« Norway? No Way! | Main | Video Exposes BBC Flouting of Editorial Guidelines »
March 31, 2011
Eldar on Who Started the War
In his column Monday berating the Israeli leadership for not having accepted the Arab League initiative, veteran Ha'aretz journalist Akiva Eldar provides another example of his selective vision ("Arab peace initiative is another missed opportunity for Israel"). He writes:
Instead of making peace with all the Arab states, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon launched a war against the Palestinians the day after the March 2002 Arab League summit: In response to the murder of 30 Israelis in the Hamas suicide attack at a Passover seder in Netanya's Park Hotel, he ordered the army to reoccupy the territories (Operation Defensive Shield ).
That is an interesting take on reality. If Eldar considers Operation "Defensive Shield" the launching of a war against the Palestinians, how does he describe the year and a half-long terror offensive directed against Israel which preceded the operation? In Eldar's mind, was the murder and carnage of Israelis on buses, cafes, and pizzerias, and the firing of rockets at Israeli towns -- which first began in the beginning of 2001 -- simply the normal course of affairs?
Eldar's sentence reflects his worldview in which methodical and institutionalized Palestinian violence against Israelis is natural and acceptable. Yet, when Israel responds (after 135 Israelis were murdered in one month alone), and attacks in return in order to defend its citizens, and not to murder innocent civilians indiscriminately, Eldar accuses Israel of "launch[ing] a war."
-- By Yishai Goldflam
For the Hebrew version of this blog post, visit CAMERA's Israeli site, Presspectiva.
Posted by TS at March 31, 2011 04:03 AM
Comments
Even if Sharon had "launched a war", the fact is that he agreed in 2002 to talk about the initiative as did Olmert in 2006 and 2007. The Arab repsonse is that it was a take it or leave it proposal.
Posted by: Danny at March 31, 2011 07:39 AM
Who planned the war :
Marwan Barghouti came to Yossi Beilin in 2000 before Camp David and threatened with Intifada
"He is responsible more than anybody for the Second Intifada.If I have to put the finger on someone who created the Second Intifada with his own hands."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QjcTPXEWiU
Barghouti planned a Hezbollah type war:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi9uTcVrJZ4
Posted by: Jed at March 31, 2011 12:37 PM
Guidelines for posting
This is a moderated blog. We will not post comments that include racism, bigotry, threats, or factually inaccurate material.