Barak: a voice from the past
Ehud Barak should have maintained his self-imposed silence, for we already have reason to regret his breaking it.
By Yossi SaridEhud Barak should have maintained his self-imposed silence, for we already have reason to regret his breaking it. On Tuesday, in his first encounter with military reporters since taking office, he expressed surprise at the poor state of the IDF inventory, the order of battle and, as he put it, "the IDF's shortness of breath." Well, we can only be surprised by his surprise.
Anyone who has taken even the slightest interest in the state of national security knew what was going on. There isn't a single Israeli citizen who hasn't followed the cutbacks in the defense budget with concern in recent years. This should certainly be the case of Barak, who did not lay down his marshal's baton even when he became a citizen. He was and remains Mr. Security, disappointing in hindsight and still promising in foresight.
How did it happen that the marshal, of all people, did not know, had not been briefed and did not take an interest? Perhaps this is what happens when a man goes into private business and starts observing from the top floor. Perhaps this is what happens when a man spends his time overseas and declines to wade in the local pool.
I went over the list of shortcomings the defense minister presented this week, and was shocked. Barak's eyes are not merely discerning, they are as wide as his appetite is big. He wants a three-layered defense system to intercept missiles and rockets in flight. He wants to increase the order of battle; he wants new divisions, more tanks, more ammunition, more protection, more training. On top of all that, he wants advanced long-range aircraft to develop a complex "long strategic reach." In brief, Barak wants it all, and then some.
Anyone who knows anything about budgets and costs can do the math and see that everything we have in the coffers and everything we don't have will not suffice to fill these enormous needs. Israel would have to mortgage its children's education, its senior citizens' welfare (including Holocaust survivors and refugees) and its citizens' health in order to satisfy the defense minister even partially.
Recently, Barak was chanting social platitudes - now even they are dropping like shot birds off a roof. Even the voice of the old woman in the hospital corridor is fading. Her fate was sealed when her bed slipped under the poverty line. There's no longevity under that line, especially for exhausted people who fall sick.
The defense minister, preparing for the next war, is still mouthing the concepts of previous conflicts. He speaks of "clear and unequivocal victory" and "deterrence, warning and decisive action." Barak has not yet grasped why we didn't win "unequivocally" in the first Lebanon war, before the cutbacks, and if we did, why we fled. And why we didn't win the second Lebanon war despite our decisive military supremacy; and why we didn't win even in Gaza, which is continuing to fire Qassam rockets at us. Or why the Americans are not triumphing in Iraq and Afghanistan, as they didn't triumph in Vietnam and as the Russians failed in Afghanistan and Chechnya.
When has any country won a war by clear, decisive action lately, anyway? Are we to be forced to conclude that Barak is a man whose time has passed?
I have a suggestion that could reduce the gigantic expenses: Perhaps it would be best to lay aside the calming-yet-alarming announcements and instead make a more serious effort to talk with Syria. Perhaps, after all, it is possible to make peace with it and bring peace upon us and the whole region. That could save us a great deal of money, hundreds of billions, not to mention a lot of blood.
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
Peace is a great idea. Problem is the other side doesn't want it and never will until Israel ceases to exist
First I am not a fan of Barak.However you don't understand economics.Israel is today generating the wealth it needs to fill its basket with the military goods Barak listed.It would do even better if it would wean itself from US aid and directly compete in the world market on military goods so as to raise the necessary funds to purchase the military goods it needs.
Israel has one of the highest taxation systems in the world. The common belief up till now was that this was needed to fulfil its defense requirements. Does anyone believe that the Israeli citizen has been taxed to death to satisfy education, health or senior citizen needs?
GET YER GUN AND DO IT YOUR BL**DY SELF! ALL WE EVER GET FROM YOU IS WORDS, WORDS, WORDS! OR ARE YOU AN ARMCHAIR GENERAL, HYPOCRYTICAL RABBLE ROUSER WITHOUT A REAL POINT TO MAKE?
Definitely, work with what you have, maximize advantages, minimize deficits. Also, have Abbas as the big dog in the fight against you.
Unfortunately, lack of a convincing strategy to defeat a threatenting foe on the battlefield does not necessarily mean that ergo that same enemey wants peace. If only.
Mr. Yossi must be a young man, probably less than 40 years old. Somebody that did not feel what is it to be persecuted and lacking of any arm to defend yourself or your family.If it cost to defend Israel that we have to mortgage our homes, loose our pensions, etc., so be it. I do not want to see again a world without Israel.
The good and likable thing about Barak is his Nieve Foolishness. Despite starting off with grand and elaborate plans, as his life training has tought him, on a day to day basis he is a pragmatist, and eventually follows the path set for us by whatever you choose to call the greater forces which govern the world around us. Give the guy a break and let him get back into the swing of things. He has been out of the military picture for a few years, but he is the only creable political leader we have who has any real military understanding.
Sarid's plan is a recipe for disaster. What was he doing and saying about the condition of IDF when he was MK? more Oslo . see where that went. Defense Minister should be seeking equipment and arms and new systems.
Sarid , again, proves he's shameless. In this column, he indicates the IDF's deterioration was well known for years, and faults Barak for proclaiming surprise. Well, if this were true , why didn't he write a single column about it ? The reason is that Sarid was too busy trying to sell the same old phony baloney peace idea , namely, that if Israelies keep appeasing, the Palestinians will cease trying to kill them. It is amazing ANYBODY (except Israel bashers)still listens to this arrogant jackass . Lastly, Sarid seems to believe that it is not necessary for the IDF to be capable of victory - earth to Sarid, this is the kind of imbecility that reduced the IDF to its present state , and could easily spell the end of Israel.
Yossi criticized Barak. He is absolutely right Barak tries to exploit security for popularity reasons. From economic side it is impossible to afford all his demands; from military side this is completely unprofessional because a luck of strategic vision. Enemies threat us by rockets and unconventional weapon. Israel has not enough strategic space for defense. To make this strategic space Israel has to create submarine fleet with nuclear rockets. This is the main task but Barak think us infantry captain. Yossi, in his side, must remember a main reason why Israel is in terrible strategic situation now ? because Yossi and Shimon crazy ideas. After such failure normal people feel some shame, but not our ?heroes? ? they are shameless. And the last reason ? a stable peace treatment should be sign for strong but not weak positions.
As a PM he failed to bring Peace & Security to Israel, althought he came very close to it. Then he forgot his step of how to TANGO. IF he did have the nerve, today we would have been all living in a different world, minus the 2nd intifada, and all its miseries to both communities. NOW,Mr Barak should spend ALL his energies in finding the ELUSIVE PEACE, rather than Many many billions Sh. for his WAR MACHINES. Shalom
if it would be up to people like yossi sarid to safeguard israel ,all the jews of israel would have to pick themselves up and open jewlery stores in new york. even in 2007 give the arabs one chance and they would eat us up alive,including egypt.selfhating jews like sarid don't care about that.
that the Holocaust Survivors' moneis were already used up by the State of Israel! I am also again surprised by all yr. "good ideas" which, after you are out of the Knesseth, are suddenly emerging. Maybe it's quite to talk without having to "put yr. money were yr. mouth is". Really, why isn't it that you didn't do peace with Syria 10-20 years ago?? Thanks for the "eitzes", we have a lot of these people who can give such "smart" councel but we are tremendously lacking of people who "can do".
That's very Napoleonic of you...and Barak and the rest of us little people.
The is certain thruth in what Yosi Sarid is saying about Barak. But perhaps Barak has seen the light after contributing to the darkness by running away from Lebanon.The solutions that Yosi Sarid is offering is worse than the idea of Barak running away from Lebanon.Israek could save a lot of money by giving erything to the Arabs and lives is it not what the Nturei karte say?.Yosi Sarid is doing what is known as KOL Hapsel Bmumo Posel.
Hamas won a clear decisive victory in Gaza, just a few months ago. They completely annihilated the will of their oponents to fight them. In the end of the fighting they were able to completely enforce their will in all the Gaza territory. What can we learn from them???
What??? The sun is setting?
Baraks Job is War. Peace must be negotiated through strength. If the Arabs believe they can take it from you, why would they give anything up. Iran will keep up the arms race, even if Israel stops to negotiate peace. The first step to strength is to identify your weakness and improve it. That is what Barak is doing.
I think that Barak is a great Leader especially that he have a long experience in the special operations field. I believe that Barak will be the best to put good plans to destroy Lebanese-Iranian Hezbolah and palestinian terrorists.
LETS SEE SOME ACTION !!!
An old Chinese saying : "When small men cast a long shadow it's a sign that the sun is setting."
In Barak, I see a prospect of genuine peace. However, he should open his mind for talking to a partner he doesn't like to talk, not a partner he chose to talk. If he dared enough to pull IDF from South Lebanon in 2000, he will have a chance to succeed in making peace with palestinian this time. Just end the occupation, you will be remember forever as a GOOD MAN, Barak.
If "Israel can't win" why should Syrians give anything in exchange for Golan? Sarid forgot he's still in a country still called Israel only because Israel did win in 67 and 73. Before his&his ilk's Oslo
What is it about us that into our 2nd and 3rd generations of leaders we are lumped with individuals of great arrogance and little real foresight? Barak however is not the consequence of purely his own machinations. He is also the product of ours. You can be the most decorated soldier only if there is an army to recognise that in you, and you can only be party leader and Prime Minister if there is a party and then an electorate to elect you. Are we really likely to make the same mistakes again as we did with what another Haaretz journalist called Barak B? I think we might because we haven't learned yet that there is a responsibility that we have when we enter the voting booth that goes well beyond just dropping the paper into the slot. Barak is Defence Minister because of that voter immaturity.
that Egyptian thug,Arafat.
Barak is clearly not a man of peace, but a man of war. The guy is a total egocentric psychopath, when he publicly boasts about his visions regarding the current poor state of the IDF. His narcism is rather borderless and his public statements so far, reflect that he's an exact copy of Sharon. Israel has the opportunity, right now in this era, to make peace with all Arab countries at once. Though people like Barak, only seem to think in terms of more wars for Israel and more bloodshed. The price of peace for Israel is not that high. Though as long as Israel is being controlled by the IDF and its population votes for former IDF generals, Israel and its neighbours will be held hostage in a never ending state of fear. People like Barak and Nethanyahu turn every Israeli into a 'Shalit'. One just needs to know.