By Jonathan Ben Moshe
Not long ago Martin Sherman wrote Into the Fray: Dear Defense Minister: I respectfully – but firmly – disagree . That article was such an apologetic white wash that it actually compromised Mr. Sherman’s integrity. Whatever criticism he had to present was buried in extensive unwarranted praise of Defense Minister Ya’alon!
What leverage does Ya’alon have that makes a normally fearless Martin Sherman act like a Marshmallow?
As far as Ya’alon is concerned, not only is he an incompetent Defense Minister but he also suffers from a disgraceful, disturbing and cruel Napoleonic complex, and should have been replaced a long time ago!
Ya’alon’s removal as Defense Minister would infinitely benefit the State of Israel and the IDF!
If Mr. Sherman believes his criticism to be truthful and valid, then there is no reason to cloak his opinion in double-talk and to be apologetically tiptoeing around in what he has to say! If an article is to be taken seriously, then you call a Spade a Spade! If there is something that Mr. Sherman is afraid of, then we should know about it. But to write an article that is hesitant and less than candid is unworthy.
The same question has to be asked of the Prime Minister.
Why is Bibi willing to see his support plunge in reaction to the continued lackluster performance of Ya’alon, with his incessant selective and obsessive, draconian, and possibly criminal actions against Jewish Israeli citizens?
It may suggest that Bibi actually supports the actions taken by his Defense Minister Ya’alon? In which case he deserves the plunge in his popularity!
@ ArnoldHarris:
FREE ELECTIONS- UNLIKE RUSSIA. But then life in Russia is far better!
I will agree with your oft stated premise that when Russia fights it shows its enemies no mercy. This does have its advantages. Get Israel on the Security Council as a permanent member we can surely progress in that direction. Not to make excuses we actually need to blast all out from the beginning of a war and not hope the enemy will quit. They will quit real fast if we go 100% and not 5% from the beginning!
A more appropriate quesion might be: “Why is Netanyahu still Prime Minister”.
The Croatian proverb, according to my Hrvatica wife, is that “the fish always stinks from its head and not from its tail.”
Chances are that the Russian Jews, my people, have a similar bon mot in Yiddish.
Arnold Harris, Outspeaker
Ya’alon is still popular in the Likud ( in the recent Likud Straw vote I think he was number 4). His critics are mostly from outside the Likud. This answers the question of why he is still around in part. The other part is Bibi trusts him and Ya’alon is not a threat to try and take Bibi’s job. This is something Bibi always calculates.
In Sherman’s defense, I disagree that he was in anyway unequivocally critical of Yaalon’s policy while acknowledging his personal attributes of which he has personal knowledge/experience .