A divider not a uniter
A divider not a uniter
I've attributed PM Sharon's political success to his ability to build coalitions and bring people together. In the past that has meant that many of those who opposed him ideologically didn't shun him but felt they could work with them.
What's bothered me more than the disengagement is the way PM Sharon has gone about it; sowing ever more divisiveness instead of trying to build a coalition to support it. Anyone in government who is against disengagement is fired. Anyone outside of government who is against disengagement is treated as a threat.
PM Sharon's latest blow to unity is his worst so far. He has chosen to set his sights on one of the great Jews of our generation, Natan Sharansky. Because Sharansky is skeptical of the disengagement plan and won't support it, Sharon made it clear that Sharansky was not acceptable to head the Jewish Agency.
I know that some of my blog friends have expressed skepticism toward Sharansky, but I remain a great admirer. As a politician he was a bust. He never built a constituency. (In another country maybe he would have. As a former political prisoner made good, elsewhere he would have been lionized by the press and received lots of free publicity, but in Israel, he didn't believe all the necessary catechisms to be respected by the media.) But heading the Jewish Agency probably would have been an ideal position as it would have involved reaching out to worldwide Jewry. (There's a bitter irony here too. Sharansky fought then PM Barak's efforts to "compromise." He was, in part, responsible for Barak's fall and Sharon's rise. But Sharon doesn't seem to be grateful these days.)
So that's what it's come down to. Either you're with me politically or you're against me. But it's OK to shoot and kill Jews you'll still get your reward.
"Dor tahapuchos heimah."
Crossposted on Israpundit and Soccer Dad.
Posted by David Gerstman at June 27, 2005 06:00 AM
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A divider not a uniter
I've attributed PM Sharon's political success to his ability to build coalitions and bring people together. In the past that has meant that many of those who opposed him ideologically didn't shun him but felt they could work with them.
What's bothered me more than the disengagement is the way PM Sharon has gone about it; sowing ever more divisiveness instead of trying to build a coalition to support it. Anyone in government who is against disengagement is fired. Anyone outside of government who is against disengagement is treated as a threat.
PM Sharon's latest blow to unity is his worst so far. He has chosen to set his sights on one of the great Jews of our generation, Natan Sharansky. Because Sharansky is skeptical of the disengagement plan and won't support it, Sharon made it clear that Sharansky was not acceptable to head the Jewish Agency.
I know that some of my blog friends have expressed skepticism toward Sharansky, but I remain a great admirer. As a politician he was a bust. He never built a constituency. (In another country maybe he would have. As a former political prisoner made good, elsewhere he would have been lionized by the press and received lots of free publicity, but in Israel, he didn't believe all the necessary catechisms to be respected by the media.) But heading the Jewish Agency probably would have been an ideal position as it would have involved reaching out to worldwide Jewry. (There's a bitter irony here too. Sharansky fought then PM Barak's efforts to "compromise." He was, in part, responsible for Barak's fall and Sharon's rise. But Sharon doesn't seem to be grateful these days.)
So that's what it's come down to. Either you're with me politically or you're against me. But it's OK to shoot and kill Jews you'll still get your reward.
"Dor tahapuchos heimah."
Crossposted on Israpundit and Soccer Dad.
Posted by David Gerstman at June 27, 2005 06:00 AM