It was a very slick tactical move by Olmert for bringing Lieberman and his party into the Kadima coalition on two distinct tactical levels. Lieberman’s party brings 11 seats to the coalition so Olmert’s majority has now increased to 78 members which strengths Olmert’s hand, and Lieberman offers the public eye something else to focus on rather than Olmert’s perpetual mismanagement. Talk about divide and rule in action.
I have no idea if Lieberman is a racist as many claim, he could very well be, but these remarks don’t make the bar that I set. Here’s Ha’aretz account of the reactions to what Lieberman has been saying:
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Sunday that he did not agree with Cabinet Minister Avigdor Lieberman's comments urging Israel to redraw its map to "exchange" part of the Arab population and create a more "homogenous Jewish state," as a solution to Israel's Arab minority "problem." The prime minister said Lieberman's words did not reflect his or his cabinet's opinion, which he described as support for complete equal rights for Israeli Arabs.Here's a sample of Lieberman in action, Ha’aretz expands:
A number of Knesset members called Sunday for Lieberman's dismissal, as the minister stood by his remarks. MK Ahmed Tibi (Ra'am-Ta'al) told Haaretz that Israeli Arabs are the salt of the earth, while Lieberman is nothing but an invader." MK Dov Khenin (Hadash) called for the immediate dismissal of Lieberman from the government in light of what he called "racist comments."
Lieberman told Army Radio earlier Sunday, "if we want to safeguard Israel's character as a Jewish and Zionist state, there is no other solution," adding that the separation should be "consensual." "The reason for the [Israeli-Palestinian] conflict is not territory, not occupation, not settlers or settlements, rather friction between the two peoples and the two religions.
"Everywhere, the world over, no matter if it's the former Yugoslavia or the Caucasus region in Russia, or Northern Ireland, wherever there are two peoples and two religions, there is friction." According to Lieberman, Israel had no alternative but to move toward "exchanges of populations and territory, in order to create the most homogenously Jewish state."
Referring to the Nazi-era term Judenrein, describing an area from which all Jews have been removed, Lieberman said: "I don't understand why the Palestinians deserve a state which is 'Judenrein' - after all, we obligated ourselves to create a Palestinian state 'clean' of all Jews, to evacuate all settlements and all the Jews from there to create a homogenous state - while we turn into a bi-national country in which more than 20 percent of those within the state of Israel are minorities."
"Minorities are the biggest problem in the world," the Sunday Telegraph quoted Lieberman as saying. Asked by the newspaper if citizens of Arab descent should be forced out through territorial redistribution, he said: "I think separation between two nations is the best solution. Cyprus is the best model. Before 1974, the Greeks and Turks lived together and there were frictions and bloodshed and terror. "After 1974, they constituted all Turks on one part of the island, all Greeks on the other part of the island and there is stability and security." Told that in Cyprus thousands were forcibly driven from their homes, he replied: "Yes, but the final result was better."
The newspaper said that an aide to Lieberman later sought to expand on his remarks. "Israeli Arabs don't have to go," the unnamed aide was quoted as saying. "But if they stay they have to take an oath of allegiance to Israel as a Jewish Zionist state."
Here’s the original Telegraph interview Lieberman gave.
If I was an Israeli Arab, I would be in horror of a Lieberman and the ideas he represents. After being a citizen of Israel with its higher standard of living in wages, education, health care and general freedom, and be suddenly faced with the idea of being forced to move to any one of the Arab third world pisspots that inhabit the modern Middle East. Haifa for the Gaza City isn’t my idea of a fair trade. You can bet the farm that I would get a sick feeling in the bottom of my stomach and my breathing would be coming pretty quick. Of course, I would not hesitate to take the oath of loyalty; better an Israeli than a Yemenite or Libyan or a Gazan.
But Lieberman does have a point. Why is it acceptable for whole areas to be cleared of Jews and Jewish homeowners evicted from their homes and the international community overwhelmingly supports it but it is completely unacceptable for the world’s only Jewish state to do the same? Why is Arab anti-semitism acceptable and sanctioned internationally while Jewish chauvism is not?
At the height of the infitada (circa 2003) the Israeli Knesset was forced to pass a law that while did not specifically targeted Arab Israelis did so in practise, concerning marriage and citizenship. If an Israeli of any ethnic background married a Palestinian from the Occupied Territories they could no longer sponsor their spouse for residency or even citizenship in Israel. The law was controversial and was narrowly passed into law by the Knesset. The law was the direct result of security considerations. Not all Palestinians were sponsoring terror with the sponsorship of their spouse into Israel proper but a significant number were giving material aid to suicide bombers with devastating consequences for all Israelis. In the end, the Knessset came to the conclusion that the safety and security realities of ordinary citizens overode family reunitification plans. Though I would be remissed if I did not point out that the law did not impede Israeli citizens the freedom of movement to the terroritories to live with their spouse.
But there are larger questions that should be debated not just in Israeli but in the west as well such as are all cultures or religious ethos compatible? And if one the answer is in the negative; why is it unacceptable to divide or separate the incompatible groups? Many are even now suggesting a separation along cultural/religious lines to save Iraq from a long bloody civil war.
While some cringe when Lieberman speaks he does have a way of getting results. More fun with Lieberman from Ynet News from Sunday’s cabinet meeting:
Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman said during Sunday's cabinet meeting that he is concerned over Palestinian statements regarding kidnapped soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit. "There should be a price tag on everything," he said, "it should be made clear that if anything happens (to Shalit), Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and Interior Minister Sayid Siam will join the 'martyr's list'," said Lieberman. Lieberman refused to comment on the statements attributed to him as cabinet meetings are held behind closed doors and he does not see it fit to comment on classified matters.
But here’s the deal. After the alleged Lieberman cabinet comments were released, the Popular Resistance Committee (an ad-hoc coalition of terrorists made up of representatives from Hamas, Fatah, and Islamic Jihad) whose cell is currently holding kidnapped IDF Corporal Shalit issued this state in Ynet News:
A Palestinian terrorist group claiming to hold a captured Israeli soldier on Sunday said it has no plans to kill the serviceman, despite a bloody Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.
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