Sorry to Bore You Isaac 'Rambo' Herzog, but I Won't Shut Up About Occupation

Fortunately the Israeli press is full of writers who never mention the occupation. These people, like the opposition leader, know that the Israelis are always right.

Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog has been complaining about my repertoire. For years I’ve been playing the same tune. Sure enough, you could say I’m a one-trick pony, as Herzog does.

The penetrating diagnosis by the Zionist Union leader is that I have been “publishing the same article and the same text, twice and sometimes three times a week: ‘Occupation, occupation, occupation and once again occupation; only the Jews are to blame and only the Palestinians are right.’” That’s what he wrote in Haaretz last week.

Herzog was responding to my criticism of a boast he made after meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. Herzog said he would be more extreme in fighting terror than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

I’m sorry I’ve been boring Rambo Herzog, the fighter of terror. Fortunately the Israeli press is full of writers who never mention the occupation, which in no way interests them. These people know that the Israelis are always right, always the victim, always the hero.

The Palestinians, meanwhile, just want to throw us into the sea. These journalists sing the repertoire that Israeli propaganda has fed them; people who devotedly buy all its lies, whose consciences are always clean. They say “the picture is complicated” and know how to make readers feel good, as Herzog does.

That’s most Israeli journalists. Herzog should limit his reading to them — I should have stopped pestering him long ago with this occupation stuff of mine. A groundbreaking statesman like Herzog, a leader with courageous ideas that break with convention, has no energy for trivial matters. I should have respected that.

Still, just for the sake of unimportant factual accuracy, I should mention that unlike Herzog, I have also sifted through my share of ideas. We started together in the Labor Party, now Zionist Union’s senior partner. I arrived a few years before he did, when I still bought concepts such as “the Jordanian option,” “territorial compromise” and “functional compromise” — among the best sleight of hand of the generation of Herzog’s father, designed to solidify the occupation’s hold. (Sorry, that word slipped out).

Then I favored the Oslo Accords, then the two-state solution. Then I thought the chance had been missed. I too didn’t believe in a boycott. Now I think it should be equal rights for everyone in a single democratic state, and there is no alternative — yes to a boycott. The short version.

During this whole period, Herzog and his Labor Party have remained stuck, only changing their excuses. They want a “process.” Before this year’s election, Herzog talked about a five-year (!) process. After the election, it was at least two years. What will it be in the end?

Now he has a new groundbreaking idea: The days are over in which you can go into a room with the Palestinians and come out hugging one another after signing a peace agreement. Is he hinting that peace was possible and his party missed the chance?

As Herzog wrote, now that the Palestinians have dug tunnels “under dining rooms on kibbutzim” (where?), we need “a trailblazing diplomatic move, supported by the moderate countries in the region.”

That’s Herzog and his party at their best: First we’ll make peace with the Sultanate of Oman and then with the Palestinians. But it will always be the other way around — if we end the occupation, the whole Persian Gulf will follow.

And I really do write about the occupation all the time. I’ve been trying to report on its crimes for 30 years or so. It’s an obsession of sorts: A person is convinced that his country has a malignant disease and that no issue is more crucial.

I’m sorry if that bores Herzog, but it’s a cruel reality for millions of people. It’s the reality that hasn’t changed, not the person writing about it. The Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza (and a handful of Israelis of conscience) are a lot more fed up with the occupation than Herzog is in his posh Tel Aviv neighborhood. Yes, he leads a huge political camp, as he took pains to mention twice, people who may not have voted for him but surely agree with him on one point: Enough with the nagging (about the occupation).

So to the head of the Israeli left, I say thank you for bringing this to my attention. But I won’t stop.
 

Gideon Levy

Haaretz Correspondent
read more: http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.672519

Way to go Gideon, a true Israeli hero.

What others thik of Levy:



On the other hand, he has been criticized for being anti-Israeli and supporting Palestinian radicalism. "Is it wrong to ask of reporters in a country that is in the midst of a difficult war to show a little more empathy for their people and their country?" asked Amnon Dankner of the Maariv newspaper. Ben-Dror Yemini, the editor of the opinion page of Maariv, called Levy one of the "propagandists for the Hamas". Itamar Marcus, director of Palestinian Media Watch, wrote "[One of] the current Israeli heroes [of the Hamas], from whom the Palestinians garner support for their ways, [is] Gideon Levy...." In 2008, Arutz Sheva reported that Levy's article about the Jerusalem bulldozer attack was translated into Arabic for a Hamas website. In 2006, Gideon Ezra, Israel's former deputy Minister of Internal Security, suggested that the General Security Services should monitor Levy as a borderline security risk.
Israeli novelist Irit Linur set off a wave of subscription cancellations to Haaretz in 2002, when she wrote an open letter to the paper cancelling her own subscription.[38] "It is a person's right to be a radical leftist, and publish a newspaper in accordance with his world view... However Haaretz has reached the point where its anti-Zionism has become stupid and evil," she wrote. She also accused Levy of amateurism because he does not speak Arabic.
Other public figures also cancelled their subscriptions, including Roni Daniel, the military and security correspondent for Israeli Channel 2. Levy himself joked that there is a thick file of anti-Levy cancellations in the Haaretz newsroom.
In an open letter to Levy in 2009, Israeli author A. B. Yehoshua, formerly a supporter of Levy, described his comparison of Gazan-Israeli death tolls as absurd and questioned his motives.
In 2013 Levy published an article about what he views as a disgraceful attitude towards African asylum seekers in Israel. In considering the reasons for this attitude he wrote "This time the issue is not security, Israel’s state religion. Nor are still talking about a flood of refugees, because the border with Egypt has been closed. So the only explanation for this disgraceful treatment lies in the national psyche. The migrants’ color is the problem. A million immigrants from Russia, a third of them non-Jews, some of whom were also found to have a degree of alcohol and crime in their blood, were not a problem. Tens of thousands of Africans are the ultimate threat." Levy's remarks about Russians produced accusations of racism from such as Eddie Zhensker, executive director of the Russian advocacy NGO Morashtenu, who accused Levy of "brute and coarse prejudices", and Immigrant Absorption Minister Sofa Landver who demanding that Levy be placed on trial. Levy later apologised to those who were offended, but claimed that the real problem was that he had called Russian "immigrants" instead of "olim" and compared them to Africans

Yep, we know what Zionists think of Levy and how they have targetted him and sent him death threats for telling the truth.  That's why he's a hero for continuing to do so.

And don't you think your article says more about the people in the article than it does about Levy?

Not all are Zionists though as seen Sassy.
So again he seems to be an extremist lefty that likes to stir up trouble.
Also his views are poor and lack reasoning

Yea right didge!!!!!!!!!!!

Levy is the extremist, now I've heard it all

He is a complete left wing extremist.
Maybe you can prove otherwise but he is exactly what Victor describes in relation to such people.

You're really funny didge, giggle.

Thanks Sassy and as seen I am easily able to make you post non-relevant posts as you are doing now.

Of course you can didge. lol

It's a talent you have because your posts are so extremist and stupid, they deserve nothing else.

Now, I have people with reasoning power, a brain and decent conversation to see, so I'll leave you to mumbe away to yourself.

So yet more irrrelevant posts

Cuchulain wrote:What others thik of Levy:



On the other hand, he has been criticized for being anti-Israeli and supporting Palestinian radicalism. "Is it wrong to ask of reporters in a country that is in the midst of a difficult war to show a little more empathy for their people and their country?" asked Amnon Dankner of the Maariv newspaper. Ben-Dror Yemini, the editor of the opinion page of Maariv, called Levy one of the "propagandists for the Hamas". Itamar Marcus, director of Palestinian Media Watch, wrote "[One of] the current Israeli heroes [of the Hamas], from whom the Palestinians garner support for their ways, [is] Gideon Levy...." In 2008, Arutz Sheva reported that Levy's article about the Jerusalem bulldozer attack was translated into Arabic for a Hamas website. In 2006, Gideon Ezra, Israel's former deputy Minister of Internal Security, suggested that the General Security Services should monitor Levy as a borderline security risk.
Israeli novelist Irit Linur set off a wave of subscription cancellations to Haaretz in 2002, when she wrote an open letter to the paper cancelling her own subscription.[38] "It is a person's right to be a radical leftist, and publish a newspaper in accordance with his world view... However Haaretz has reached the point where its anti-Zionism has become stupid and evil," she wrote. She also accused Levy of amateurism because he does not speak Arabic.
Other public figures also cancelled their subscriptions, including Roni Daniel, the military and security correspondent for Israeli Channel 2. Levy himself joked that there is a thick file of anti-Levy cancellations in the Haaretz newsroom.
In an open letter to Levy in 2009, Israeli author A. B. Yehoshua, formerly a supporter of Levy, described his comparison of Gazan-Israeli death tolls as absurd and questioned his motives.
In 2013 Levy published an article about what he views as a disgraceful attitude towards African asylum seekers in Israel. In considering the reasons for this attitude he wrote "This time the issue is not security, Israel’s state religion. Nor are still talking about a flood of refugees, because the border with Egypt has been closed. So the only explanation for this disgraceful treatment lies in the national psyche. The migrants’ color is the problem. A million immigrants from Russia, a third of them non-Jews, some of whom were also found to have a degree of alcohol and crime in their blood, were not a problem. Tens of thousands of Africans are the ultimate threat." Levy's remarks about Russians produced accusations of racism from such as Eddie Zhensker, executive director of the Russian advocacy NGO Morashtenu, who accused Levy of "brute and coarse prejudices", and Immigrant Absorption Minister Sofa Landver who demanding that Levy be placed on trial. Levy later apologised to those who were offended, but claimed that the real problem was that he had called Russian "immigrants" instead of "olim" and compared them to Africans

Lol! You claim not be a Zionist but then use their "discrediting" tactics - immediately.

You're a joke.

I think you will find you did exactly the same thing all the time when I post articles from sites, so by your logic it would be the same being as you are trying to discredit.
Where you fucked up is I am doing neither but providing views of people where some are not even Zionists.

Oh dear, please wipe that egg your face like a good little boy

Cuchulain wrote:I think you will find you did exactly the same thing all the time when I post articles from sites, so by your logic it would be the same being as you are trying to discredit.
Where you fucked up is I am doing neither but providing views of people where some are not even Zionists.

Oh dear, please wipe that egg your face like a good little boy

Lol! You mean article you posted from the Zionist website where John Bolton is the chairman?

HA HA!

I've picked you up on your Zionist tactics recently. You naughty girl.

Hilarious paranoia again, it seems to be in abundance on this forum.
You have tried to deligitimize articles I posted.,
Which means you doing what you claim of me, which I was not doing here.
Which is why it is so easy for me to school you and make you look a complete hypocrite.
Like I said little boy, best you wipe that egg off your face

Cuchulain wrote:Hilarious paranoia again, it seems to be in abundance on this forum.
You have tried to deligitimize articles I posted.,
Which means you doing what you claim of me, which I was not doing here.
Which is why it is so easy for me to school you and make you look a complete hypocrite.
Like I said little boy, best you wipe that egg off your face

Was the chairman of your website John Bolton? YES/NO?

Fuzzy Zack wrote:

Cuchulain wrote:Hilarious paranoia again, it seems to be in abundance on this forum.
You have tried to deligitimize articles I posted.,
Which means you doing what you claim of me, which I was not doing here.
Which is why it is so easy for me to school you and make you look a complete hypocrite.
Like I said little boy, best you wipe that egg off your face

Was the chairman of your website John Bolton? YES/NO?

Epic fail argument
So if Zack was presented with mein kampf, he would not counter the views made in the book he would just say it was written by Hitler?
If you made that as your answer in an exam then you would fail.

See its so easy to school a little boy

Well, I'd go with what Bolton says - NOT

Weapons of mass destruction

Bolton was instrumental in derailing a 2001 biological weapons conference in Geneva convened to endorse a UN proposal to enforce the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention. "U.S. officials, led by Bolton, argued that the plan would have put U.S. national security at risk by allowing spot inspections of suspected U.S. weapons sites, despite the fact that the U.S. claims not to have carried out any research for offensive purposes since 1969."^[36]
Also in 2002, Bolton is said to have flown to Europe to demand the resignation of Jose Bustani, head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and to have orchestrated his removal at a special session of the organization.^[37] The United Nations' highest administrative tribunal later condemned the action as an "unacceptable violation" of principles protecting international civil servants. Bustani had been unanimously re-elected for a four-year term—with strong U.S. support – in May 2000, and in 2001 was praised for his leadership by Colin Powell.^[38]
He also pushed for reduced funding for the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program to halt the proliferation of nuclear materials.^[39] At the same time, he was involved in the implementation of the Proliferation Security Initiative, working with a number of countries to intercept the trafficking in weapons of mass destruction and in materials for use in building nuclear weapons

What a peach!

Gideon Levy is a highly respected the world over - except in some quarters which are normally frequented by Zionists.