A Matter of Interpretation
October 19, 2006 | Aussie Dave | Comments 4
Omri reacts to yesterday’s Quote of the Day:
We like Israellycool, but this is just unfair. Peres was mocking the press’s wailing about how no one in Israel had the international credibility to be President by pointing out that – more or less – they were idiots because he has massive credibility. That doesn’t mean that gaining international credibility is his goal. It means that, to the extent that helping Israel is his goal, he thinks that it’s important that Israelis know they have someone on their side who is welcome in the halls of European power.
We like Omri, and he is correct in that Peres’ statement in itself does not necessarily mean that gaining international credibility is his goal. But I would argue that it lends itself to this interpretation given Peres’ past demonstrations of egotistical behavior and penchant for self-aggrandisement.
Filed Under: General
About the Author: An Australian immigrant to Israel, Aussie Dave has been blogging since early 2003.
Your reply to Omri was obvious. What was he thinking?
Shy Guy
Dave – I think you ought to point out that compromising Israel’s security hardly qualifies as “having someone on their side”. Besides, did everyone forget who that Nobel was shared with? Arafat was also very welcome in the halls of European power. Should Israelis have trusted him? If anything, you can rest assured that whoever Europeans like, will in most cases turn out to be an a-hole of epic proportions.
On the other hand if you go to look for a successful politician lacking the penchant for self-aggrandisement, the only place to look will be that cemetery on the Herzl mountain, I think.
Not that Peres will be my first choice of a successful politician. Ah, well, I am getting confused here myself…
Hi Dave,
I’m with you…
I trust anyone who was brought up with the “French School of Diplomacy TM.”
Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.