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To: arutz-7@ArutzSheva.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@ArutzSheva.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 Op-Ed: THE WEIZMAN SYNDROME
THE WEIZMAN SYNDROME
by Jay Shapiro
Arutz Sheva Israel National Radio <http://www.arutzsheva.org>
Broadcast on Jan. 13, 2000 / Sh'vat 6, 5760
In This Article:
1. The Quintessential Israeli
2. Parting Company With The Founders
3. Flaws
4. L'etat C'est Moi
5. The Personal Factor
THE QUINTESSENTIAL ISRAELI
President Ezer Weizman is a genuine, bona-fide Israeli war hero. He was one
of the few pilots that Israel had for the few available planes in the 1948
War of Independence. Trained in the British Army, he was involved in two
historic battles in that war. In May, 1948, Israel dispatched four
Messerschmidt airplanes to stop the advance of the Egyptians, who had
almost reached Ashdod and were proceeding towards Tel Aviv. Two of the
Israeli planes were piloted by foreigners and two by natives of Palestine.
Ezer Weizman was one of the latter. Our "fleet" won that battle, and there
is a bridge at the farthest point of the Egyptian advance, dubbed "Ad
Halom" - which means "Till Here."
Then, in January 1949, British planes and British pilots set out from the
area of the Suez Canal to fight Israeli planes. Ezer Weizman was one of the
Israeli pilots in the dogfight. Five British planes were shot down and
several British pilots were killed. Later, Weizman was one of those
responsible for preparing the Israeli Air Force for the brilliant Six Day
War victory.
Ezer Weizman is the quintessential Israeli. A child of the Yishuv, not of
the Diaspora - the best that Israel has produced. The best that secular
Zionism has produced. Brash, confident, handsome, a pilot, a hero of
several wars, outspoken, charming. A card-carrying member of the Israeli
elite. One of the beautiful people.
And now, in addition to all these wonderful qualities, it appears that
while holding public office in Israel, in the Knesset and in the
Government, he was also a paid employee of a French millionaire with
business interests in the Middle East.
It appears that Weizman is ending his public career on a tragic note -
tragic because it is unnecessary: Weizman, with his pensions from the army
and public service, is not in need of money. But even more sad is that he
doesn't even understand why he is in trouble.
PARTING COMPANY WITH THE FOUNDERS
President Weizman's behavior and now, perhaps, his downfall, is symbolic of
something deeper and greater and more tragic. It symbolizes the collapse,
the downfall, of secular, political Zionism. The fact that he doesn't even
understand what is wrong is indicative of a character deficiency of his
generation, and hints at something even worse.
Somewhere along the way, the generation produced by the founders parted
company with the Jewish people and took upon itself an agenda different
from that of the Jewish people. One can disagree with the methods of
people like David Ben-Gurion and Golda Meir. The former politicized
everything. He even wanted to have political commissars in the army and the
schools just as in the Soviet Union. And in 1948, when the state was
founded, it was Golda Meir, who uttered the call, "Socialism in our day."
And yet, despite their flaws, those two personalities undoubtedly wanted a
Jewish country. They were interested in Jewish continuity and they thought
that a socialist Jewish state was the way to do it. Their agenda was Jewish.
FLAWS
Ben Gurion and Golda had a Jewish agenda, but they gave birth to a
generation which suffers from several character faults - flaws that could
be potentially fatal to the nation if we do not do something about it.
The first character fault is that there is very little Jewish about the new
generation. It believes that living in Israel is enough to make you Jewish. To be an Israeli means to be a Jew. You don't have to keep any Jewish
traditions. You need not believe that this land is holy, meaning that you
need not believe that the Jewish people's covenant with G-d relates to the
land. You only have to have "Israeli" stamped on your identity card.
There was a time when another condition was that you had to have served in
the army, but that condition has lost popularity in the last twenty years,
as many people have become draft dodgers and make no bones about it.
The second character deficiency is that many people no longer consider
themselves part of a specific community. They comprise, instead, a
community that does not share the same emotions and whose emotions are not
triggered by the same events. A community in which people are not ashamed
to say that their sons should not have to serve in the army in order to
defend others. A community in which people feel that the people on the
borders are not the responsibility of the people in Tel Aviv. A community
that doesn't get up from in front of the television set to go to a
demonstration against transfer of Jews from their homes and ethnic
cleansing of Jews in the Golan, and that is not moved to hear of a
terrorist attack in Judea or Samaria. It is this kind of community that is
represented by a President who takes a salary to push forward his own
agenda or that of his patron - even if that agenda may not be in the best
interests of the Jewish people. It may be a business agenda, a lucrative
agenda, but it is not necessarily the agenda of a historical community.
L'ETAT, C'EST MOI
There is a final flaw - possessed by only a select few - which I would call
"the Louis XIV Syndrome." Its motto is "L'etat, c'est moi" - in
English:
"I am the State." I am speaking of the Israeli elite - the self-chosen few
in the media, government, the arts, business, and academia, the "opinion
makers" and the "style setters." If you are a member of this elite,
you
generally view the country as your own private fiefdom. You view yourself
as above the law, the courts, and the police. This attitude explains why
Moshe Dayan was permitted to steal priceless archaeological treasures that
belong to the entire nation, and to make them his own private property.
This is also why the Rabin family had private dollar accounts in Washington
banks when it was against the law. Leah Rabin seems to have learned
nothing from that episode twenty years ago and the political price her
husband had to pay. In recent years, the Rabins took expensive gifts that
were given to her husband when he was Prime Minister and sold them and kept
the money although that, too was illegal. She brazenly broke the law
because she felt that the law was simply not applicable to her. Former
Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife, who are not members of the elite,
have been interrogated by the police over alleged receipt of gifts - while
the Rabin family has been ignored for the same actions.
The "untouchability" of the elite is the reason why Ezer Weizman was not
held accountable when he illegally met with the PLO in the late 1980's.
This is also why Shimon Peres and Yossi Beilin and friends met with the
PLO, when it was still illegal, and signed the Oslo Agreement without later
being held accountable. This is also how government ministers and Jewish
Agency officials charge thousands of dollars, which they pocket, to give
speeches.
THE PERSONAL FACTOR
However, a new element has been introduced into the equation with the
discovery that Ezer Weizman was a public servant getting a private salary
from a foreign millionaire. This now means that Ezer Weizman would behave
in a way that would please and serve those who were paying him. His agenda
was now a private agenda, and he used his public office to further this
private agenda. It was bad enough when the Arab MKs struck a deal with
Weizman that they would vote for him for a second Presidential term if he
agreed to pardon a terrorist relative of one of those Knesset members.
This episode was conveniently hushed up by Weizman's friends in the media.
Perhaps we should have realized at that time that Weizman's private agenda
may be directly contrary to the Jewish agenda of the state. Millionaire
Eduard Sarousi was reportedly interested in purchasing the Davar newspaper
and the Ata textile plant, and wanted to start an English language
newspaper to compete with the Jerusalem Post. Why did Weizman make all
those trips to Egypt to meet with Hosni Mubarak and Egyptian business? Was
it in the interests of Israel, or in the interests of his benefactor? The
case of Ezer Weizman has opened up a Pandora s box that we never expected
was even there. And heaven only knows what we will find when we look more
closely. That is the shocking and frightening thing about the Weizman
affair. It may be the tip of the iceberg, an iceberg which could cause real
damage to a ship called the State of Israel.
* *
*
*
*
*
*
Jay Shapiro <jay@a7.org> is the author of several
books on Israel, and is a
former Aliyah representative in the U.S. He lives in Ginot Shomron, and
hosts an English-language program on Arutz-7.
************************************************************************
To: (IL/ROOT &
BRANCH ASSOCIATION, LTD.), rb@rb.org.il
From: "Root & Branch
Association, Ltd." <rb@rb.org.il>
Subject: Jerusalem/Commentary: THE A-RAM
OFFERING by Shifra
Hoffman
Please visit our Website at http://www.rb.org.il
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commentary on Jews, Judaism and Israel. Views expressed in items that
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Jerusalem/Commentary: THE A-RAM OFFERING
by Shifra Hoffman
ABOUT SHIFRA HOFFMAN: Shifra Hoffman is a noted journalist,
international lecturer, radio moderator and Founder of Victims of Arab
Terror International (VAT). Mrs. Hoffman lives in Jerusalem and may
be contacted at: VAT INTERNATIONAL, P.O BOX 32l03, JERUSALEM.
Tel/Fax 972-2-582-1106. In the United States: 1673 E. 16 St., Room
146, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11229-290, Tel/Fax 718-375-2532
JERUSALEM, D.C. (David's Capital), Yom Rishon (Day One - "Sunday"), 23
Shvat, 5760 (Christian Date: January 30, 2000) (Muslim Date: 23
Shawal, 1420), Root & Branch: An anonymous philosopher once opined
that "man is the only creature clever enough to build skyscrapers and
foolish enough to jump from them."
While this sage observation undoubtedly holds true for all human
beings, it is particularly relevant for the Jewish people and Israel,
the Jewish State.
After 2000 years of wandering the face of the earth as "unwelcome
guests" of the nations, suffering Crusades, Inquisitions, Pogroms and
the unspeakable 'final solution' of the HOLOCAUST...G-D brought us
back to rebuild our ancient homeland Eretz Yisrael.
HERE, WHAT NO ENEMY COULD DO TO US...WE HAVE DONE TO OURSELVES!
In the name of an illusion called "land for peace" (which has served
only to unite Arabs and divide Jews)... Israel's "leaders" continue to
give up our sacred soil to terrorists.
Israel's "leaders" release the murderers of its citizens, while the
bereaved families of victims are left with their unending pain and
grief.
Israel's "leaders" speak of "peace" while our "peace
partners" prepare
for war!!!
One hardly knows whether to bitterly laugh or cry upon learning that
the sovereign Jewish State led by the most decorated soldier in
Isael's history, Prime Minister Ehud Barak, is now offering Abdul Rauf
el-Codbi el-Husseini ("Yasser Arafat") yet another sacrifice for
"peace" - the area known as A-Ram in the northern part of Atarot.
The acute irony of such an act cannot go unnoticed by anyone even
vaguely familiar with the teachings of our Divine Torah.
For it was A RAM WHICH G-D COMMANDED OUR FOREFATHER, ABRAHAM, TO
SACRIFICE ON THE ALTAR INSTAD OF ISAAC, HIS ONLY SON!
This latest "land for peace" giveaway (if Chief P.L.O. terrorist
el-Husseini agrees to accept it in addition to Abu Dis and Abu That)
will soon allegedly be followed by the government of Israel's alleged
willingness to connect A-Ram to the Arab neighborhoods of Beit Hannina
and Shuafat...IN JERUSALEM!!!
JERUSALEM?
DID NOT SUCCESSIVE GOVERNMENTS of ISRAEL DECLARE THAT THERE IS A
CONSENSUS NEVER TO GIVE UP ONE INCH OF OUR UNITED ETERNAL CAPITAL?
YES! But for "peace with our Arab neighbors..."
Foolish Jews! How blind are you who believe bestial Arab murderers
can be converted into instant "baale tshuva" (masters of repentence)
and "lovers of Zion" by caving in to their demands!
How warped is the thinking of Israeli Prime Ministers from Begin to
Barak who rely on the United States and other 'allies' (or all lies)
to protect us!
The great tragedy, as proven by Barak's latest A-Ram offering to give
up sacred Jewish land EVEN IN JERUSALEM to Arab terrorists for the
establishment of a "Palestinian capital"...proves that although
history is said to be the best teacher...
JEWS FORGET EVERYTHING...AND LEARN NOTHING!!!
Shalom from Jerusalem,
Shifra Hoffman
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT THE JERUSALEM EMBASSY INITIATIVE:
The Jerusalem Embassy Initiative of the Root & Branch Association
calls upon the nations of the world to recognize united Jerusalem as
the eternal capital of the State of Israel, which is the spiritual and
physical homeland of the Jewish People, and to move their embassies in
Israel to Jerusalem.
INTERNATIONAL CO-CHAIRMEN:
Shlomo Hillel Former Speaker of the Knesset and Labor M.K.
Kaare Kristiansen Past President, Norwegian Parliament
Former Norwegian Minister of Oil and Energy
Former Nobel Prize Committe Member
***
ISRAEL CHAIRMAN: Mr. Samson Krupnick
***
INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR: Rebecca Weinberger
-----------------------------------------------------------
ROOT & BRANCH ASSOCIATION, LTD.
Email: rb@rb.org.il
Web Site: http://www.rb.org.il
ISRAEL OFFICE
Contact: Aryeh Gallin, President
Root & Branch Association, Ltd.
P.O.B. 8672, German Colony, 91086 Jerusalem
Tel: 972-2-673-9013; Fax: 972-2-673-9012
UNITED STATES OFFICE
Contact: Lt. Col. Martin Gallin, Esq., U.S.A. (ret.)
Board Co-Chairman
Root & Branch Association, Ltd.
c/o Law Offices of Gallin & Newman, Esqs.
860 Grand Concourse, Bronx, N.Y. 10451
Tel: 718-585-3512; Fax: 718-993-3712
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