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Last update - 01:40 03/07/2008 Where ranting and raving are free By Reuven Rivlin Tags: haaretz, israel, opinion  As I read Haaretz's opinion pages on Tuesday morning, I found myself pausing to check, time and again, whether this was indeed Haaretz and not Makor Rishon, and that this was 2008 and not 1968. At the top of the right-hand page, Yoel Marcus suggested that we kidnap "their people ... so high up on the totem pole that it shocks them out of their minds" and cause them to play "by our rules." On the left-hand side, Amir Oren called on Israel to "strike, without mercy, the entire chain of command of the groups that carry out abductions." I could hardly believe my eyes. Even an old-time right-wing politician, for whom repeating "we told you so" is one of life's few remaining pleasures, rarely sees such ranting and raving every day, much less on the pages of Haaretz. One can only imagine what insults would have been heaped on Benjamin Netanyahu had he dared utter such suggestions. Such diatribes were part of the Via Dolorosa down which the government led the abducted soldiers' families. In an atmosphere like this, had I been a minister, I too wouldn't have been able to reject the deal because of the families' grief. Advertisement These diatribes are expected to intensify once the prisoner-exchange deal with Hezbollah is completed. The public weather vane will change direction at the sight of the celebrations that Hassan Nasrallah, who is intimately familiar with fickle Israeli public opinion, will hold in Beirut. Politicians like me, who could not withstand the pressure, and the journalists who conducted the campaign, will compete with each other with declarations of "next time we'll show them," and they will all sound exactly as they did last time, when we released hundreds of prisoners for three bodies and a drug dealer. Israelis will feel like "suckers" and that is what they hate most. These rantings recall those we used to hear on Cairo's Voice of Thunder radio station, which would broadcast propaganda in Hebrew. Ultimately, as our enemies well know, these exercises are pointless. So all the abduction planners can calm down. No Israeli chief of staff in 2008 would dare to authorize the counter-kidnapping of senior Hezbollah or Hamas figures like the abduction of Sheikh Obeid and Mustafa Dirani or the Syrian officers in 1972 (by the special reconnaissance unit headed by Yoni Netanyahu). As every terrorist knows, Israel offers him not only the opportunity to obtain an academic degree in prison (as Samir Kuntar will be able to tell the guys in Beirut), but a well-organized alignment, partly financed by overseas sources, which fights against Israel's right to fight terror. These people are acting to limit the war on terror to means that are suitable, at best, for the police's fight against crime. And they are doing so with the help of the Israeli justice system. This is a country in which a minister threatens to attack Iran (and catapults world oil prices) and the prime minister promises, on going to war, to "bring the boys home" (when he should have known that this was almost hopeless). This is a country whose defense and foreign ministers announce that the prime minister must resign (but aren't dreaming of leaving his cabinet), and a billion-shekel tax reform is declared and revoked in one week - just like that. In a country where nobody takes anything seriously anymore - nobody would blame a columnist who suggests we abduct or kill terrorist leaders if soldiers or Palestinian civilians were killed in such an operation. Even though this is a country where columnists, talkbackers and the public weather vane have a much greater effect on decision makers than, say, the professionals in the Shin Bet security service and the Mossad. The writer is a Likud Knesset member. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Against his release Mother of Kuntar victim appeals to President Peres against his release. Gloom and doom How many missiles will be fired from Iran, Syria, Lebanon in the next war?   1.   Israel: skewed hopelessly to the right 09:32  |  Natallie Durson 03/07/08   2.   OK: so the answer is Israel haters their space 10:30  |  ScotGuy 03/07/08   3.   A Land Where Freedom of Speech is Respected 11:22  |  US CITIZEN 03/07/08   4.   Another name for talkbackers... 11:27  |  Had Enough. 03/07/08   5.   # 1 "Natallie" 11:31  |  Christian 03/07/08   6.   Extra: Pot Calls Kettle Black 11:41  |  Man with Memory 03/07/08   7.   #3. Had Enough...Truly said, and very sad. 11:57  |  Stephen. 03/07/08   8.   I See It All Now 12:14  |  Yosemite 03/07/08   9.   Christian - It`s people like you 12:22  |  Natallie Durson 03/07/08   10.   THIS IS A COUNTRY IN WHICH... 12:26  |  indrajaya 03/07/08   11.   Power to the People! 13:21  |  Israeli 03/07/08   12.   Pro-Islam TERROR ENABLER Israeli Leaders Unfit to Rule 14:41  |  Linda Rivera 03/07/08   13.   UN Resolution 1701 BETRAYED Israel, Lebanon & the Free World 14:46  |  Linda Rivera 03/07/08   14.   Opinion and the swap 15:24  |  Jordan 03/07/08   15.   On your point of the lack of seriousness... 15:38  |  Jordan 03/07/08   16.   An interesting point of view 16:12  |  Michael N 03/07/08   17.   It has been 2 years that Northern Israel is quiet. 16:13  |  Joseph.E 03/07/08   18.   People are sick of the political whoring today 16:31  |  dutch 03/07/08   19.   #10 indrajaya 17:00  |  dan 03/07/08   20.   Security is a flagship for totalitarianism today... 17:15  |  Dutch 03/07/08   21.   the continuing hostility is generated from not reaching peace... 17:29  |  Smadar 03/07/08   22.   The leftist media is afraid of talkbackers? 17:51  |  Gee 03/07/08   23.   Atilla Karagozoglu must be proud 17:53  |  David Israel 03/07/08   24.   #13 linda - what war were you watching?? 17:59  |  gearoid 03/07/08   25.   Mr Rivlin 18:07  |  Robert/Montreal 03/07/08   26.   Indrajaya why did you not respond to this Post? 18:15  |  Robert/Montreal 03/07/08   27.   So Whoever Disagrees With Me Is A Lunatic? 18:43  |  dyinglikeflies 03/07/08   28.   Well said, #5 Christian 18:59  |  Jonathan 03/07/08   29.   #1; Tell us Natalie Durson who Dances in the Street and passes 19:32  |  Doc Holliday 03/07/08   30.   Where ranting and raving are free 19:57  |  Curious American 03/07/08   31.   let`s hope not 19:59  |  De 03/07/08   32.   #31 De you`ve said it best, when it comes to the ME... 20:17  |  Smadar 03/07/08   33.   It is more likely 20:28  |  Chris Linthwaite 03/07/08   34.   Bless the Beasts and the Talkbackers... 20:42  |  CHGODMK 03/07/08   35.   but in the knesset they cost us a lot 21:04  |  Jewboy. 03/07/08   36.   Durson is so far on the left she has two left thumbs 21:06  |  A Bored Jew 03/07/08   37.   Nataslie is so offensive #9 21:09  |  just a Jew 03/07/08   38.   I disagree #27 21:13  |  a LUNATIC 03/07/08   39.   two-faced 21:29  |  neddie 03/07/08   40.   # 10. Indy. Reminds me of....... 21:34  |  Stephen. 03/07/08   41.   Question to the author Can you explain why not? 21:40  |  CM 03/07/08   42.   #29, Doc Holliday....Case Closed?? 22:26  |  Silvienne 03/07/08   43.   Silvienne - Basket Case 02:22  |  Gee 04/07/08   44.   I hope patriotic columnists and talkbackers can help steer Israel 02:44  |  Chaim 04/07/08   45.   Chaim, The Israeli people better wisen up 06:29  |  Dutch 04/07/08   46.   #42; Silvienne two completely different things 17:26  |  Doc Holliday 04/07/08

Read & React Mother of Kuntar victim: This monster will be a Lebanon hero Responses: 100 Police fear wave of violence against Arabs in wake of J'lem attack Responses: 66 Peres: No chance of peace with Palestinians Responses: 88 Iran: Any attack on our nuclear facility will be beginning of war Responses: 125 Colombia hostage rescue: the Israeli angle Responses: 59 More Headlines 16:47 Barak orders demolition of Jerusalem, yeshiva terrorists' homes 12:40 Hamas suspends Shalit talks over Gaza closure 13:38 Iran: Any attack on our nuclear facility will be beginning of war 15:01 Syria says 'premature' to talk of direct contact with Israel 15:08 MK Barakeh reportedly met with Hamas' Meshal in Abu Dhabi 08:48 Colombia hostage rescue: the Israeli angle 14:33 Hamas vs. hummus: Guess who's on the loose in Middle East? 04:12 Steven Spielberg donates $1M to Pennsylvania Jewish history museum 08:09 Peres: No chance of peace with Palestinians 13:08 Israir flight makes emergency landing at B-G Airport after engine failure 13:07 Hezbollah expected to report Arad died in Lebanon over a decade ago 07:54 Police fear wave of violence against Arabs in wake of Jerusalem attack 05:09 Palestinian PM proposes detailed Fatah-Hamas reconciliation deal Previous Editions Select Day 03 jul 02 jul 01 jul 30 jun 29 jun 27 jun 26 jun 25 jun 24 jun 23 jun 22 jun 20 jun

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