Unseemly schadenfreude
I really shouldn’t indulge in such unseemly schadenfreude while there is a war on. But I couldn’t help chuckling this morning at seeing the Israeli far-left with its collective panties in a twist… all because nobody is paying any attention to their anti-war demonstrations. The best part was where Meretz MK Naomi Chazan had the gall to complain that “Criticism of the war has been contained and curtailed“.
I’m sorry Naomi… were you profiled by the police on the way to your demonstrations? Were you stopped and forced to turn around? Were you arrested for taking part in your demonstration? Were you beaten and imprisoned without charge for expressing your opposition to a government policy you felt is wrong, immoral or even illegal?
No?
Then please do us all a favor and have the good grace to shut up and be just the tiniest bit embarrassed at your blatant hypocrisy.
Almost exactly a year ago the Israeli right was screaming to anyone who would listen that the media was quite obviously carrying water for the government and facilitating only the message that then PM Sharon wanted publicized. Any anti-disengagement voices were deliberately marginalized or ignored by the press, and demonstrations against the pull-out from Gaza were at best ignored… and at worst, physically thwarted.
However, it may surprise you to know that I agree 100% with MK Chazan and her political allies on two important points:
- Demonstrations should not be quashed or marginalized by either the media or the government.
- Political dissent is not only good for a healthy democracy, but essential!
I just find it a tad ironic that the very people who had absolutely no problem with the media marching in lock-step with the government during disengagement (‘for the good of the country’, mind you) are suddenly outraged when the pendulum returns and knocks them over like a bunch of bowling pins.
If citizens (but not soldiers, mind you!) want to demonstrate against the war, they should do so. Seriously… if that’s how you honestly feel, get out there and scream in the streets! But if the media pretends such events aren’t news and decides to return to a policy of carrying water for the government, you have to accept the blame for your own political and media marginalization.
I may be laughing on the inside at the far left’s persistent but misguided faith in a negotiated solution with our sworn enemies even as rockets continue to fall on our cities and an entire generation of Israeli youth are in Lebanon risking their lives to try to stop the carnage on the home-front. But I absolutely share the left’s outrage at the complete lack of a free, independent press in our small country.
Cross-Posted at Treppenwitz
About the Author
An Australian immigrant to Israel, Aussie Dave has been blogging since early 2003.Filed Under: General
A look at the future
Tactics, Strategy, Grand Strategy
The coming fall of the Syrian regime at: Syria Has a Problem. Its days are numbered. Sixty to ninety days. Possibly less.
OMG – let me see, they think you should invite them over for a cup of tea and biscuits (or Middle Eastern equivalent) and find out why they don’t like you!?!
Then a group hug and all would be well.
Yeah, we’ve got them here too. And they’re getting increasingly shrill too.
It is the same in the U.S. The Left only believes in democracy when their side wins. When their candidate loses, they roll out the lawyers and start screeching “election fraud!” in an effort to abort the actual democratic process.
Media – the same. If it is criticizing Bush, then in their eyes it is obviously legit (e.g., yellowcake uranium they claim Bush lied about, and then we found 500+ tons of the stuff in Iraq, enough to produce 142 nuclear weapons).
If it is giving Bush credit for something, the Left screeches the source is lunatic right wing partisan, etc.
It is amazing that you pick a moment when left and right are incredibly unified to take a shot at the left. Yes, there are fanatics (both left and right). But for you to be devisive along political lines while we are at war and unified is pretty nasty.
This war is not a left right issue. Here is an example. The support for Israel amongst American Jews is overwhelming. American Jews voted at the rate of about 4 to 1 in favor of Kerry over Bush (if the election were held again today it would probably be 5 to 1). In Israel, the center (Kidima) and the left dominated the last election. You need to be thinking bigger than petty political differences at a time like this.
I would redicule these people for their short sightedness and their stupidity, not for their shared political leanings with most of the Jewish world.
Stan
Hello Stan,
Im sure your a lovely guy but you are clearly misreading the article. It was stated that the author agreed with the left in principle and found it hypocriticle of tehm that those very principles are only championed when they are left with the short end of the stick. There is nothing wrong with pointing out hypocracy even during war to ensure a strong social fabric for the future which in turn will allow us to handle our crises far more effectively and efficiently as a strong and united whole.
All the best for you,
Avi