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Kalt und fest
By Moshe Arens
Ha'aretz
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/kalt-und-fest-1.294597
June 7 2010
Israel
Israelis frightened by the avalanche of criticism against Israel:
Don't press the panic button.
Many years ago, when Ze'ev Jabotinsky and his followers were assaulted
by waves of hatred and anger and called fascists and murderers,
he issued a call to his adherents: "Kalt und fest!" - Cool and
firm! This too shall pass. This advice is appropriate today to
Israelis, supporters of Israel and all those who are engaged in the
war against terrorism, in the face of the almost universal condemnation
leveled against Israel.
Israeli Navy personnel board one of the ships of the Gaza aid flotilla
on Monday May 31, 2010.
Photo by: Getty Images
The incident off Israel's coast last week was no more than a skirmish
in a long war against international terror, a war in which the
terrorists will be defeated regardless of the public relations experts
they may hire and the many naive bleeding hearts throughout the world
who naively lend them their support in the mistaken belief that they
are "freedom fighters" who are justified in using terror as a weapon.
What happened off the coast of Israel early Monday morning? Israel
fell for a fast one engineered by the Turkish organizers of this
"humanitarian" flotilla, who adamantly refused to allow Israel to
send, via Ashdod, the supplies they were bringing for the residents
of the Gaza Strip. Aware that there was no humanitarian crisis in
Gaza and that Israel was trucking in tons of supplies every day while
the Egyptians insisted on closing their border with the Gaza Strip,
these organizers were out to demonstrate that they could confront
Israel and win.
In Turkey the ship took in a gang of hooligans, armed with iron bars,
knives and other implements and intent on bludgeoning to death any
Israeli soldiers who might board their ship.
And bludgeon, beat and knife the young Israelis they did. Were it
not for the bravery of these naval commandos, who used their weapons
only as a last resort, after being attacked, many Israelis would have
attended military funerals the next day. Instead, they are visiting
the injured soldiers in the hospital.
These "humanitarian" hooligans, their pockets stuffed with dollar
bills, did not even present themselves as humanitarian volunteers.
They refuse to divulge their identities after they were apprehended.
Who are they? Certainly not do-gooders, concerned for the welfare of
the population in Gaza. Who hired and funded them? That will surely
become clear in the coming days.
It is at a time like this that people show their true colors. Take,
for example, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. For some
months he has been escalating his attacks against Israel. But now he
has become genuinely vicious and threatening, allying himself with
Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Erdogan is making it clear that
not only is he not a friend of Israel, but is allied with Israel's
enemies. And this man, who represents the country that committed
genocide against the Armenians and is now persecuting its Kurdish
population, is preaching to Israel about how to behave humanely.
One can only wonder what our former prime minister, Ehud Olmert,
had in mind when he asked Erdogan to mediate between Israel and
Syria. The European Union, some of whose members have joined the
chorus of criticism against Israel, nevertheless wants to keep this
kind of Turkey out of the EU.
A word to those Israeli Arabs who are again declaring support for
Israel's enemies. They do not represent the majority of Israel's
Arab citizens, but they are doing their level best to damage the
relationship between Jews and Arabs in Israel.
As for Ra'ad Salah, head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement
- a subversive movement that is allied with Hamas and should have
been outlawed long ago - it was no surprise to see him on board the
Turkish boat. He should have been in jail rather than cruising on
the Mediterranean with the Turkish hoodlums.
And I say to those Israelis, frightened by the avalanche of
criticism against Israel, who are running for cover and accusing the
government rather than explaining the problem for Israel of Gaza's
being controlled by Hamas, which is allied with Hezbollah and Iran:
Don't press the panic button. Kalt und fest!
From: A. Papazian
By Moshe Arens
Ha'aretz
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/kalt-und-fest-1.294597
June 7 2010
Israel
Israelis frightened by the avalanche of criticism against Israel:
Don't press the panic button.
Many years ago, when Ze'ev Jabotinsky and his followers were assaulted
by waves of hatred and anger and called fascists and murderers,
he issued a call to his adherents: "Kalt und fest!" - Cool and
firm! This too shall pass. This advice is appropriate today to
Israelis, supporters of Israel and all those who are engaged in the
war against terrorism, in the face of the almost universal condemnation
leveled against Israel.
Israeli Navy personnel board one of the ships of the Gaza aid flotilla
on Monday May 31, 2010.
Photo by: Getty Images
The incident off Israel's coast last week was no more than a skirmish
in a long war against international terror, a war in which the
terrorists will be defeated regardless of the public relations experts
they may hire and the many naive bleeding hearts throughout the world
who naively lend them their support in the mistaken belief that they
are "freedom fighters" who are justified in using terror as a weapon.
What happened off the coast of Israel early Monday morning? Israel
fell for a fast one engineered by the Turkish organizers of this
"humanitarian" flotilla, who adamantly refused to allow Israel to
send, via Ashdod, the supplies they were bringing for the residents
of the Gaza Strip. Aware that there was no humanitarian crisis in
Gaza and that Israel was trucking in tons of supplies every day while
the Egyptians insisted on closing their border with the Gaza Strip,
these organizers were out to demonstrate that they could confront
Israel and win.
In Turkey the ship took in a gang of hooligans, armed with iron bars,
knives and other implements and intent on bludgeoning to death any
Israeli soldiers who might board their ship.
And bludgeon, beat and knife the young Israelis they did. Were it
not for the bravery of these naval commandos, who used their weapons
only as a last resort, after being attacked, many Israelis would have
attended military funerals the next day. Instead, they are visiting
the injured soldiers in the hospital.
These "humanitarian" hooligans, their pockets stuffed with dollar
bills, did not even present themselves as humanitarian volunteers.
They refuse to divulge their identities after they were apprehended.
Who are they? Certainly not do-gooders, concerned for the welfare of
the population in Gaza. Who hired and funded them? That will surely
become clear in the coming days.
It is at a time like this that people show their true colors. Take,
for example, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. For some
months he has been escalating his attacks against Israel. But now he
has become genuinely vicious and threatening, allying himself with
Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Erdogan is making it clear that
not only is he not a friend of Israel, but is allied with Israel's
enemies. And this man, who represents the country that committed
genocide against the Armenians and is now persecuting its Kurdish
population, is preaching to Israel about how to behave humanely.
One can only wonder what our former prime minister, Ehud Olmert,
had in mind when he asked Erdogan to mediate between Israel and
Syria. The European Union, some of whose members have joined the
chorus of criticism against Israel, nevertheless wants to keep this
kind of Turkey out of the EU.
A word to those Israeli Arabs who are again declaring support for
Israel's enemies. They do not represent the majority of Israel's
Arab citizens, but they are doing their level best to damage the
relationship between Jews and Arabs in Israel.
As for Ra'ad Salah, head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement
- a subversive movement that is allied with Hamas and should have
been outlawed long ago - it was no surprise to see him on board the
Turkish boat. He should have been in jail rather than cruising on
the Mediterranean with the Turkish hoodlums.
And I say to those Israelis, frightened by the avalanche of
criticism against Israel, who are running for cover and accusing the
government rather than explaining the problem for Israel of Gaza's
being controlled by Hamas, which is allied with Hezbollah and Iran:
Don't press the panic button. Kalt und fest!
From: A. Papazian