The surest path to advancement in Israeli politics is either to kill Arabs with your own hands or advocate murdering the leaders of Arab nations. Israeli housing minister, Yoav Galant, has made a remarkable call for the assassination of Syrian Pres. Bashar al-Assad. He did so supposedly in response to the horrific news that Syrian forces may have established a prison crematorium to dispose of bodies of prisoners of the regime:
“The reality of the situation today in Syria, in which they are executing people, using chemical attacks against them, and the latest extreme measure — burning their corpses, something which we haven’t seen in 70 years in this world — we’re crossing a red line,” Galant said Tuesday at a military conference in Israel. “In my opinion, it’s time to eliminate Assad.”
After cutting off what he described as “the snake’s tail,” then “we’ll be able to get to its head, which sits in Tehran,” Galant said.
Israel has never been known for reticence in rattling sabers against its enemies. But this is even more grotesque than the usual “banter” that Israeli generals and politicians reserve for discussion of their regional enemies. While there’s no doubt that both sides of the conflict in Syria are guilty of heinous acts, the idea that an Israeli ex-general and junior cabinet minister should take it upon himself to advocate an outright war crime is breathtaking.
Israeli politicians don’t make their reputations in the way most do in western democracies. They eschew passing major pieces of legislation which aid the population. They don’t champion social justice causes or the cause of the downtrodden. They don’t campaign for human rights. They ‘hate on’ Arabs. That’s the surest way to win the popularity contest in the crazy system that is Israeli politics.
So many junior politicians have advocated murdering one or another of Israel’s enemies it’s hard to focus on one as an example. But the most obvious is Ehud Olmert, when serving as deputy prime minister to Ariel Sharon, suggested assassinating Yasser Arafat. He did this both to float an idea and test the response of the world; and to bolster his street cred among hard-core Likud voters. After Olmert made this statement, the Israeli cabinet actually approved the murder. Then guess what happened? Arafat died. And Sharon led his confidants to believe that he’d ordered his murder. Guess who became prime minister when Sharon suffered a major stroke? You guessed it. Killing Arabs? Can’t hurt.
Galant has done something of the same thing. Israeli politicians are a little like Mafia made-men. When you first begin you serve the Don. You do him favors, run errands. Eventually, you’re assigned to murder an enemy. And another. The better you do your job the higher you rise in the hierarchy.
Galant, at one time, was almost appointed IDF chief of staff. But his greed had caused him to build an addition to his home on state land he didn’t own. When this was exposed and reported by the media, Gallant lost his opportunity. As a result, his stock sank and he only managed the settlement portfolio in the government. This is the ministry responsible for building all that housing in those illegal settlements. As such, Galant earns lots of points from settlers who are the true power-brokers in the government. By putting in his time, he hopes he will be rewarded with more senior assignments and eventually vie for leadership when Bibi’s days as prime minister end.
Showing you have a knife in your teeth when it comes to the Arab enemy is a sure path to success for the Israeli pol.
What “war crime” is he calling for exactly?
Israel and Syria are in a state of declared war since ’48. That hasn’t changed. Leadership decapitation during war is not a war crime.
@ HaHa: I’d like to see that adjudicated in the Hague. With any luck Galant will end up there & you can be his defense counsel. With the arguments you offer here he’ll spend the rest of his life in jail.
So you would have no problem if Arab nations assassinated Israeli prime ministers? Yeah, I didn’t think you’d have the courage of your so-called convictions. Meaning you’re a friggin’ hypocrite…
HaHa: “What “war crime” is he calling for exactly?”
There is a ceasefire in place. Has been since the end of the Yom Kippur War, and agreed to by both Syria and Israel.
To assassinate the President of Syria when there is a ceasefire in place is, without dispute, a war crime.
HaHa: “Israel and Syria are in a state of declared war since ’48.”
No, in fact, that statement is demonstrably untrue. Neither Syria nor Israel “declared war” on the other in 1948, and neither has done so at any time since.
There was an armed conflict between the two in 1948. And again in 1967. And again in 1973.
But on none of those occasions was a declaration of war issued by either side – they simply started shooting at each other (i.e. “armed conflict”), and kept up the shooting until both sides agreed to cease (i.e. “ceasefire”).
HaHa: “Leadership decapitation during war is not a war crime.”
There is no “war” between Syria and Israel. The last such “war” was the Yom Kippur War, and it ended long ago.
I can even tell you the exact day it ended: October 25 1973.
You as simply mouthing obsolete phrases to try to justify the unacceptable, which is the assassination of the leader of one country on the order of the leadership of another country in the absence of an armed conflict.
If you want to understand just how unacceptable such an act would be then simply turn it on its head: ask yourself what your reaction would be if Bashir Assad were to order the assassination of Bibi Netanyahu.
@ Yeah Right: Ha ha or someone like him (they all start to blur together after a while & may indeed be the same person!) claimed he would have no problem with such a murder. Which only makes him a fool for thinking we’d believe his lies.
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Yeah I must say, I’m not impressed with Galant here, but I also wouldn’t shed a tear if someone took out that butcher.
@ Shay: The problem with taking out the top “butcher” is lots of little butchers clamor to take his place & they’re worse than the former top guy. Take Libya for example. Or Egypt under Mubarak. I’m not a fan of dictators or strongmen. But what do you replace them with? If you can install a democratic or popular government fine. But how many nations even have such a tradition? Unfortunately, Tunisia seems to be an exception so far. Iraq is a holy mess. Afghanistan, the same. Lebanon is functional–somewhat. Turkey, once a bright spot, is also a mess.
Richard – all you examples are of Muslim countries. That is not politically correct!
2nd – how can a person who write such pessimistic statement believe in a 1-state solution? Do Palestinians have “such tradition”? Do Israelis?
Assad is a far more civilized leader than Bibi is
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@Willem: Nuts to you. I’m beginning to think you’re a troll.
Of course you’re a troll. And you think it’s a clever trick to adopt the name of a Dutch Nazi collaborator, Willem Sassen. I thought that name rang a bell from my memories of WWII history.