It is an interesting public debate: A.B. Yehoshua trying to get some sense into the head of our Mr self-assigned Conscience Of the Nation (CON) – Gideon Levy of Haaretz. The discussion is rather long, so I will quote only two more or less randomly chosen pieces. Says A.B.:
I asked you whether you truly believe that if they fire missiles the crossings will be opened, or the opposite. And whether you truly believe that it is right and just to open crossings into Israel for those who declare openly and sincerely that they want to destroy our country. I did not get an answer from you. And even though the crossings were in fact opened many times, and were closed in the wake of the missile attacks, regrettably I still did not see you standing firmly behind a moral position which says: Now, people of Gaza, after you expelled the Israeli occupation from your land, and justly so, you must hold your fire.
I hope you didn’t expect an answer from G.L., because none are forthcoming. Instead, here is an example of the typical G.L. tirade (comments in square brackets are mine):
We left Gaza because of our own interests and needs [This is also something we should be blamed for? That our interests and Palestinian interests coincided? Mmm…], and then we imprisoned them [Lie – the imprisonment was gradual – all because of the shooting]. We cut the territory off from the rest of the world [Lie – it came only as a result of the shooting and weapon smuggling] and the occupied West Bank [Lie – a link between Gaza and West Bank was seriously considered before the shooting started], and did not permit them to construct an air [Lie – an airport was constructed and even became functional for a short time – before the shooting started] or sea port [Another lie – a sea port was planned as well – before the shooting started]. We control their population registrar and their currency – and having their own military is out of the question [Now who is trying to play a village idiot here – or making his readers to look like ones?] – and then you argue that the occupation is over?
It is fine with me to have a Mr Conscience, although I would prefer to have one in the government’s employ but if Haaretz must…
Only – does our conscience have to be of a lying kind?
Cross-posted on SimplyJews.
Whatever Hamas’s sins, hypocrisy isn’t among them. I will find it grimly amusing to see renewed calls to open the checkpoints even as Hamas is clear that they want open checkpoints in order to send hordes of suicide bombers into Israel.
I am loath to substitute my judgment, sitting here warm and safe in Detroit, for that of the Israeli government. Still, they have a choice–I can’t say one is the good opinion of the world, but let’s say a slightly less odious world opinion. The other choice is not having a lot of dead Jews.
I don’t see that as a difficult choice and I hope and trust the Israeli government won’t, either. It will mean scurillous western media reports and opprobrium from western governments. On the other hand, Israel is going to suffer that anyway.