Israel's Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert seems to have a frightening degree of tunnel vision. Each time there is a Palestinian incident, the sort which have been happening for years, the New PM cries this is "an act of war".
Given the worlds focus elsewhere for now, I guess he sees the opportunity to solve the old Palestinian question once and for all, with wholesale slaughter.
Not content to smash them on disputed Israeli territory, the military is now leaping across the Lebanese border again.
Regardless of the short term outcome of Olmert’s adventures, he seems intent on entrenching Israel as an embattled state, forever at war.
This must be the ultimate conclusion when leaders engage in the politics of fear. Israel was born out of a dubious struggle; its hero’s all self confessed terrorists. It has survived on the collective national nerves and fears since the start.
Perhaps it is a nation which simply cannot exist outside confrontation. If that is the case, then Olmert has ensured plenty to come.
4 comments:
Good point Kvatch.
Everyone will focus on the incident, which is bad, but the real story in the end will be Isreal's heavy handed response and what that means for the region.
Cartledge,
Do you have any information on where exactly the incident took place?
PT, I've been tied up writing a piece on Italy's Savoy. A waste of space I know, but what is a bloke to do?
No, apart from picking up the news pieces I havn't gone digging.
Okay, get your maps out. One area on the Lebanon border is the Israeli Palmonit border post, also known as the old Karkom position.
When this mess started, and possibly could have been contained with some strong words from the Bush admin (aka Israel's money spigot), Bush simply said that Israel has a right to defend itself.
Well sure, but you don't destroy an entire neighborhood because someone who injured you happens to live somewhere inside it.
And now, this is threatening to explode into a wider war. Heckuva job, Georgie.
Great post, Cartledge.
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