Clay Feet Moment

I had receives a number of email messages to the effect that I was put on notice and my membership in the VRWC had entered into a probationary period, as I did not publicly denounce Munich before going to actually view the film, and 2), after viewing the film I did not accuse Spielberg of the sin of moral relativism, and finally I did not accuse Spielberg of unnecessarily humanizing PLO thugs.

No doubt, after I write this, I will receive emails advising me that membership in VRCW has been rescinded indefinitely. Oh well, and so it goes. I just read this in Charles Krauthammer’s latest column in the NY Daily News and it made me go “huh?”

The success of this fence-plus-unilateral-withdrawal strategy is easily seen in the collapse of the intifadeh. Palestinian terror attacks are down 90%. Israel's economy has revived. In 2005 it grew at the fastest rate in the entire West. Tourists are back, and the country has regained its confidence.

Just where is Krauthammer getting his figures from when he claims terrorist attacks on Israelis are down by 90%? Who supplied the numbers he is attempting to juggle to get that calculation – Islamic Jihad, Hamas or the PA? Who knows, maybe Iran supplied the data.

According to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2005 Terror Review dated January 2, 2006 there were a total of 2,990 terror attacks against Israeli citizens which represented a 60% decline from 2004 levels but rocket attacks from Gaza has risen sharply since the Israeli disengagement and exceeded the total number of rockets fired upon Israeli targets in 2004.

I am not particularly gifted mathematically but even I can calculate for there to be a reduction of 90% in the total of terror attacks against Israelis in 2005 there must have been approximately 29,990 attacks in 2004. Not so, according to the Israeli government figures for 2004/2005. If you don’t think the difference between 60% - 90% is significant, I suggest that you send me 30% of your weekly take home pay cheque immediately. Obviously, I can appreciate it more than you.

I guess what really got under my skin about the Krauthammer column today is that I use to get enjoyment out of reading his column and admired his thinking, but now I am left to speculate just how much unearned latitude or the weight I have given his arguments in the past that is just as undeserved. Everyone looks good if one’s allowed to make it up as you go along.

Today’s column is an attempt to portray the disengagement from Gaza as a good thing (now is the time to put on your VRCW issue rosy glasses) but I have yet to see any tangible benefits that have outweighed the very physical, emotional and financial costs of the Israeli disengagement, but unlike Krauthammer, I am content to watch and wait for the full weight of the judgment of history rather than attempting to rewrite the reality on the ground to further my opinions.

It’s true the Israeli economy has made an astounding rebound after four years of the Palestinian Intifada but I would suggest that it had more to do with the budgets and fiscal reform policies of former Israeli Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The erection of the security fence and the heightened security measures have contributed more to the revival of the tourist trade in Israel than any alleged benefit brought by the Israeli disengagement from Gaza. In fact, the unilateral disengagement was not completed until the end of August but the re-growth in tourism can be sourced long before four months ago.

(tipped off by Neale News)