Mofaz's compassion
The Palestinians have never been pampered by Israel, but no previous defense minister has aroused so much anger and enmity.
By Gideon LevyEven when it seems that all the records for cynicism and chutzpah have been broken, another politician emerges to set a new one: Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz talks about compassion.
It is a little difficult to believe, but after donning his new socially oriented minister attire, Mofaz attacked Benjamin Netanyahu, claiming, "The matter of compassion is far from his heart."
Mofaz is close to compassion? There is no quality he lacked more, as chief of staff and as defense minister, than this essential one. If only he had been endowed with a bit of compassion, our relations with the Palestinians would already look different.
But this is not only a question of his attitude toward the Palestinians, but also his attitude toward the indirect victims of the defense and settlement budgets, which could have been channeled in part to purposes that stir much more compassion than another tank or apartheid road.
In the occupied territories, Mofaz has won a reputation as a particularly cruel minister. The Palestinians have never been pampered by Israel, but no previous defense minister has aroused so much anger and enmity. Perhaps in his view this is something to be proud of, and perhaps the Likud Central Committee will consider it a success, but Mofaz symbolizes the inhumane Israeli for the Palestinians.
An examination of his statements reveals that they contain no humane reference to the Palestinians and their suffering. He has almost always opposed proposals to ease the conditions of their lives, and the fate of the population under occupation has never been a consideration for him. While his predecessors paid lip service against collective punishment and the harming of innocent people, Mofaz also refrained from this little bit.
Some 1,705 Palestinians have been killed during the three years in which he has served as defense minister, six times more than the number of Israelis killed during the same period. Of these Palestinian fatalities, 372 were teenagers and children; Mofaz did not express sorrow over their killing, thus signaling to the army that there was nothing wrong with the killing, not even of children. He was one of the fathers of the system of targeted killings, and Israel has liquidated 191 Palestinians during his watch; 117 of them were the targets and the rest were passersby.
Mofaz has never been held accountable for these alarming numbers - we do not count Palestinians who are killed. But it is impossible to ignore these numbers when he comes to submit his candidacy for prime minister.
Mofaz tends to keep quiet. Not that he doesn't speak: He just says very little. He recites hollow slogans - "We'll strike at them" and "We'll break the terror." Several members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee once emerged from a meeting with him and claimed that his presentation was "an insult to one's intelligence."
Indeed, it is difficult to find even a hint of a new idea among his statements. He was dragged into the disengagement because of his dependence on Ariel Sharon, and one of the only original ideas he ever proposed was to leave the Israel Defense Forces deployed in Gaza after the disengagement. Mofaz wanted Gaza as a "bargaining chip," an idea that now sounds particularly ridiculous. If we had heeded his advice, more Israeli soldiers would continue to be killed every day for no reason.
Faithful to his outlook, which he only expressed recently, according to which there is no chance of an accord "in the current generation," he has almost completely abstained from meetings with Palestinians. He also did not explain what would change in the next generation to enable an accord.
Mofaz wanted to assassinate Arafat, or at least to expel him, but fortunately he did not fight for his stance, just as he has not fought for any other stance. Mofaz, as IDF chief of staff, regarded the unilateral withdrawal from Lebanon as a disaster. Here, also, if we had listened to him, dozens of soldiers would continue to be killed in Lebanon. Someone should remember this. As one of the most political chief of staffs ever, he was even reprimanded by defense minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, who himself is no moderate statesman or particularly enlightened. But Mofaz's shortsighted political doctrine, which is derived from the narrow world of an officer, is nothing compared to the cruel measures he has implemented.
For people like Mofaz, all means are justified in the battle against the Palestinians. Morality is a foreign term in his worldview. Under his leadership, the IDF parted with the last remnants of the moral countenance it still wore.
His attempt to now portray himself as a protector of the weak is no less infuriating. He supported almost all of the economic edicts and fought for the huge and bloated budgets of the defense establishment, including settlements, at the expense of subsidized medicine and welfare benefits. There is no minister who harms the weaker population more than a defense minister who is not prepared to make broad cutbacks in his budget. Thus, there has never been a minister as anti-societal as Mofaz.
It is difficult to know how this record will influence the Likud Central Committee. Perhaps they will love a minister who is cruel to the Palestinians, kills them without mercy, incarcerates them and turns their lives into hell. But even there they should at least ask: Mofaz and compassion? Is there a more ridiculous combination of words than this?
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The tolerance I am referring to belongs to me. Had I been litte like Gideon, I would have resorted to a different vocabulary. But, civility requires me to be more tolerant, compassionate and fastidious towards some journalists who desguise there sentiments and motives behind walls of "logic" and superbe analysis. The man sentiment motivating Gideon is not that Mr Mofaz has or has not a compassion, oh, that will be simple , but the timing after Gigi Peres declaration, about the Sefarad-Mizrahis, here comes another hate monger of the same people, and start shootin from the hip, explaining to us what Defense Minister ought to do or behave according to Gideon. Well, what a Khutzpah, what a pusher who take upon himself to teach a master alesson. Gideon, your claim to notoriety is your clasy ways of trying to hide your biases, anti Israeli, anti Sefarad, and for that mother anti rationality. All throughout your great career as a journalist, you have not allow yourself to participate in bringing the two communities the Israelis and the Palistinian in a very positive way. Unfortunately, because of your distorted world view, you have spitting all along venom towards the Israelis, which unfortunately does not encourage any possible communication between the two peoples. You do the same with Mr. Mofaz, Gideon get yourself new horizons, extent your logic to the real possibility that could ensue should you decide to be less hate-manger, less negative, less encroaching on possible harmony between the parties. You are a negative person that should retire from Journalism and get into Blogging. You'll fit right at home
In this life we are judged by how we treat others --Shaul Mofaz as Minister of Defense will be known as a man who failed to reflect a common humanity in particular towards the Palestinian people. He will at some point no doubt be tried as a war criminal for his crimes against humanity and the Palestinian people. But I shall never forget his lack of humanity and brutality towards the Palestinian people. It was both shocking and barbaric. He has degraded the face of Israel throughout the world and I think it will take a tremendous act of humanity by Israel to recover from this. Certainly, the birth of a Palestinian State will help to remove this great injustice Israel is seen as committed. I know Mofaz has severely damaged my goodwill of many years and I feel I am struggling to preserve what is left. Many of my friends and colleagues have already given up on Israel. That's too bad. I know there are many Israelis who are full of humanity like many of the writers I have come to know of through Haaretz's --especially Gideon Levy and Amira Hass whom I feel should get a Nobel Peace Prize for bringing us the Palestinian story of great suffering and injustices at the hands of the Israeli oppressive machine led by Shaul Mofaz. It's incredible what one man's inhumanity and brutality to others can do. I thank God for good and kind people and leaders everywhere for I feel they represent the sons and daughters of peace and God's will in the world! Dutch
In this life we are judged how we treat others --Shaul Mofaz as Minister of Defense will be known as a man who failed to reflect humanity in particular towards the Palestinian people. He will at some point no doubt be tried as a war criminal for his crimes against humanity and the Palestinian people. But I shall never forget his lack of humanity and brutally towards the Palestinian people. He has degraded the face of Israel throughout the world and I think it will take a tremendous act of humanity by Israel to recover from this. Certainly, the birth of a Palestinian State will help to remove this great injustice Israel is seen as committed. I know Mofaz has severely damaged my goodwill of many years and I feel I am struggling to preserve what is left. Many of my friends and colleagues have already given up on Israel. That's too bad. I know there are many Israelis who are full of humanity like many of the writers I have come to know of through Haaretz's --especially Gideon Levy and Amira whom I feel should get a Nobel Peace Prize for bringing us the Palestinian story of great suffering and injustices at the hands of the Israeli oppressive machine led by Shaul Mofaz. It's incredible what one man's inhumanity to others can do. I thank God for good and kind people and leaders everywhere for I feel they represent the sons and daughters of peace and God's will in the world. Dutch
Mofaz's is a war criminal--no doubt whatsoever about this. He and General Yaa'lon the former chief of the Army have changed the face of Israel for ever in my mind. They are both bloody murderers. We should all issue warrants for their arrests in our various countries--under the Fourth Geneva Convention. They need to be charged at the Hague for their crimes against humanity. That day will come too...Dutch
an alias for Gideon Levy? Seems a bit like it? No?
"This is no war" - Sir Bryan This is a war. When the enemy is bound and determined to kill as many people as possible wherever they can especially non-combatants, it is not only war but it is terrorist war. A war waged with no rules as to who is targeted with a goal of political gain. In our case it is being waged by people who think they have a legitiamte claim to the land of Israel, the Jewish State. We are waging war to survive and not for a forlorn scrap of land beyond what is legally ours. It has become acceptable in some circles to deny the Jewish people our state but this too shall pass. Israel will continue to survive despite your efforts and those of the terrorists who would steal it from us. We have an army to assure this and we are at war.
"The english are the Celts. they just happen to speak this weird mix of French and German." - Fox Naw, the Celts were run off by the Angle, Saxons and Jutes, followed by the Norman. . . Then the English (Anglish) started conquered the Welch, Scots and Irish. You want to go far enough back, everyone has been on the short - and long - end of the stick. If you rolled the clock back to the first oppressive invasion we would have to give Europe back to the Neanderthals.
Maybe mofaz will make a good iranian defense minister,He and ahmedinijad might have somthing in common
Mark Wrote: "Tell me rich, what happened to the Celts you guys stole London from?" The english are the Celts. they just happen to speak this weird mix of French and German.
Gina, by your reasoning, any American Mother who is proud of a son who died for the glory George Bush, is guilty of being a bad parent.
Palestinian terrorists are heroes to Palestinian youth in the same way that Wayne Rooney and Thierry Henry are heroes to kids growing up in England. When Palestinian terrorists are regarded as scum rather than heroes by kids in Ramallah and Kalkilya, Israel's peaceful gestures may one day be reciprocated. I'm not holding my breath...
"who are the natives in "Mexico" that you stole the land from and let me know where spanish comes from" - rich If you knew anything about Mexico you would know that the people of Mexico are overwhelmingly descendants of 'natives'. They in fact ARE natives. Spanish is the common language of Mexico, but in many regions, there are people who speak various languages which pre-date the arrival of Spanish. Tell me rich, what happened to the Celts you guys stole London from?
▪ "I'm prepared to sacrifice my six children," said Mahmoud Sumara's mother, Halima. "I'm serious. I don't mind if I lose them if that brings back al-Aqsa..." (NBC News) ▪ "I am happy that he [my 13-year-old son] has been martyred. I will sacrifice all my sons and daughters (12 in all) to Al-Aqsa and Jerusalem." (London Times) "A mother makes sounds of joy because she wants him to reach Shahada. He became a Shahid for Allah Almighty. I wanted the best for him, this is the best for [my son] Shaadi." http://www.teachkidspeace.org/doc102.php No Palestinian who loves their children will allow their child near Hamas or any other terrorist group. PERIOD. No Palestinians who loves their child would allow terrorists in their homes, their communities, their mosques. PERIOD.
"His attempt to now portray himself as a protector of the weak is no less infuriating. He supported almost all of the economic edicts and fought for the huge and bloated budgets of the defense establishment, including settlements, at the expense of subsidized medicine and welfare benefits." - Gideon Levy Here we call them "compassionate conservatives'. The common terms for them are "oxymoron" and "sanctimonious hypocrites." Best advice I can think of comes from a former US Attorney General from before he went to jail. "Watch what we do, not what we say." - Attorney General John Mitchell, four years before Watergate
who are the natives in "Mexico" that you stole the land from and let me know where spanish comes from ..... dont tell me, its the native tongue
Again Gideon has spoken from his rickety orange crate, and has given us nothing but the same old same old. He is become seriosly irrelevant. Yet it is interesting how his words resonate amoungst those who support the likes of Al Zarkarwi on this site. Food for thought.
If you were THE Jamie Reuben ... you'd know better. Mofaz is a terrorist who can't go a day without provocation. As Mark Lincoln points out the Likud is returning to its roots ... May may they stay buried there.
But they hate ours more... As Golda Meir said long-long time ago : "We will have peace with the Arabs when they love their children MORE than they hate us".
... ratios. A ratio of 117 terrorist killed vs 73 civilians who were used as human shields is a very good one, if you are measuring targeting efficiency. On the other hand, the ratio of Palestinian causalties vs Israeli being at 6 is very low. Arafat, with all his love for Arabs in general and Arab children in particular, admited that he would be happy with a ratio of 10. Considering that 1,705 number of Palestinians killed in the first 3 years of intifadah also includes suicide bombers and other millitans, the ratio is about 4.5 - way low for the conflict to end.
... ratios. A ratio of 117 terrorist killed vs 73 civilians who were used as human shields is a very good one, if you are measuring targeting efficiency. On the other hand, the ratio of Palestinian causalties vs Israeli being at 6 is very low. Arafat, with all his love for Arabs in general and Arab children in particular, admited that he would be happy with a ratio of 10. Considering that 1,705 number of Palestinians killed in the first 3 years of intifadah also includes suicide bombers and other millitans, the ratio is about 4.5 - way low for the conflict to end.
This arab sympithizer doesn't seem to want to count all of the Israeli dead children of Israel over the last 5 years. He sees what he wants to see and counts what he wants to count. If it were not for the death of Israel's tormentors from Yassin, Arafat, Rantissi and unfortunately general battle casualties suffered by the arabs there would not be any hope for peace now. When Arafat went to war 5 years ago, it was for Israels existance, when they targeted childern as a matter of doctorine it was a total war unlike what any other nation on earth would endure. Arab casualties remained low and acceptable throughout this last war and the Arabs are preparing for the next.
He was too brutal. He looked the other way when his soldiers looked the other way in Hebron. A whole generation of young Jewish boys there is taught to behave like animals. Secondly, he is betting on the wrong horse.
Rami, You're absolutely right. The dehumanization of any group is a simple and easy way to justify killings. This is what led many natives - whether they be Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, Jews in Iraq, or 2 hundred years ago the perishing of American-Indians - to be killed in the name of security.
is this the same mofaz that orchestrated the withdrawal of settlements from the gaza strip and parts of the west bank with compassion for settlers and in the interests of peace. is this the same mofaz that tried to implement the roadmap to the best of his ability but failed due to palestinian terrorism gideon levy has a warped image on a man who could one day bring peace to the whole region
Your comment that Palestinians do not love their children enough is despicable and shows your total ignorance of Palestinian society. It is clear that you never spent any time with a Palestinian family. If you would have, you'd know that Palestinians love their children as much as Israelis do or any other nation in this world. What you are doing is demonizing a whole nation. You are a racist and it is a shame that comments like these are allowed to pass on to this forum. Discussion on controversial topics is one thing, but racist statements should not be tolerated by Haaretz.
The Likud is returning to it's roots.
Gina - your short post goes a long way to illustrating the rampant racism of those who hold your beliefs about Palestinians not loving their children. This is clear dehumanization by those who would go to any length to justify their supremacy. I strongly suggest that you do your best to get your facts straight before coming to Haaretz and regurgitating racist propaganda of others.
Thank you Gideon Levy.
"the notion that war is about compassion for your enemy or adversary is as about as mindless as imagining that the enemy has taken chivalry and made it into a craft!" But this outlook is the problem! This is no war. This is a struggloe to mainatin an occupation over a hapless population by one of the worlds strongest armies! Calling it a war and defining the continuation of your oppression as a "war" between two equals is insidious indeed, or myopic.
This is an amazingly racist sentiment:"Its too bad that the Palestinians do not love their children". Is there anything more dastardly than killing someone's child and then blaming the grieving party? Second, perhaps Gina has not yet heard of the West Bank Settlements and the Occupation. These are the causes of terrorism--both Jewish and the Palestinian. All responsible Israelis have long recognised this fact. However there are are a few ostriches still lurking round and its no coincidence that they also happen to cherish racists views.
And terrorist war, with no rules of engagement is even uglier. No human being in his right mind enjoys killing innocents be they Jewish or Muslim. In every war, as you well know, it is the innocents who suffer the most. So what is the answer? "NO MORE WAR. NO MORE BLOODSHED" as one extraordinary Muslim once said. For this reason we must all put an end to this madness. The madness of blowing up pizza parlors and busses and the madness of killing women and children in the PA. In the end there is no difference and both are equally horrifying.
As usual Levy purues his bitter twisted agenda and truth is again the casualty. Levy's claims that the number of targetted killings were "191 Palestinians during his watch; 117 of them were the targets and the rest were passersby." If these figures can be relied upon without a source to back them up, then Mofaz deserves a lot of credit. It appears that 74 innocent Palestinians have died in the successful pursuit of 117 terrorist murderers. This is tragic but compared to the thousands of innocent Iraqis and Afghans killed by the US and UK, the number is miniscule. Will Levy write an article claiming Jack Straw is guilty of the same crimes that he accuses Mofaz of? The terrorist attacks have slowed down drastically in the past 3 years. Israel's Defence Minister has been very successful. Levy can claim otherwise but again the facts make Levy's claims appear more and more ridiculous with each with one of his personal attacks. Unlike Mofaz, Levy has missed his target!
Khalid, Until the Palestinian society repudiates terrorism and its honor of terrorists and tosses its terrorists out of its mosques, Israel will find it necessary to kill those who spend every waking minute trying to murder Israelis. Its too bad that the Palestinians do not love their children enough to repudiate the evil murderers who take shelter in their communities and in their mosques. Until the Palestinians mature to the point where they arrest and or kill their terrorists, I support Israel killing as many as possible.
Khalid, I agree with you that Mofaz was a brutal minister of defense and I hope that he (as well as the rest of the Likud party) go into oblivion. Thanks for condemming the Palestinian crimes as well in your last post, because that makes your criticisms more valid. Anyways I hope that things continue to improve espescially after the Israeli and PA elections.
the article is senseless and might as well have been written by abbas if there was no morality or constraints which have not been excercised by mofaz then the death toll within the palestinians over the last 5 years could have well looked like iraq. the notion that war is about compassion for your enemy or adversary is as about as mindless as imagining that the enemy has taken chivalry and made it into a craft! wars / battles are there to be won - the morals the right and wrong are then discussed by the historians later if the world and mr.levy was so distraught with morality then why has mr.levy not looked at the other conflicts and the huge loss of life that has gone on if the idf is restrained to fight to draw then we might as well all go to the beach and wait to be pushed into the sea bm
One day we will remember the days of the occupation as South Africans now remember the days of apartheid. And if we are honest we will be ashamed of ouselves. And we will remember the few who dared to speak out, we will call them nevii'm. And Gideon Levy will be among them..
After your postings,please.
God and man are witnesses to Mofaz's brutality. The hundreds of innocent kids murdered by the Israeli army, the women shot on their way to hospital, the thousands of homes demolished without any justifications, along with all the criminal repression meted out to innocent people, should land Mofaz in the Hague to be tried as a war criminal. A criminal is a criminal is a criminal. A crime doesn't become less if the perpetrator is Jewish. I am for the prosecution of all Palestinians who committed crimes against innocent Israelis. LIkewise, all Israelis who have done all these crimes in Rafah, Nablus and Hebron and other places should be prosecuted by an international body to ensure Justice.