/03/08   76.   nail on the head 18:25  |  whoa nellie 23/03/08   77.   Untermenschen 18:28  |  Dav 23/03/08   78.   I wish "Gideon Levy" is a mask for muslin or American. 18:30  |  Di 23/03/08   79.   Worship Gideon Levy 18:30  |  NEJ 23/03/08   80.   Merkel`s Love for Jews 18:32  |  Free 23/03/08   81.   7 Mark Hamil, Be careful about what you are buying into 18:34  |  Dutch 23/03/08   82.   Kudos to Levy for saying the Emeror has not pants. 18:30  |  ManInTheMiddle 23/03/08   83.   Gideon You are The Man 18:52  |  Williams 23/03/08   84.   cjk4 18:58  |  potobac 23/03/08   85.   #1 Thank God Gideon isn`t concerned with the bored 19:03  |  Dutch 23/03/08   86.   Moshe said... 19:13  |  Navy Vet 23/03/08   87.   to CJ Kohn #4 19:13  |  zeev 23/03/08   88.   Levy, your last sentence is very true 19:20  |  Dave 23/03/08   89.   no criticism here 19:21  |  michael 23/03/08   90.   Haaretz please stop giving this guy a mic! 19:31  |  Josh M. 23/03/08   91.   Once Again 19:34  |  Janice 23/03/08   92.   Blind intl support allows Arabs to trounce all rights 19:37  |  William 23/03/08   93.   Michael #31 - the US is also in conflict with Muslims 19:42  |  William 23/03/08   94.   #29, zeev 19:43  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/03/08   95.   Moshe#14- a true friend like Jimmy Carter 19:47  |  William 23/03/08   96.   With Friends Likde these 19:50  |  Rabbi Nason Goldstei 23/03/08   97.   everyone agrees with this assessment 19:58  |  fredo 23/03/08   98.   to Shlomo #18 20:00  |  zeev 23/03/08   99.   2 sane Israelis 20:13  |  Neutered Observer 23/03/08   100.   whats wrong haaretz? Censorship? 20:22  |  Mr Ipp 23/03/08   101.   That`s why I cancelled my subscription 20:32  |  Uri 23/03/08   102.   What changed ? 20:56  |  TOMY 23/03/08   103.   to Mark Hamil #7 21:13  |  zeev 23/03/08   104.   Blind Support? 21:30  |  Tom 23/03/08   105.   Levy represents the true values of Judiasm 21:38  |  El-Birawi 23/03/08   106.   Time to reflect. I am still reflecting. No way. 21:52  |  Stephen. 23/03/08   107.   Friends like these... 21:55  |  EK 23/03/08   108.   Mr. Ipp # 100 Et Tu, Brute? 22:03  |  Jeff Northridge 23/03/08   109.   Zaki, I admire him too. Jeremy Wright, Levi, Farrakhan are heros 22:20  |  Yaakov Sullivan 23/03/08   110.   Citizenry v Heads of State 22:22  |  Not a Hypocrite 23/03/08   111.   to Joseph E #52 - pure hogwash 22:23  |  zeev 23/03/08   112.   gideon levy 22:28  |  frank mayer 23/03/08   113.   Gideon is a self promoter at the expense of Israel 22:33  |  Alan the real one 23/03/08   114.   Well we don`t really know what`s happening behind the facade 22:41  |  Smadar 23/03/08   115.   Thank You 22:42  |  Peter Beck 23/03/08   116.   Entire Gideon Levy agenda is to promote hate for Israel. 22:44  |  Steve Randolph 23/03/08   117.   Levy and his friends 22:45  |  Connie 23/03/08   118.   Gideon Levy is a bigger enemy to Israelis than suicide bombers 22:50  |  Steve Randolph 23/03/08   119.   I am honored to report that this leftwing ditch called 22:52  |  17 23/03/08   120.   Kol Hachavod, Gideon 22:53  |  Nader 23/03/08   121.   Jeff on censorship 22:56  |  Janice 23/03/08   122.   Gideon speaks the truth...harsh but the truth. 23:00  |  Brian Freund 23/03/08   123.   With op-ed writers like these... 23:04  |  Joe Sittizen 23/03/08   124.   Levy, what about your blind support for Palestinians? 23:20  |  McQueen 23/03/08   125.   You can`t lose what you never had 23:22  |  sh 23/03/08   126.   Blind hatred from those who agree with this article is better? 23:22  |  McQueen 23/03/08   127.   Israel doesn`t need enemies, it has Levy, Hass, etc. 23:23  |  McQueen 23/03/08   128.   Questions to Mr. Levy 23:25  |  Bruce 23/03/08   129.   Gideon, move to S`derot - homes are cheap to but in this resort 23:29  |  Ariel 23/03/08   130.   THIS IS WHY GIDEON LEVY IS WRONG 23:36  |  Ariel 23/03/08   131.   Well said...With friends like these 23:41  |  Nancy 23/03/08   132.   Hello Gideon and Haaretz 23:42  |  John the Priest. 23/03/08   133.   117 Connie, Your right wing government are the pits 23:47  |  Dutch 23/03/08   134.   With Jews Like Levy 23:47  |  Tod Zuckerman 23/03/08   135.   WOULD YOU TRUST GIDEON LEVY IN COMBAT? 23:53  |  Steve 23/03/08   136.   Just wait few more years.When negotiation 00:03  |  Bobby 24/03/08   137.   gideon levy 00:20  |  abe 24/03/08   138.   RIGHT. DIVINE PUNISHMENT IS COMING TO YOU GIDEON 00:20  |  Yochnan 24/03/08   139.   EU support for Israel is skin deep 00:37  |  Keith T. 24/03/08   140.   Real Reasons 00:49  |  Alex 24/03/08   141.   Hey Gideon,Your Article Reminds Me Of "SOUR GRAPES" That is You! 00:59  |  KATHY 24/03/08   142.   THE MEANING OF FRIENDS 01:04  |  Brant 24/03/08   143.   Nothing about rockets in this article 01:07  |  Eric Shkolnik 24/03/08   144.   Just LikeCecil B DeMille Movie 01:07  |  I.M.Knotfooled 24/03/08   145.   # 132. The Priest is right. G-d will find you Haaretz. 01:21  |  George a gentile 24/03/08   146.   Mr Gideon Levy the Honest & Truthful reporting 01:30  |  Mard Saunders 24/03/08   147.   Bobby, Just wait few more years... 01:34  |  Bruce 24/03/08   148.   to Steve #135 - (1) 01:36  |  zeev 24/03/08   149.   "Don`t put your trust in a confidential friend` 01:36  |  marilyn 24/03/08   150.   McQueen#127. Levy, Hass, will prove you wrong 01:37  |  jean Claude 24/03/08   151.   to Steve #135 - (2) 01:39  |  zeev 24/03/08   152.   Brant, #137 01:44  |  Bruce 24/03/08   153.   well said Cipora Julianna Kohn, you could not be more true 02:00  |  jj 24/03/08   154.   to Ariel, could not have said it better myself , excellent post 02:03  |  jj 24/03/08   155.   #135 SteveWOULD YOU TRUST GIDEON LEVY IN COMBAT? 02:07  |  KATHY 24/03/08   156.   zeev- You must be a really depressing guy to live with 02:09  |  Sam 24/03/08   157.   to Steve #135 - would you have trusted Ariel Sharon? 02:10  |  zeev 24/03/08   158.   Great Article for a Nitwit 02:34  |  Yechiel Cohen 24/03/08   159.   Where Will This Artical Play Best? 03:01  |  Ron 24/03/08   160.   Gideon Levy or is it 03:14  |  Irv 24/03/08   161.   #150 one day, like Oedipus, you will blind yourself 03:15  |  McQueen 24/03/08   162.   To Zeev, #148 and 151 03:24  |  Jim Brooks 24/03/08   163.   Jeff Northridge #108 03:25  |  TonyL 24/03/08   164.   To Zeev, #148 and 151 03:28  |  Jim Brooks 24/03/08   165.   # 119 17...I have also had that privilege 03:35  |  Lynn 24/03/08   166.   To Sam, #156 04:01  |  Jim Brooks 24/03/08   167.   # 147 Bruce-Why Israelis are so scared to 04:02  |  Bobby 24/03/08   168.   # 138 YochnanRIGHT. DIVINE PUNISHMENT IS COMING TO YOU GIDEON! 04:02  |  KATHY 24/03/08   169.   G Levy is a self hating Jew! 04:09  |  ben Anussim 24/03/08   170.   Friends of War 04:15  |  Zev 24/03/08   171.   Gideon Levy 04:25  |  Mark Lincoln 24/03/08   172.   Patriotic dissent versus self-destruction 04:28  |  Steve 24/03/08   173.   WITH JEWS LIKE HIM WHO NEEDS ANTISEMITES 04:33  |  Jorge 24/03/08   174.   "Self Hating Jews" 04:59  |  Jim Brooks 24/03/08   175.   Gideon 05:06  |  shimon 24/03/08   176.   arabs -eat your heart out 05:16  |  danny 24/03/08   177.   To Jorge: Your comments arent the only ones censored by Haaretz 05:28  |  RA 24/03/08   178.   Hats off to you Gideon Levy! 05:37  |  Aidan 24/03/08   179.   History in the making 06:37  |  John 24/03/08   180.   #9, eric... 08:43  |  Silvienne 24/03/08   181.   levy does make a good point 09:31  |  paulo2005 24/03/08   182.   With friends like these 10:20  |  Anthony Joseph Yuja 24/03/08   183.   ok levy,be that way.they are going to force us to hurt them bad 11:03  |  pavel 24/03/08   184.   aidan 12:50  |  danny 24/03/08   185.   #50 Labhras..Who Let The Dogs Out? Who,Who?? 16:57  |  I 24/03/08   186.   175 Shimon, shame on you 19:29  |  Dutch 24/03/08   187.   Israel and the US 20:48  |  Shaun Daily 24/03/08   188.   With Jews like Gideon Levy... 23:32  |  Jonathan 24/03/08   189.   DOING WHAT WE`RE TOLD 01:16  |  zoya 26/03/08   190.   Friends & Hypocrites 12:25  |  Gadees 26/03/08   191.   #136 only solution 12:56  |  gadees 26/03/08   192.   EXISTENTIAL THREAT? 22:28  |  zoya 27/03/08   193.   URGING FOREIGN COUNTIES TO SUPPORT ISRAEL`S ENEMIES IS TREASON 13:53  |  Joel Stein 29/04/08

Read & React Livni: Israel should strike Hamas again to halt arms smuggling Responses: 44 Amir Oren: 'Decisive' Gaza offensive merely rehearsal for next crisis versus Iran Responses: 7 Netanyahu: Likud-led government wouldn't build new settlements Responses: 30 Akiva Eldar: Saudi plan offers Israel united front with Arab states against Iran Responses: 7 More Headlines 11:52 Egypt to Hamas: Take Gaza truce before Netanyahu is PM 12:30 Veteran ultra-Orthodox MK Avraham Ravitz dies aged 75 11:24 Iran MPs plan Gaza visit to praise Hamas resistance against 'Zionist offensive' 11:55 Sky News joins BBC in refusing to air Gaza fundraiser 10:14 Nine held for allegedly attacking Israeli Arabs in Upper Nazareth 10:36 Netanyahu: Likud-led coalition wouldn't build new settlements 12:12 Survey: Most Israelis want Benjamin Netanyahu to be prime minister 09:33 IDF rabbinate publication during Gaza war: We will show no mercy on the cruel 10:35 Haaretz probe: Unknown overseas sources paid MK Lieberman NIS 2.5m 10:51 2 hurt, 1 seriously, after light plane crashes near Beit She`an 04:42 EU presses Egypt to take action against Gaza arms smuggling 11:27 Number of laid-off Israelis set new high in December 07:41 U.S. businessman Guma L. Aguiar gives $8m to Nefesh b'Nefesh 07:43 Program launched to bring all Jewish teachers worldwide to Israel 04:43 Court to state: Let foreign media into Gaza when borders open 04:45 Egypt evacuates Rafah area, fearing IAF strike on Gaza Previous Editions Select Day 25 jan 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan 20 jan 19 jan 18 jan 16 jan 15 jan 14 jan 13 jan 12 jan

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