Israel's Chief of Staff Denounces Policies Against Palestinians

[duvinnie]

ERUSALEM, Oct. 29 — Israel's top-ranking soldier said that current hard-line policies against the Palestinians were working against Israel's "strategic interest" and had contributed to the downfall of the previous Palestinian prime minister, Israeli news organizations reported on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was described as "furious" about the comments, attributed to Lt. Gen. Moshe Yaalon, the military's chief of staff, Israeli television stations reported later in the day.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/30/international/middleeast/30MIDE.html?ex=1068094800&en=09b23e419c0dfa34&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

[Sperk]

1. HA! HA! Take that Sharon, the truth hurts, doesn't it?

another evildoer in a position of power! :mad:

[Flying_Pig]

2. I am delighted Sharon is upset. Perhaps it will lead to the end for

this fat fascist. Gen. Yaalon is one of many in Israel's military who are now speaking out. Perhaps there is a military coup in the offing (please!, please!)?

It seems almost daily now, reports are coming from Israel that everyone from rabbis to generals are openly, and loudly, protesting Sharon's policies. Strange, that there is a small, but loud group here at DU, that supports Sharon's policies hell or high water. Maybe even they will now take pause for thought.

The path to peace does not lay with porcine fascists like Sharon and Bush, but with people like Yaalon.

[madrchsod]

3. seems like the idf

is realizing that killing the innocents is costing them the core of what it means to be a soldier. do they now realize that sharon is a mad man?

[burntbuckwheats]

4. I hope it does not embolden hamas and other terror groups

We don't need any more innocents murdered.

[Matilda]

6. Palestinian innocents are being murdered every day.

And in much greater numbers than Israeli innocents.

[Merlin]

5. Well, now, golly! A little insight into the workings of rebellion.

I'm astounded that an Israeli general actually had the acumen to realize this obvious fact. If you treat people hatefully, they will reciprocate. If you deprive them of all hope, they will rebel. If you supress them, they will turn to guerilla activities. Why is this so damn hard for right wingers to understand?????

[The Magistrate]

15. Gen. Ya'alon Is Good At The Work, My Friend

Any sound understanding of guerrilla war indicates it is more of a political than a military struggle, and that the use of purely military means against it, or of military means without an understanding and awareness of their political effect, is sure to fail in the long run.

[loudnclear]

7. Good for him. I hope he survives.

Blessed are the peacemakers.

[Djinn]

8. nice to hear but

don't know if I could go so far as calling Yaalon a peacemaker

Feb 2001 - Gen. Yaalon said that the pullback "fired up the fighting spirit of the Palestinians… It will be a grave error if Israel continues to pull out of other areas or settlements under fire."

In 1984 in testimony to a Israeli panel investigating the Hebron Mosque massacre Yaalon stated that he did not "imagine for a moment that a Jew could do such a thing."

and just earlier this year he was "prepared to launch a ground invasion of Gaza"

not to mention that he was the head of the OCCUPYING force for years.

[regnaD kciN]

9. That's kind of the point...

If a standard left-wing Israeli pacifist like Uri Avnery or Amos Oz (as much as I like either of them) comes out attacking the IDF treatment of Palestinians, where's the news? However, when one of the more well-known hard-liners (and a military man at that) says the same thing, it may be a sign that things are shifting.

[Djinn]

10. I'd like to beleive that

but Yaalon doesn't actually think the treatment of said Palestinians is wrong per se just that it isn't in Israel's strategic interests, that's not really a good reason for not killing people

[illumn8d]

11. Sadly....

that may have to be good enough for now.

[The Magistrate]

16. None Of The Comments You Reference Above, Ms. Djinn

Demonstrate anything adverse about Gen. Ya'alon.

The comment that withdrawl from Lebanon emboldened some of Israel's enemies is a reasonable judgement, and the second is no more than a reflection of shock and dismay at a grotesquely criminal act by an Israeli radical. Shortly after the September attacks against the United States, you may recall, many "man in the street" interviews in the Islamic world reported ordinary Moslems commenting that they could not believe a Muslim could do such a deed.

On your final point, Ma'am, it has always seemed to me that a pragmatic judgement is a much surer ground than moral principle in guiding behavior, such that the conclusion something cannot work is worth much more than the idea that it is wrong.

[Djinn]

18. they werent supposed to

I just didn't like the man in charge of the occupation being called a peace maker because he said it's getting politically tricky to keep killing palestinians - that was the only point I was making

[sushi]

19. I'm just surprised

it took him this long to realize that to keep killing is not in their own interest.

[Zhade]

12. Excellent.

Oh, but wait - surely there will be some here at DU who will now denounce this soldier as "anti-Semitic"! :eyes:

[bluesoul]

13. Well

Then they are to the right of the IDF as one DU-er nicely put ;-)

[Adalah]

14. We can hope this is an indication

that Israel's policies may get tugged a bit to the left. I fear, though, this will just lead to a rebuke of the "whistleblower". Anything putting a dent into Sharafat is good news.

[edzontar]

17. A sign of hope, I hope.

Rabin was a man of war who saw the better way too.

They killed him , of course, for his efforts.

We can only hope that this gentleman is more successful in bringing a change.