Israel's leadership: Messianic and then some

[Jefferson23]

By Avner Cohen

When Gunter Grass said a frightened Israel is dangerous not only to itself but to the entire world, Israelis refused to address this harsh statement. The Israeli tribal defense in the face of Grass' remarks focused on the speaker's insolence, past and character. As for what he said - nothing.

It's easier to criticize the "messianic" Israeli leadership, which thrives on "falsehoods and deceptions," when the criticism comes from the heart of the security establishment - the former head of the Shin Bet security service. Yet even here, Israeli tribalism's response has been mainly denial. Few people have addressed the content of Yuval Diskin's remarks. The debate has dealt mainly with the speaker and his political motives.

In contrast to Israel, where every controversial public statement is perceived as political, in the United States there is respect for truth backed by fact, especially in political statements. As part of this ethos, The Washington Post has created the Pinocchio test, which checks the facts in political statements. Diskin's remarks are more of an assessment than pure fact, but still, they should be put to the Pinocchio test: Are they based on the facts?

Let's start with form. Is it fair to call Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "messianic" on the Iran issue? To answer this question, we should consider the ways prime ministers Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert handled the problem. Sharon believed that Israel must not be depicted as the international spearhead on the Iran issue; it's a global problem that must not be perceived as an Israeli problem.

remainder: http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/israel-s-leadership-messianic-and-then-some-1.428437

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