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Pat Robertson’s $50-Million Apology

Thursday, January 12th, 2006

Samuel Johnson once said: “when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.” Apparently, nothing concentrates Pat Robertson’s mind more than a $50-million investment opportunity rapidly going south. Otherwise, how else to explain Pat’s “sort of” apology sent via a letter to Omri Sharon and announced simultaneously at PatRoberson.com and via the media.

For a brief recap, Robertson made one of his famous “the Lord struck him down because he sinned” pontifications (I realize that’s an inapt word choice for an anti-papist like Pat) regarding Ariel Sharon’s stroke. Misusing the Book of Joel, he tried to make the point that God supposedly smites those who “divide His land” (referring to Sharon’s Gaza disengagement plan). I’d half expected to see the proverbial Robertson apology by now (“I didn’t really say what I said, it was all a conspiracy by the left-wing media to set the world agin’ me”).

But Pat uncharacteristically stuck to his guns and said nothing. Until, that is the Israeli government threw him out of the evangelical consortium developing the ridiculously named Jesusland project in the Galilee. Then it was like a donkey kicked Pat in the ribs and he finally realized he’d gone too far.

I’ve called the Reverend’s statement an apology. But that doesn’t do it justice. It’s a weird combination of explaining away the offense, contrition and obtuseness. Not your typical apology by a long shot. He continues to fraudulently rewrite the Book of Joel in order to bolster his alleged argument. For more on Pat’s distortion of the Good Book, see my post. HamptonRoads.com carries the story of Robertson’s apology. Here are a few passages from his letter to Sharon:

I expressed on television my sadness for his condition and my warm regard for him as a person…

Regrettably few if any of these heartfelt sentiments were carried by the news media here in America or by the news media in Israel. However, I ask your forgiveness and the forgiveness of the people of Israel for remarks I made at the time concerning the writings of the holy prophet Joel and his view of the inviolate nature of the land of Israel.

I personally feel very passionate about the…divine claim of the Jewish people to Eretz Israel what has been called Judea and Samaria. My zeal…led me to make remarks which I can now view in retrospect as in appropriate and insensitive in light of a national grief experienced because of your father’s illness. I ask your forgiveness and the forgiveness of the people of Israel for saying what was clearly insensitive at the time…

Please be assured of my prayers and best wishes in this time of your grief. With warm personal regards I remain…

A few notes on Robertson’s comments. First, Joel does not embrace the view that the land of Israel is “inviolate.” Nowhere, does it use that term or anything remotely like it. Joel DOES say that Israel was divided up by conquerors and the Jews sent into exile because they fell away from God’s law. But division of the land was caused by sin. Dividing the land was NOT one of those sins.

Next, you’ll notice how tone deaf Robertson is in raising his arm in salute of the Greater Land of Israel movement (hence his usage of the terms Judea and Samaria and reference to the “divine claim of the Jewish people to Eretz Israel”). Apparently, no one’s told him that Sharon has abandoned the settler movement and many of its bedrock principles. You will not hear Ariel Sharon today (if you could hear him) talking about divine claims. Thankfully, he’s become enough of a pragmatist to realize that such rhetoric is no longer useful in the current political context. So get with it Pat. You’re supporting a rump movement in Israel on its way out.

Now let’s compare what Robertson’s “apology” above to the original statement he made on the 700 Club. All those allegedly “heartfelt sentiments” are fully quoted below. But tell me whether these are the remarks of a person who could rightfully claim that when he speaks of Israel “I always speak as a friend:”

Sharon was personally a very likable person and I am sad to see him in this condition, but I think we need to look at the Bible and the Book of Joel. The prophet Joel makes it very clear that God has enmity against those who “divide my land.” God considers this land to be His. You read the Bible and He says “this is my land” and for any Prime Minister of Israel who decides he is going to carve it up and give it away, God says “no, this is mine.”

I had a wonderful meeting with Yitzhak Rabin in 1974. He was tragically assassinated, it was a terrible thing that happened but nevertheless he was dead. And now Ariel Sharon who again was a very likable person, a delightful person to be with, I prayed with him personally, but here he’s at the point of death. He was dividing God’s land and I would say woe unto any Prime Minister of Israel who takes a similar course to appease the EU, the United Nations, or the United States of America. God says “this land belongs to me. You’d better leave it alone.”

Tags: ariel_sharon, evangelical_christians, israel, jesusland, omri_sharon, pat_robertson, robertson_apology
Posted in Jews & Judaism, Mideast Peace | No Comments »

Uri Avnery on Ehud Olmert

Tuesday, January 10th, 2006

Sharon’s heir apparent as leader of the Kadima party, Ehud Olmert, has always struck me as a smiling hatchet man. Now, Uri Avnery, a man much more experienced in Israeli politics than I, has written a sharp incisive portrait which damns with faint praise:

One has to face the fact that Sharon is leaving the political arena empty of outstanding personalities and charismatic leaders. For better or worse, Israel will now be a normal Western-style country, with normal political parties headed by normal politicians.

And no politician is more normal than Ehud Olmert; the quintessential politician, who has never been anything but a politician, a politician pure and simple.

He is not a Great Father. Neither a glorious general nor a great thinker. He has no charisma, no vision, no exceptional integrity. At the start of his career, he soon betrayed several of who had favored him. But he is shrewd, smart, sober, ambitious and glib on TV, a politician, without grandstanding and poses.

Ehud Olmert & Ariel Sharon: can a politician with “no charisma, no vision and no exceptional integrity” replace a national hero? (Oded Balilty/AP)

He landed in his present position by sheer accident. The title “Deputy Prime Minister” was given him as a consolation prize, because Sharon could not satisfy his craving for the powerful Finance Ministry, which had already been promised to Netanyahu. As compensation, Sharon conferred on Olmert a title that was quite meaningless, because it meant only that Olmert would chair cabinet meetings on the rare occasions when Sharon was abroad.

Now, suddenly, the empty title turns out to be an excellent springboard. Automatic procedures have turned Olmert into Sharon’s temporary successor, and in politics, as is well known, nothing is more permanent than the temporary. The first to occupy a position has a huge advantage over all challengers.

One can trust Olmert not to do foolish things. His ego will not lead him into a hole, as frequently happens to Netanyahu. He is also much more experienced and devious than Amir Peretz.

(Gush Shalom, no direct link to article unfortunately)

Tags: ariel_sharon, ehud_olmert, gush_shalom, uri_avnery
Posted in Mideast Peace | No Comments »

Sharon’s Medical Treatment, a Case of Malpractice?

Tuesday, January 10th, 2006

Ariel Sharon celebrates Hanukah hours before his second stroke (photo: Reuters

I may’ve spoken prematurely in my last post about Ariel Sharon in saying now may be the right time to let him go. The most recent medical reports in Haaretz say that he’s now breathing on his own and has shown “slight movement” in his arm and leg in response to pain stimulus. But this is a far cry from cognition and Sharon has not yet awoken from his coma. We can only hope that he will recover…certainly not fully, but to the greatest extent possible.

In that previous post, I raised several pertinent questions about the standard of care provided Sharon. Today’s Haaretz ratchets up the debate by indicating that Sharon has a genetic disease that affects blood vessels in the brain, making them more liable to rupture from excessive fluctuations of blood pressure or from the use of blood thinners:

…Sharon received anticoagulant drugs despite suffering from a disease of the blood vessels in the brain which, if diagnosed, would almost certainly have prevented doctors from prescribing these drugs – which are known to increase the risk of strokes and brain hemorrhage. One doctor close to the situation told Haaretz Monday that the disease was diagnosed by doctors treating Sharon at Hadassah University Hospital during his current hospitalization.

The disease, cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) could have greatly increased the risk of a brain hemorrhage, following the administration of the medication that he received after his first stroke Dec. 19, Haaretz has learned.

The diagnosis occurred after examining CT scans Sharon has undergone, according to testimony presented Monday to Haaretz by a medical source involved in the treatment of the prime minister…

The doctor who provided the testimony defined the administering of the blood-thinning medication after the first stroke as a “screw up.”

In the event of such a rupture, the blood thinning medication would make it much harder for the blood to coagulate and stop internal bleeding–precisely what happened to Sharon during his stroke last week.

Everyone agrees that the anti-coagulants contributed or caused his stroke. But now we learn that taking such medication in the the presence of this illness is counter-indicated since such blood vessels are more likely to rupture than normal ones. Further, MRIs of Sharon’s brain taken after his first stroke might have indicated to physicians that he had this condition. Now, doctors will have to go through those images with a fine tooth comb to see if they missed this critical indication. I certainly hope that doctors and Hadassah Hospital will be candid about the outcome of this investigation. Sharon’s family, the nation, and the medical profession deserve no less.

Haaretz also points out that many questions have been raised in Israel about the standard of care prescribed for Sharon:

The medical testimony given to Haaretz on Monday reinforces the questions raised regarding the quality of the treatment and supervision Sharon received in recent weeks, following his hospitalization after the first stroke he suffered.

As reported in Haaretz, senior doctors – including two hospital directors and a senior physician at Hadassah itself – have raised numerous questions since Sharon’s hospitalization regarding his medical supervision over the past two weeks; the administering of the blood-thinning medication; the dosage administered; the medical and laboratory supervision in the wake of administering the blood-thinning medication; and the decision to perform the cardiac catheterization as well as its timing.

Haaretz also quotes a “senior doctor” (whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean) acknowledging there might’ve been a major screwup:

“If the image facilitates identifying the illness and this wasn’t done, then it appears that we are dealing with a significant failure on the part of Hadassah,” the doctor said. “However, it is important to note that it is difficult to diagnose this illness by means of computer imaging only.”

I don’t know if there is medical malpractice in Israel. But if there is, Sharon’s two sons should consult attorneys about this matter. With the caveat that I am not a doctor, I have a strong suspicion that the standard of Sharon’s care was negligent.

Tags: anti-coagulant, ariel_sharon, blood_thinner, caa, cerebral_amyloid_angiopathy, heparin, medical_malpractice, medicine, stroke
Posted in Mideast Peace | 1 Comment »

Sharon, Time to Let Him Go?

Sunday, January 8th, 2006

The Israeli and and international media and physicians themselves are raising serious questions about Ariel Sharon’s medical care. Haaretz in particular has run several stories, including one today, covering this angle. The questions that concern me most are:

1. Was there a real medical need to do a heart catheterization to repair the hole in his heart?

Some doctors maintain that the heart defect allowed a clot to travel to Sharon’s brain causing his first mile stroke. Other doctors say the cause of that stroke is unclear and that the heat operation (along with the prescription of blood thinning agents) was overaggressive care which in this case may’ve led to his current near-death state:

A number of physicians told Haaretz they wondered about the wisdom of performing the heart catheterization on Sharon. The prime minister had been advised to undergo the procedure to repair the birth defect of a hole in his heart through which doctors said the blood clot had traveled to his brain and caused the first stroke. But Professor Martin Rabbai, head of neurosurgery at Assaf Harofeh Hospital said the heart catheterization was “not recommended,” since it had not been proven that the blood clot moved through the hole in his heart to his brain. “On the contrary,” Rabbai said, for a man Sharon’s age “it is advisable not to touch it.”

2. If the heart procedure was necessary why did they wait so long to perform it?

If it is true that the heart defect caused the first stroke wouldn’t it be possible that it also caused his second stroke as well (along with the blood thinning medication which can cause massive bleeding if a blood vessel tears). If so, then why wouldn’t doctors have performed the procedure immediately?

3. If Sharon’s prognosis now is very poor as many medical specialists concede, why are doctors making such heroic efforts to save him?

A senior neurologist called the second surgery performed on Sharon on Friday “unnecessary,” citing research that surgery under such conditions does not improve the patient’s prognosis. The neurologist said he believed Sharon was suffering from ‘VIP syndrome’, “that out of a desire to help a senior public figure physicians do things that might be unnecessary and may carry potential risks.”

A senior neurologist at a major Israeli hospital said the first surgery was “heroic,” because most patients with such bleeding would not be operated on, “but I understand they did so because it was the prime minister. At some stage you have to think if you want to leave a patient in a terrible functional state to save his life.”

I understand the need for doctors to show they’ve done everything they can to save Sharon’s life. The nation expects no less. But there must come a time when everyone, from his physicians to his family to the nation must recognize that though Sharon was a larger than life figure to all, he was still only human. And every human being deserves a right to die with dignity. We all need to go when the moment is right. Perhaps that moment is now.

Do we want an Ariel Sharon to survive in a near comatose state? What purpose would this serve? Would it assuage the consciences of doctors or his sons who feel the need to do everything in their power to keep him alive? What’s the point other than fulfilling our own needs? What about the patient’s need perhaps to die?

Haaretz notes that Sharon did not institute a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order. This is another reminder to all of us to create living wills and let our physicians and loved ones know our wishes so that our medical care adheres to our own approach to death.

As Kohelet says: “There is a time for living and a time for dying.” God grant us the insight to recognize when the time is right to go.

It’s fitting to close with Zelda’s spare, brilliant poem, Each Man Has a Name. Pay special attention to the final verse:

Each man has a name
given him by God
and by his father and mother

Each man has a name
given him by his stature and his smile
and given him by his clothes

Each man has a name
given him by the hills
and given him by his walls

Each man has a name
given him by his fate
and given him by his friends

Each man has a name
given him by his sins
and given him by his yearnings

Each man has a name
given him by his enemies
and given him by his love

Each man has a name
given him by his celebrations
and given him by his work

Each man has a name
given him by the seasons
and given him by his blindness

Each man has a name
given him by the sea
and given him
by his death.
(translation, Karen Alkalay-Gut)

Let us in death give Ariel Sharon back his name.

Tags: ariel_sharon, death, haaretz, heart_defect, israel, stroke, zelda
Posted in Blogs-Tech-Science, Mideast Peace, The Arts | 3 Comments »

David Grossman on Sharon’s Political Eulogy

Saturday, January 7th, 2006

David Grossman: can no man take Sharon’s place? (photo: Vardi Kahana)

David Grossman, famed Israeli novelist and political essayist (he wrote the lyrics to the hip-hop smash Sticker Song) has written a searching and nuanced political eulogy for Ariel Sharon: How Sharon Won Israel’s Trust.

The most telling passage is this one:

What will happen now? Israel is a democracy, but we are witnessing a phenomenon that recalls what happens in totalitarian states when a leader leaves the stage. Sharon’s rule was so centralized and total that it seems as if there is no man who can take his place.

I couldn’t agree more. Israel’s supporters are wont to boast that Israel is the only democracy in the Mideast (that’s assuming you leave out Turkey and Lebanon, but they shouldn’t let a few inconvenient facts get in the way!). When in actuality Israel is what I’d call a hybrid democracy. It is certainly not a true democracy in the sense that other western countries can claim to be. It has no constitution or bill of rights. It has no co-equal judiciary capable of engaging in effective checks and balances. The role of the military in Israeli life is much more prominent and intrusive than in other democracies. The security services are given far broader leeway to violate civil rights than in countries like our own. It is as if Israelis adapted, and watered down western democracy for the cold hard world of the Middle East.

Grossman here captures the ambivalent admiration in which Sharon was held by most Israelis:

Because Sharon, in an amazingly short time, has metamorphosed from being one of the men most hated and feared by most Israelis into a respected leader, accepted and even much loved by his people. He has become a kind of big, powerful father figure whom Israelis are willing to follow, with their eyes closed, to wherever he may lead them. Their faith in him is so great that they do not even demand that he tell them which direction he plans to go, or what his foreign policy will be, or what state of affairs he intends to create for them.

Only in the cauldron that is the Mideast conflict could such an Ariel Sharon exist. As Churchill was turned out of office after World War II was over; and W.T. Sherman became a faded alcoholic has-been after his brilliant and brutal March to the Sea during the Civil War, so Sharon would never have ‘taken’ as a politician in a stable, secure country.

But as you will note if you read Grossman’s portrait, there are many rewards possible when you allow a man to become this central and powerful to a nation; just as there are many poison pills too. Ariel Sharon was a deep menace to Israeli democracy for much of his military and political career. As Grossman says, he believed that the means justified the ends. And the means usually involved cold-blooded brutality and the deaths of his enemies (armed or innocent) and of his own soldiers. This side of Sharon is that of the brutal murderer who abetted slaughter in Sabra and Shatilla.

But in the past few years, Sharon seemed to experience a political epiphany–coming to understand that Israel had enough land and enough settlements and that nothing further could be gained from constant warfare. So he turned away from perpetual armed conflict to embrace a vision (albeit uncoordinated with the Palestinians) of retrenchment for the sake of future peace. I wouldn’t call it a full-fledged embrace of peace. But it was a serious enough one that we can say he advanced the peace process some ways through his Gaza withdrawal.

But what comes next? There certainly is no other such patriarchal figure to whom the nation can turn. In fact, the three remaining leadership candidates are a washed out hack of a former prime minister, an untested relative newcomer to the national political scene, and another veteran of the political trenches with no known charisma or leadership qualities. Is this a bad thing?

Yes and no. Yes, because Israel needs someone with Sharon’s sure-handedness to lead it to a real peace with the Palestinians. But “no” in this case is stronger because Israel needs to come back down to earth and realize that Ariel Sharon was a one-time phenomenon. If there is to be real peace then a real and all too human political leader with all the flaws that average leaders have will have to struggle his or her way toward achieving that goal.

So in this sense, Sharon was a transitional leader like Moses, who took his people to Mount Nevo just this side of the Promised Land. But he never got to the other side. Instead, a merely average leader (with a few heroic exploits to his name) like Joshua bin Nun received that honor. Those who follow Sharon will be the ones who must make the incredibly hard choices leading to peace.

I don’t know if they will have what it takes to do that. I don’t know if the Israeli electorate has the guts and gumption to choose such a leader. In the past, Israelis have chosen the lowest common denominator, the candidate who promises to bleed the Palestinians the most, the one who makes promises everyone knows he will and cannot keep. Maybe now Israel is ready for some cold, hard realism to get to peace. I don’t know if it will happen, but it’s worth hoping it can.

Tags: ariel_sharon, david_Grossman, israel, moses, palestinians, political_eulogy
Posted in Mideast Peace | 1 Comment »

Why Won’t the Good Lord Shut Pat Robertson Up?

Friday, January 6th, 2006

God, I’ve had it with Pat Robertson. Bless his pointy little head and big mouth. Whenever he opens it there’s sure to be dreck spewing out. People for the American Way carry the transcript and video of the “performance:”

Pat Robertson on 700 Club blaming Sharon for his stroke

Pat Robertson spouts bile about Ariel Sharon on 700 Club

…I said last year that Israel was entering into the most dangerous periods of its entire existence as a nation. That is intensifying this year with the loss of Sharon. Sharon was personally a very likable person and I am sad to see him in this condition, but I think we need to look at the Bible and the Book of Joel. The prophet Joel makes it very clear that God has enmity against those who “divide my land.” God considers this land to be His. You read the Bible and He says “this is my land” and for any Prime Minister of Israel who decides he is going to carve it up and give it away, God says “no, this is mine.”

I had a wonderful meeting with Yitzhak Rabin in 1974. He was tragically assassinated, it was a terrible thing that happened but nevertheless he was dead. And now Ariel Sharon who again was a very likable person, a delightful person to be with, I prayed with him personally, but here he’s at the point of death. He was dividing God’s land and I would say woe unto any Prime Minister of Israel who takes a similar course to appease the EU, the United Nations, or the United States of America. God says “this land belongs to me. You’d better leave it alone.”

I almost hate to indulge in theological dispute with Pat Robertson because his entire mindset is so repellent to me. But in this case, since his statements about Sharon were so odious, I cannot allow him to hijack the Jewish prophetic tradition to bolster his despicable arguments. After looking through Joel, I can see several passages that would be especially attractive to the End of Days-Hate the Heathen type of guy Pat is:

I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy; your elders shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions…And I will perform signs in the heavens and on the earth: Blood, fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall turn to darkness, and the moon to blood, prior to the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever shall call in the name of the Lord shall be delivered, for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be a deliverance…

For behold, in those days and in that time when I return the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and I will take them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will contend with them there concerning My people and My heritage, Israel, which they scattered among the nations, and My land they divided. And upon My people they cast lots, and they gave a boy for a harlot, and a girl they sold for wine, and they drank. And also, what are you to Me, Tyre and Sidon and all the regions of Philistia? Are you paying Me recompense? And if you are recompensing Me, I will swiftly return your recompense upon your head…And the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem you have sold to the children of the Jevanim, in order to distance them from their border. Behold I arouse them from the place where you sold them, and I will return your recompense upon your head…Announce this among the nations, prepare war, arouse the mighty men; all the men of war shall approach and ascend. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; the weak one shall say, “I am mighty.” Gather and come, all you nations from around, and they shall gather; there the Lord shall break your mighty men. The nations shall be aroused and shall go up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations from around.
–Book of Joel, chapters 3-4

We can discuss the actual historical context of the events described here, but that doesn’t interest Pat. He’s not interested in understanding the meaning or context of the Biblical text. He’s merely interested in projecting his own twisted theological/political worldview upon it.

The Book of Joel speaks of great tragedies inflicted upon the land of Israel and its people by its enemies. It exhorts the Israelites to return to their God and repent their sins so those who’ve sold their children into slavery will get their due in misery.

The vision of the nations gathering in the valley of Jehosephat (literally “God judges”) is a classic text in the Christian messianic tradition. Further, the passage I italicized might be read by Robertson as alluding to the Arabs (and certainly the Palestinians) who caused suffering to Israel in the course of numerous wars against the Jewish state; which would of course further his bigoted anti-Muslim agenda. And Pat certainly loves the martial imagery of the Israelites beating their plowshares into spears. He must really love it when he sees the IDF attack Palestinians. It must fulfill his prophetic vision of Israel at perpetual war with its enemies. But “you know who” will of course come along in Pat’s prophetic dream, judging all the nasties in the valley of Jehosephat and thereby put an end to all that. And then there won’t be any Jews or Muslims. We’ll all be subsumed under the one great all-encompassing (or should I say “overwhelming”) religion, Christianity. Well, excuse me if I say “hold on a minute.”

And of course the passage has nothing to do with the current political situation in Israel-Palestine. While Joel DOES say that the land belongs to God, nowhere does the text say anything remotely like “You better leave it alone.” While Joel DOES say that God will punish those who “divide My land,” He means to punish foreign nations which conquered Israel and NOT an Israeli political leader chosen by his compatriots as Ariel Sharon was. These are Robertson’s falsifications of the text in order to mold it in his own pro-settlement image. Robertson’s fake foray into prophetic channeling bespeaks the dangers of abusing sacred text for one’s own fraudulent purposes. Robertson’s interpretations are absolutely treif (‘unkosher’ or ‘forbidden’). They offend me as a Jew who cares about my own religious traditions and their interpretation by others.

Robertson’s press spokesperson further stuck her foot in it in trying to defend his lunacy:

Robertson spokeswoman Angell Watts said of people who criticized the comments: “What they’re basically saying is, ‘How dare Pat Robertson quote the Bible?’”

“This is what the word of God says,” Watts told the AP. “This is nothing new to the Christian community.”

First, Pat didn’t quote the Bible. He merely paraphrased it and badly at that. Second, he may be faithfully rendering a Christian messianic interpretation of the text. But it is no interpretation that I or the vast majority of Jews would recognize or accept. Third, while his fantastical view of the text may not be new to “the Christian community” (read “evangelicals” as Pat does NOT represent “the Christian community”) it would be new to many of the rest of us (and there are a few in the world who have not yet “seen the light” and “come over” to the Lord).

Be ready for another Pat Robertson “day after” apology along the lines of what he was forced to do after advocating the assassination of Hugo Chavez. Abe Foxman, after denouncing Robertson, will probably make nice and let bygones be bygones. Me, I don’t have to be so nice. Robertson is a spook, a really bad dude. Bad for Jews, bad for Christians, hell, he’s even bad for evangelicals since he makes them look like such loons. Why his fellow preachers don’t ride him out of town on a rail I don’t know.

In short, Ariel Sharon suffered his stroke for many reasons (age, weight, stress level) but not one of them had anything to do with “Dr.” Robertson’s diagnosis. Israeli politics will go on and the peace process (truncated as it has been under Sharon) will continue. Either Ehud Olmert or Amir Peretz will win the upcoming elections and lead Israel that much closer to a lasting peace. Or Bibi Netanyahu will win and take Israel in the other direction. But even if that dreadful outcome occurs, Netanyahu will eventually go the way of the dodo bird and resign as PM. Then the peace process will resume as it has to because the reality of the Middle East doesn’t allow for wild-eyed prophecies of the type spouted by Rev. Pat. Israel and Palestine have both lost enough blood spilled by their sons and daughters. They need no outsiders to egg them on to further futile violence.

“Will no one rid us of this meddlesome priest?” Pat begone. You’ve already done enough damage. Every time you open your mouth you only do more. Can’t someone shut this guy up?

And since we’re quoting prophetic wisdom here, let’s conclude with a latter-day prophet, Bob Dylan, and his Masters of War:

And I hope that you die
And your death’ll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I’ll watch while you’re lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I’ll stand o’er your grave
‘Til I’m sure that you’re dead

Lord help me I know it’s harsh. But I feel we’ve all been long-suffering from the odious spew of this guy long enough. So maybe I don’t wish his death. But what about the Lord sending Pat a bolt of lightning which would shut him up for the rest of his days. Would that be asking too much, Lord?

Tags: ariel_sharon, bible, book_of_joel, christianity, evangelicals, israel, judaism, messianism, pat_robertson, settlements
Posted in Jews & Judaism, Mideast Peace, Politics & Society | 6 Comments »

Sharon Suffers ‘Significant Stroke’ With ‘Massive Bleeding’

Wednesday, January 4th, 2006

Ariel Sharon’s ambulance pulls into Hadassah Hospital (photo: Baubaunet.com)

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a “significant” stroke with “massive bleeding” in his brain late Wednesday night, according to an official at Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Karem and Sharon’s authority has been transferred to Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
–Haaretz

This is a dreaded day in the life of Israel. The day that Ariel Sharon became incapacitated and could no longer play the super-sized role he’s played on the Israeli political scene for several decades (but especially in the time he’s been premier). While Sharon’s departure from the scene is not a given (many people can recover from such strokes and continue to function somewhat normally), it’s worthwhile speculating on what the future bears. Before I speculate, Robert Rosenberg today (before the news of Sharon’s stroke) published a prescient column at Ariga.com:

The poll [giving Kadima an increased mandate of 41-42 seats] came out on the eve of the prime minister’s angioplastic surgery, meant to repair a small, congenital hole between two of his heart cavities, which doctors say was the reason he suffered a minor stroke recently as a result of a blood clot making its way through the hole. The entire procedure due in Thursday, is said to take about three hours from the time he is given general anesthesia to the time he awakens. His deputy, Ehud Olmert, has been formally named as Sharon’s replacement for those few hours.

Of course, despite all the efforts by the premier’s doctors to put a good face on the show, saying the operation is nearly routine, ’simple,’ etc., any invasive operation is risky, particularly for an overweight man in his 70s who has been taking pills for gout for years and is essentially blind in his left eye.

So far, Sharon’s heath problems have obviously not affected his Kadima campaign adversely, if anything, he is perceived as much more of a machismo, able to go into surgery without batting an eyelash and still manipulate the political arena any way he wants.

But a Sharon departure from the political arena, now or in the inevitable future, is going to be the real ‘big bang’ of Israeli politics, as he and Shimon Peres are the last two Israeli politicians who were adults (albeit young adults) in the War of Independence, the last two who remember the shock of the news about what happened in Europe to the Jews, the last of those who remember the Israeli nation-building of the 1930s-1950s, the last two who remember the nation’s founding father, David Ben Gurion.

When Sharon goes, whenever that happens and for whatever reason, the last of the titans will disappear from the arena and suddenly, it will become a more or less even and level playing field, something it has not been since Sharon’s arrival in the prime minister’s office five years ago. Since then, he has not merely dominated Israeli politics, he has controlled it almost completely, first imposing a no negotiations with the Palestinians policy, and then inventing his unilateral evacuation of Gaza and the northern West Bank around Jenin, a move that was predicted to start an Israeli civil war but in the end took only barely a week from start to finish.

Sharon’s departure is inevitable, of course, since he is only human. But neither his health problems nor his legal problems seem likely yet to drive him off the stage before the national elections on March 28. Still, the possibility that he might be forced out is not far-fetched. Much can happen between now and March 28…

The NY Times also notes this major news story broadcast on Israeli TV on Tuesday night which certainly couldn’t have much reduced Sharon’s stress level:

And Tuesday night, Israeli television showed a document provided by the police to a court seeking the right to investigate computers belonging to two Austrian-based brothers, Martin and James Schlaff, who own part of a casino, now closed, in Jericho, on the West Bank. The police say they believe the computers will contain evidence of a $3 million payment to the Sharon family, at least half of which was used to repay illegal campaign contributions from that same 1999 campaign. The Schlaffs are clients of Dov Weissglas, Mr. Sharon’s own lawyer and close political adviser. But there is apparently no evidence that links any payments to Mr. Sharon himself, making a bribery indictment highly unlikely.

My first impression was that Sharon’s medical team did him a tremendous disservice (and possibly is guilty of malpractice) by not repairing Sharon’s heart immediately after his last stroke. They will certainly come in for much criticism in the coming days especially if Sharon’s health deteriorates or he cannot resume his duties. It would be unconscionable for the nation to lose its political leader due to a doctor’s mistake.

Now, of course, Kadima will be in a shambles. Ehud Olmert takes over. He is a political veteran and longtime number 2 to Sharon. He may be able to fill his shoes. But odds are he will simply not take over Sharon’s mantle. Who could? Tonight, Bibi Netanyahu has to be a happy (if you can use that word in this situation) man. All of a sudden, his arch-nemesis has been sidelined. Doubtless, Bibi feels the prime ministership is his for the asking. No doubt Likud will surge in future polls without Sharon in the picture. But God help us (and the Palestinians) if he wins.

But Labor will also surge because many new Kadima votes have been coming from moderate voters who left the Labor party to join Sharon (and Shimon) when he founded Kadima. Doubtless, those voters will be looking elsewhere and Amir Peretz’s Labor will start looking good to them once more.

In fact, I’m afraid that Sharon’s crisis will revert the Israeli political scene back to the same old stale choices they had before the split from Likud: a hardline ultra-nationalist Likud and a defanged Labor. The only wrinkle to this view is that Peretz’ leadership will guarantee that Labor is no longer defanged. But whether he can carry masses of voters with his renewed vision of Labor remains to be seen.

Doubtless, there will be many Palestinians publicly or privately expressing glee at this development. If those individuals or groups want continued war with Israel then they are right to celebrate. But I’d caution them if they are in favor of the creation of a Palestinian state and full sovereignty for Palestine, then their mirth is misplaced. A Peretz victory might move them closer to their vision for Palestine. But a Netanyahu victory means disaster on the peace front. I’ve deliberately left out the option of a Kadima victory because it now seems so remote. But one must assume that everything is fluid in Israeli politics. There could be a wave of nostalgia and empathy flowing Kadima’s way from the Israeli electorate which might push Olmert to victory. If he does win, he will probably try to carry forward Sharon’s vision, but I doubt he will have the deft tactical political hand of a Sharon. And he will need it if he is to survive as PM.

Israeli politics has not faced a more confused, bereft night since the one on which Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated in 1995, a little more than 10 years ago. And the comparison between the two events is instructive.

In both events, you had a formerly hawkish prime minister who’d discovered a way to moderate his positions in order to advance the cause of peace. Both Rabin and Sharon faced enormous demonization for moderating their politics, Rabin from Likud & other far right groups (one of whose members killed him) and Sharon too from the rump right of Likud. No doubt the stress and hatred both faced contributed significantly to their downfall (though thankfully, Sharon may someday recover at least somewhat from his stroke).

But what is most important in both events is what happened–and in tonight’s case what will happen–after. In the case of Rabin, Shimon Peres inherited his mantle and with the “help” of Palestinian militants who launched a massive terror campaign lost the next election, which in turn brought Bibi to power. This meant the end of Rabin’s turning toward peace and a retrenchment of the Occupation & Israeli intransigence in the face of Palestinian demands for freedom.

If Kadima wins minus Sharon, then one assumes the latter’s policies of creeping toward some sort of peace process (albeit a unilateral one) will continue. Though for how long is a big question. If Peretz wins, then that could mean the biggest breakthrough for peace. But it’s questionable whether his bold social democratic/peace politics can carry enough voters with him in order to win. And if Netanyahu wins it will be just as disastrous when he won in 1996 after Rabin’s murder.

Everything hangs in the balance on this fateful night…

I have one very personal connection to this sad story. My father, Jule Silverstein, died (as with Rabin, also in December, 1995) of a cerebral hemorrhage. Like Sharon, he had gout and serious pain in his legs. His doctor worried that he might have a blood clot in his leg and so prescribed coumadin, a blood thinner. Unfortunately, my dad didn’t monitor his medication level monthly as he should have and it drifted dangerously high. Coumadin at such high levels is likely to cause blood vessels to rupture. I wouldn’t be surprised if coumadin contributed to Sharon’s stroke. It’s a drug that needs to be monitored very carefully.

Tags: ariel_sharon, ehud_olmert, israel, Kadima, labor_party, likud, mideast_politics, stroke
Posted in Mideast Peace | 1 Comment »

Likud is Down and Peres is Out

Thursday, December 1st, 2005

Peres telling the world he’s with Arik. Is this man looking like a walking political cadaver? (credit: AP)

Peres: I’m Outa Here

As usual over the past month, yesterday had tons of fast-paced developments on the Israeli political scene. Peres made public the worst kept secret of Israeli politics–that he’s done with Labor and throwing in his lot with Sharon and Kadima. What I find interesting about Peres’ choice is that while all of Israeli politics has, in the past month, shifted left by a striking degree (Peretz’s Labor leadership victory and Sharon’s abandonment of Likud), Peres is the only one shifting right. To me it indicates that he himself has lost his bearings after his loss to Peretz and that a good portion of his decision is due to rancor toward the new leader. It’s always a shame to make long-term political decisions out of pique and personal hurt.

Peres explained his thinking at a press conference yesterday:

“I don’t believe that it is possible to push forward the peace process in the current political constellation [i.e. by staying in Labor],” Peres said. “I believe the most qualified person for this is Ariel Sharon.

“He will restart the peace process right after the election. I decided to join him and work with him. My party activities have concluded,” he added.

“…I am convinced that he is determined to continue the peace process. I was informed that he is open to creative ideas to attain peace and security. I have decided to support him in the elections and to cooperate with him in attaining these goals.”

“This is a difficult day for me in which I ask myself: What is the central issue standing before the state of Israel in the coming years and at present? I have no doubt that it is the unavoidable combination of peace and diplomatic advances. I ask myself how I can contribute in the coming years, and the answer is by advancing the peace process that will contribute to a thriving economy and social justice.”

“It was not easy but I made the choice and decided.”
[Haaretz]

You’ll note that Peres lauds Sharon for being “open to creative ideas to attain peace and security.” The only creative idea Sharon has had was Gaza disengagement. Now that it’s complete I see no significant new ideas coming from Sharon. The idea of withdrawing from outlying West Bank settlements, which is what Sharon says he’s willing to do does not fall into the “creative” category. From Peres, I see even less creativity.

Peres’ decision was lambasted by former Labor minister Ophir Paz-Pines, who said:

“Fabricated ideological stories of Shimon Peres are embarrassing and fake. There’s no doubt that no one will buy them. The Labor party is committed to peace more than every other party, and Peres’ attempt to excuse his abandonment by talking about peace is pathetic.”

“It’s too bad, because Peres did so much for the State, but he’ll be remembered as someone who abandoned the home which he lead for dozens of years for a party based on personal career interests. No one knows where it [Kadima] came from, and where it is going.”

Haaretz’s latest poll indicates that Peres may (note my reservations below) help Sharon significantly in pulling center-left votes toward Kadima:

Some 30 percent of Israelis said that the departure of former Labor chairman Shimon Peres from the party and his announcement that he was supporting Kadima would increase their chances of voting for the newly formed party headed by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

The survey…asked how Peres’ departure from Labor and his decision to join Kadima would influence respondents’ chances for voting for Sharon’s party. The findings are unequivocal: As of now, Peres is of prime value to Sharon.

I’m no pollster but that term “increase their chances” is vague enough to mean almost anything. I’d rather see them ask would Peres’ switch actually bring them to vote for Kadima. That’s a more solid, quantifiable question. So while the poll is a valid indicator of a positive effect for Sharon, I’m not sure it means all that Haaretz claims.

The poll also claims that 35% of those who voted Likud in the 2003 election and the same percentage of those who voted Labor “said that the Peres factor would increase their chances of voting for Kadima.” Again, note my objection above.

47% of respondents felt that Sharon was “most suited” to be prime minister while only 18% saw Peretz as most suited. Several things should be noted here. First, Israelis don’t vote for prime minister. They vote for parties. So a real test of a voter’s opinion would be to find out which party he supported. It’s less important to know which person he feels would make the best prime minister (though this is not an insignificant issue either). Second, as Sharon has been prime minister for some time and Peretz has been Labor leader for a very short time, I would expect such a gap between them. The key question will be whether Sharon can retain the voters approval in the face of a hard-fought Labor/Peretz campaign. Peretz is known for being a charismatic speaker and forceful personality, something Labor has been without for many years (most of them when led by Shimon Peres).

To all this should be added a Ynet poll which indicates that Kadima would win 34 seats if the election were held yesterday while Labor would win 27. Each party is up by one seat over last week’s poll. So if I were Peretz I wouldn’t despair and if I were Sharon I wouldn’t celebrate. There’s a lot of campaigning to be done between now and March 28th.

Yossi Sarid quits politics

It’s sad to note that one of Israel’s most prominent progressive politicians, Yossi Sarid, has decided to leave the Knesset and politics altogether. He was a former Labor MK and currently serves in the Meretz faction. I had great admiration for his courage and forthrightness in confronting the evils of the occupation.

Sarid appears to feel like someone with little influence in the current political situation:

“Had I known I was to become Education Minister in the next government, I would have had a reason to stay because of my commitment to education,” Sarid said. “Had I known I was to become Justice Minister in the next government to clean the filthy stables, I would have stayed,” he added.

“But being a realist, I know my chances are slim to none, and I have no need to break Guinness World Records like Shimon Peres. I am sick and tired of those who seize the horns of the altar,” Sarid concluded.

Note the zinger he gets in against Peres. He also gets in another dig against Sharon and a heap of praise for Peretz:

The former party leader lauded newly-elected Labor Chairman Amir Peretz, and said that “he already won his first victory by succeeding to shake the entire political system. People have started talking about humanistic values, instead of focusing only on the security situation and the Palestinians.”

“Sharon is an illusion, given the acts he has performed in the occupied territories and Jerusalem, and against the Bedouins and other minorities,” she said.
[Ynet]

Likud in Free-Fall

Perhaps the biggest news is that Likud is rapidly fading into political oblivion (though reports of its demise would be premature at this point). Last week’s Dahaf poll showed them gaining 13 seats if the election had been held then. This week’s poll indicates they’d win 10 seats and fare even more poorly than Shas (the third largest party in today’s Knesset). The party is in deep trauma from which no amount of strategizing seems able to lift it.

As an example, party bigwigs met yesterday to discuss their election plans and their best effort produced this campaign slogan: ““Vote Sharon – get Peres.” I can’t begin to count the ways that this is a lame choice. First, it indicates that you don’t have your own program. You’re only against the other guy. It might work in some situations. But it won’t work in this one because Israelis realize this is a critical election in which their future is at stake regarding issues of war and peace with the Palestinians. They simply won’t settle for someone asking for a vote because he’s not the other guy.

Tags: amir_peretz, ariel_sharon, labor_party, likud, shimon_peres, yossi_sarid
Posted in Mideast Peace | 3 Comments »