The blind love of the people (of Sharon) - by Gideon Levy (Haaretz)

[Wordie]

Last update - 08:29 09/01/2006
The blind love of the people
By Gideon Levy

A concept is born - the "Sharon legacy." Like its predecessor, the "Rabin legacy," it too will present a persona entirely different from the real person. Therefore, a moment before Prime Minister Ariel Sharon becomes the "Sharon legacy," the hero of peace and the disengagement who, had he only continued in his role a little longer, would have brought peace to Israel - we would do well to sketch his non-mythical persona, without mincing words.

Perhaps the most influential leader since David Ben-Gurion, Sharon was the cause of many of the political and security problems now facing Israel. This must be said honestly, even now. The new Sharon, who has earned the respect of a large number of Israelis and of most of the countries in the world, tried in his twilight years only to repair some of the historical mistakes into which he led the country during his life. The settlement project, the strengthening of Hamas and the emergence of Hezbollah as a threatening and significant factor in Lebanon - all owe a great debt to Sharon's policies.

...But if on the subject of the settlements Sharon tried to repair the damage he caused - that is not the case in other areas. Israel's two bitterest enemies at present, Hamas and Hezbollah, achieved their positions of strength to no small degree thanks to him. During that same accursed war, the Lebanon War, which is attributed to him, Sharon brought about the removal of the Palestinians from South Lebanon, and their replacement by Hezbollah.

...During all his years as prime minister, Sharon refrained from granting any support to the leaders of the PA, so that they could establish their rule under the Israeli occupation. Even when the late PA chair Yasser Arafat died, Sharon did not allow his moderate successor to present any significant achievement to his people: neither the release of prisoners, nor a significant increase in freedom of movement, nor taking the Palestinian people into consideration when planning the route of the fence, nor even participation in the beginning of negotiations. Instead, Sharon's Israel did everything in its power to bring about the destruction of the PA and to humiliate it in the eyes of its people. A violent Israeli military effort, which reached its peak in Operation Defensive Shield, caused the collapse of all the PA mechanisms: Police stations that were meant to stabilize the government and to fight terror were bombed mercilessly, and all the mechanisms of the PA and its government offices were destroyed one after another. In the political and social vacuum that resulted, Hamas could only flourish.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/667735.html

[eyl]

1. Some honesty

(or at least context) would be very fruitful for Levy.

For example, he neglects to mention that the "violent Israeli military effort, which reached its peak in Operation Defensive Shield" (beyond the fact that the timeline in that paragraph is messed up) was in response to increasing Palestinian violence - specifically, ODS was carried out to end a situation were suicide bombings were occuring in Israeli towns daily (or occasionally twice-daily)

[Wordie]

2. Always excuses...

The Israelis say their violence is excused by Palestinian actions; the Palestinians say their violence is excused by Israeli actions.

The only way to stop this is for Israel to get out of the occupied territories and for the Pals to devote their energy to building a Palestinian state.

And if you read the entire article, you'll see that Levy makes a good case for why Sharon's actions led to the situation we have today. The "no partner' strategy has led to the strengthening of Hamas.

[Wordie]

3. Both sides claim their own violence is excused by violence of the other.

Where does that get us?

[Djinn]

4. At last

after listening to endless meaningless sycophantic drivel that's been passing for news/analysis in relation to Sharon, I finally read something that to me seemed the most obvious issue to note:

"Sharon was the cause of many of the political and security problems now facing Israel."

and the whole "they started it/no they did" thing is irrelevant, Sharon's actions were incredibly damaging to Israel (not to mention the Palestinians) and to see him celebrated as a man of peace is vomitous to say the least