Uri Avnery: A Napoleon, Made in Israel (about Sharon)

[Wordie]

Uri Avnery describes Sharon as "an Israeli Napoleon," who believed that he was the "only person who could save the state of Israel"...

Uri Avnery: A Napoleon, Made in Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon did indeed intend to make peace - peace with the United States.

By Uri Avnery
PalestineChronicle.com

This belief led to a complete integration of personal egocentrism and national egocentrism. For a person who believes he has such a mission, there is no difference between the personal and the national interest. What is good for him automatically becomes good for the nation, and vice versa. This means that anyone who hinders him from attaining power is really committing a crime against the State. And anyone helping him to come to power, is really doing a patriotic deed.

Avnery describes the long journey that Sharon took to stand at the of his greatest dream. On the day before his stroke, he was poised to become the sole leader of Israel, having created the Kadima party, which would have dominated Israeli politics. And how Sharon's plan for this power was to completely change Israeli politics, assuming Peron-like control, and ultimately achieving his mission which would change the direction of Israeli politics for decades.

And then, he had the stroke.

What happened resembles a central motif of the Jewish myth: the fate of Moses, whom God punished for his pride by allowing him a glimpse of the Promised Land from afar, but having him die before he could set foot on its soil. On the threshold of absolute power, the stroke hit Ariel Sharon.

Averney then discusses the result, the creation of "the myth of 'Sharon's Legacy'" - how everyone, from the left to the far right, began to remember a different Sharon, a "hero of peace." But these new memories were not true.

Underlying his world view is a simplistic, 19th century style nationalism, which says: our people stands above all others, other people are inferior. The rights of our nation are sacred, other nations have no rights at all. The rules of morality apply only to relations within the nation, not to relations between nations.

Avnery points out Sharon's calculation was that because a wholesale removal of the Palestinians from their land was not politically possible, another strategy must be used: that of slowly annexing great swathes of Palestinian territory, and even showed others a map, decades ago, that laid out his plans. He pursued this strategy all through his career, in each of his positions in Israeli government, in which he consistently supported and encouraged the illegal settlements.

But Sharon did indeed intend to make peace - peace with the United States. He considered American consent as essential. He knew that Washington could not give its consent to his whole plan. So he intended to obtain their agreement phase by phase. Since President Bush has submitted to him entirely, and no one knows who will succeed him, Sharon intended to realize the main part of his plan within the next two or three years, before the end of the President's term in office. That is one of the reasons for his hurry. He had to come to absolute power now, immediately. Only the stroke prevented this.

Avnery finally suggests that the "man of Peace" view of Sharon, however illusory, may ultimately be what defeats Sharon's true plan, as it created in the Israeli public a longing for peace, and a willingness to make the concessions to achieve it.

Uri Avnery is a veteran Israeli journalist, peace activist and a regular contributor to PalestineChronicle.com

[eyl]

1. Peron-like control?

Please.

Avneri's nightmares (and his biases) must be in Technicolor.

[Wordie]

2. I wouldn't want Avnery's nightmares. Would you? n/t

[bemildred]

3. Frankly, this is an insult to Napoleon.

And I'm not a big fan of Napoleon.