It is not a secret that Caroline Glick's infatuation (politically-wise only, of course) with Bibi has been replaced lately by a markedly cooler attitude. Her latest JP column Exposing the puppetmasters shows that her heart is captured by another hero. I avoid the word "knight", because in my worstest nightmares I cannot use it in this case, and I hope you are with me on this point.
In the article Caroline rushes to the defense of indefensible: the highly unfortunate Knesset decision to create a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the foreign funding of Israeli NGO. Let me start with a few words of explanation: NGOs are non-profit organizations, bound to keep publicly accessible reports of their incoming moneys and the sources of their financing, as well as of the use of the money. We have enough financial institutions, such as the omnipresent Tax Authority, the ministry of finance, the comptroller office, eventually the police for especially hardy cases of financial mayhem. There is nothing this new commission could (or is qualified to) do better than the above mentioned institutions.
Clearly the initiators of the whole idea had something other in mind than just some financial monkey business. And this something doesn't have much to do with transparency, but much more to do with politics and with Lieberman's totalitarian mindset (not only Lieberman's but many of his party's notables and his supporters from other parties). Of course, Lieberman means much more than the finances: according to Caroline herself:
He said that these groups “help terrorists, and their main aim is to weaken the IDF and its ability to protect the citizens of the State of Israel.”Even if we disregard the incendiary and Soviet-like language for now - if these allegations are even half-true, why didn't Lieberman call the General Security Services (Shin Bet) and the police to act on his behalf and on behalf of his endangered motherland? Doesn't he know the relevant phone numbers? Guess...
But Caroline, although (unlike Lieberman) born and raised in a democratic country, doesn't seem to notice his clearly totalitarian and thuggish behavior - if anything, it makes her hot under the collar. She applauds his thuggery as if it was a shining example of bravery and nobility. And when he attacks Tzippi Livni who opposes the commission or when he loses it totally, calling Likud (!) ministers “traitors to the national camp” (why not call them "enemies of the people" directly?) , this Chicago - bred girl adores him even more!
I can't abide a few of the NGOs Caroline mentions in the article, am indifferent to others and see some sense in two or three of the rest. But in any case, rushing into a witch hunt of this intensity is an indication of a sickness, of some bug we caught and definitely don't know how to treat.
Funnily, the article is very long for one simple reason: Caroline, with a great deal of expertise and knowledge, tells about funding of many NGOs, making it even more unclear why do we need to have this abominable commission. What is clear that never in the short history of the state of Israel there was a danger to its democratic institutions such as Yvette/Avigdor Lieberman and his thuggish cohorts. And if there is a person who should be investigated for causing extensive damage to the image and international standing of Israel during the reign of the current government, it is no other than Mr Lieberman himself.
Interestingly, in the same edition of JP appears an article The battle of rights and wrongs by Liat Collins, where Liat, another foreign-bred JP journalist, opposes the committee, albeit in her usual chirpy and unfocused manner. But her conclusion hits the spot:
No wonder Israeli commentators have been struggling to pronounce the word “McCarthyism.” This is not just a slippery slope; it’s a slippery slope with land mines.This is a slippery slope indeed. And we seem to be willingly skating towards it, while a leading editor of a leading Israeli English newspaper lauds the person who pushes us all to that slope...
Cross-posted on Yourish.com
13 comments:
For someone who grew up in one of the former communist countries, like myself (and Lieberman), the far left is the monster under the bed. You can't imagine how hard it is for me to accept that far left parties and NGOs should be protected by the same democracy they would gladly abolish if they come to power.
You're right, of course. Tolerating the intolerants is democratic. Still, democracy should draw a red line somewhere, with a big "Do not cross" all over it. Where do we draw it?
As someone who grew in one of these places too, Pisa, I have developed some sensitivity to any attempt to undermine my individual rights and/or to undermine democracy.
I suggest that both far left and far right are monsters under our beds and the area under our beds should be cleaned and disinfected from time to time accordingly.
As for drawing the line: I think that we have enough laws and institutions who can assist with drawing that line. Of course, having a constitution could help as well, but as it is we are protected well enough.
Well, as someone who grew up listening to Radio Moscow on shortwave and marveling at such acclaimed things as all the electric cars tooling around Red Square while the West choked on gasoline emissions, only to discover that it was all a big, official lie, I agree with you both.
But Israel has no constitution? Why not?
Oh constitution: the main reason is a big gap between view of religious and secular Israelis on the relation state-religion and other related things. Now a quote:
Israel doesn't have a constitution in a single document, but it does have one in the form of laws and court decisions that lay down the foundations of overnment and the rights of individual citizens. These are found in:
1. The Basic Laws of Israel;
2. Other laws passed from time to time;
By the way, UK doesn't have one too, if I remember correctly.
No written constitution here. I've never felt that we've been at a disadvantage not having one given that constitutions seem to be amended with some frequency.
As for Lieberman, he still strikes me as an arse
I am for the state of Israel. Consider myself a Zionist. Howeve I don't believe that Israel is without criticism. OTOH I 'm not into criticising sans justification. No nation is perfect. Nations are composed of people and nobody is without fault. Likewise countries. I belong to the Yahoo group Shalom, Saalam. Its basically a group that is trying to spread peace, equality to all sides of the issue. Fairness isn't fair unless its fair to everyone. My site is a spoof of etiquette manuals http://societyfordaintydamsels.wordpress.com
As someone who also grew up in a communist country, I am 100% with Snoopy on this one. Also, I think that this is a very nice post (albeit not so little).
Weird how most "Russian" Jews seem to like this scumbag Lieberman. Disproves the "Ashkenazi intelligence" theory.
Agreed on both points. I would add "big" to the second point, though.
Good point.
It almost seems as if Lieberman & Co. have read extensively about Joe McCarthy and his fellow Red-Baiters. Using a Knesset Committee investigate the NGO's financing is right out of the Witch Hunters handbook. I suppose Lieberman will soon be waving a sheet of paper proclaiming it has the names of supposedly pro-Arab members of various just like McCarthy use to do with his lists of supposed Communists in the US Govt.
I doubt Lieberman read anything extensively. Otherwise I agree.
The title of this post had me confused. I thought you were referring to Joe Lieberman and wondered if Caroline was Kennedy...
Nope, this is our treasure...
Post a Comment