The latest Haveil Havelim is chockfull of interesting posts. I have started going through the list, but got to a screeching halt at two posts by Batya of Shiloh Musings.
I know it's bad form to argue with a fellow Israeli blogger. Some of the bloggers prefer to avoid this at all costs, ignoring the differences in favor of the principles that unite us. Unfortunately, sometimes one must do what one must do. As a matter of fact, I have already reflected on Batya's no nonsense and no prisoners taken attitude to the matter of the High Court of Justice that got a righteous trashing by Batya for just being what it is.
To start with the review of these two posts: I rather like that fire and brimstone approach:
The Prime Minister and movers and shakers are in a manic frenzy, like some bulimic anorexics, convinced that they're burdened with unnecessary and dangerous fat.
Leaving aside the observation that the above quote is a bit of a mixed metaphor (after all the only frenzied activity a bulimic anorexic is able to display is when getting to a suitable position for a barf), it is certainly a clear statement that does not leave any room for doubt about Batya's attitude.
Following this broadside by the mandatory lecture about the puny Israel surrounded by huge enemies and a reminder about Qassams falling around, Batya delivers the next slap to the minister of defence, that is busily plotting against our settlers instead of doing his job.
Taking care of the terrorists is not important according to Peretz's priorities. He's too busy planning how to destroy more Jewish communities and exile more innocent Israeli citizens from their homes. This of course is instead of protecting Israeli citizens from Arab rockets and Arab terrorism.
There are a lot of additional slaps Batya distributes freely, but at least she puts some balm on the resulting wounds by celebrating the lowering fertility rate among Israeli Arab women. She also avoids taking us all to task for the neglect of Iran.
I know that I've been ignoring Iran. We just have so many other problems.
Thanks deity for this, at least... But why is that we are suffering Batya's wrath? It is simple, and the answer could be found in that second (earlier) post. In it Batya takes us all to task for the lack of daring and for three deadly sins: morality, pragmatism and democracy. No more and no less. According to Batya, it seems, freed from these three sins we'd have conquered the world.
She uses the Parshat Shlach Lecha - The Case of the Holy Sinners to drive her point. This is what she says about the spies:
They weren't sent for a "pragmatic analysis" of the relative defensive and military strength, and demographic predictions according to the Egyptian supreme court...
More is the pity, Batya. If they have done all that really on the level, like a good preliminary study, we may have ended up to the north of where we are now, more or less where the modern Turkey is (all that water and straddling the straits) or, vice versa, to the south, where Saudis sit on all this oil. See what I mean?
I wouldn't bore the reader by too many quotes from this fiery post, coming to the concluding paragraph:
There are three things that endanger us:
- pragmatism
- democracy
- morality
I don't know, Batya. For some reason your plan is too similar to the model that is currently being entertained by these Iranian folks. You know, the ones you did not want to deal with in the previous post.
...do you really want to live behind barbed wire in a ghetto?
I really don't know what to answer, Batya. Between the barbed wire we put up between us and our neighbors and the barbed wire that king of yours will undoubtedly prepare for some of us - I really don't know (OK, I know, but make a guess).
So I do not have an alternative, but to repeat myself: be well, Batya, and do not play politics. Se geit shtark shlecht.
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