You can’t understand Ehud Barak without knowing where he came from: the “General Staffcommando unit”. The commando unit is not an army unit like any other. It is a frame of mind, a disposition, a way oflooking at the world. During the 1948 war I served in Samson’s Foxes company which was, together with the … Read more
Uri Avnery “The face of the generation is like the face of a dog, and there is no truth,” says the Talmud.There are several interpretation of this saying. One goes like this: “The face of thegenerations” means its leaders. And why does it look like a dog? Because a dog runs ahead, as ifit were … Read more
Concerning the Duvdevan affair, all the questions have already been asked, except theimportant ones. (Duvdevan, Hebrew for cherry, is the code-name of an undercover Israeli army unit used inPalestinian surroundings, usually masquerading as Arabs. In a recent action, three of itssoldiers were accidentally killed by their own comrades in the Palestinian village Assiraal-Shmalieh while trying … Read more
I wouldn’t have believed it possible. Since the first day of the State of Israel, I have campaigned for the separation of stateand religion, the enactment of a constitution, civil marriage, the abolition of the Ministryof Religions. I have written hundreds of articles in Haolam Hazeh (the late newsmagazine,which I edited for many years), made … Read more
Dear Michal Oren, When you published your decision to form a group in order to found a new State of Israelsomewhere else, my first reaction was intense anger. Who does she think she is, this woman? Weare in he middle of a tough struggle for the character of our state, and she wants to desert? … Read more
The Book of Job, one of the most beautiful in the Bible, has become involved in a furiouspolitical debate, caused – once again – by the inimitable Rabbi Ovadia Josef, The book tells about a cruel game played by God and Satan. In order to prove Job’s loyalty, Godallows Satan to inflict terrible suffering on … Read more
“Where There Is No Vision, The People Perish…” You cannot jump over an abyss in two jumps – thus said David Lloyd-George, the Prime Ministerwho made the historic decision to liberate Ireland after centuries of British rule. Hejumped. Yitzhaq Rabin wanted to cross the abyss in many little jumps. He fell into the abyss. Ehud … Read more
For three transgressions of Barak, and for four, I will not turn away thereof *: because of thearrogance, the ignorance and the lack of leadership. System Message: WARNING/2 (<string>, line 1); backlink Inline emphasis start-string without end-string. (* Paraphrasing the Bible, Amos 1.) The arrogance: This is the disease of occupation officers. They are unable … Read more
“All the time we are giving up and get nothing in return!” Indeed, we are giving up a lot. The next war. New graveyards. Hundreds and perhaps thousands ofbereaved families, theirs and ours. Apart from those, we are not giving up anything. If I am taking by force somebody’s property,and then agree to give him … Read more
Uri Avnery: 15.7.00 The Suicide of the Knesset Experts on wildlife report the odd behavior of the lemmings, who commit collective suicide.When on the march, they do not stop at the edge of the sea but march straight on into the water anddrown. Lately, many members of the Knesset behave similarly. A new political system … Read more