Left-wing former IDF generals never warn of any risks to their suicidal policies. Knowing how to plan and conduct miitary operations and command soldiers does not make one a political prophet or statesman.
Imagine, (G-d forbid) if your 60 year-old mother had a sore toe that she could walk around on, and that wasn’t fatal, but just a bother. It would get better with a little aspirin, but didn’t go away. Now, a doctor, a medical expert, comes around and hysterically urges your mother to have a “fantastic” operation for her sore toe but was silent on any risks of the operation. And, then, during the operation, she died.
You found out the procedure had a 97.6% risk of mortality, and 99.99% probability that her toe would still hurt after the operation no matter what and that the doctor never warned of the operation’s fatal risks. The doctor would be guilty of not just negligence but criminal negligence and criminal assault for not adequately disclosing the procedure’s risks to your mother and you.
Let us look at Israel’s Left-wing former generals, these “military experts,” who for decades advocated, based on their “professional military expertise,” that Israel withdraw from the Gaza Strip and the ‘West Bank’ and have a “Demilitarized” Palestinian State.
Did any of these Left-Wing Israel generals ever adequately warn Israeli and American Jews that:
1) there is a 99% risk that the “Demilitarized” Palestinian State would become a Palestinian terror hot spot and the Palestinian Arab terrorists would smuggle in and fire Katyusha rockets into pre-1967 Israel, and
2) that there is a 99% risk Israel will have to re-invade the “Demilitarized” areas to where the terrorists will have smuggled in 10 of thousands of of advanced anti-tank missiles and tens of millions of rounds of small arms ammo.
Checking the word “adequately disclosed,” have these Left-wing ex-generals ever warned of any risks in their “Two-State Solution”?
The answer to all these questions is a resounding no. Left-wing former generals never warn of any risks to their suicidal policies, but appear in the media and attempt to influence government decisions. Their military expertise and heroism are what give them that influence.
But knowing how to plan and conduct miitary operations and command soldiers does not make one a political prophet or statesman, nor does their truly courageous self-sacrifice and willingness to give their lives for Israel make them better.at suggesting political strategies than others are.
When you go to a doctor, a medical expert, you don’t ask whether the doctor is a Labor, a Meretz, or a Likud doctor. A doctor is a doctor is a non-political medical expert. You are going to a doctor for his unvarnished medical advice and expertise, not his politics. A doctor’s political opinions should have nothing to do with his professional medical advice. You expect the doctor to tell you the whole story and disclose all the risks, and allow you as the patient to make an informed decision on what procedure should be done.
The same way, when you go to a military general, a military expert, you don’t ask whether the general is a Labor, a Meretz, or a Likud general. A general is supposed to be a general who is supposed to be a non-political military expert. You are going to a general for his unvarnished military advice and expertise, not his politics. A general’s political opinions should have nothing to do with his professional military advice.
You expect the general, if he can, to tell you the whole story and disclose all the risks, and allow you as the decision maker to make an informed decision on what military course of action you should vote for.
In fact, the entire basis of Israel’s generals’ legitimacy is that they give the appearance that their advice is “purely professional,” and not political. Have you ever heard an Israeli ex-general tell people, “I’m really a politician, and I have an undisclosed political agenda which is what lies behind my pronouncements” before he explains that Israel must create a Palestinian State in the Judea and Samaria aka ‘West Bank’? Never!
When is the Israeli media going to stop treating them like oracles?
There is another possibility. Maybe these Left-wing generals didn’t know the obvious military likelihood that the Palestinians would smuggle and fire rockets from Gaza. That, however, would make them idiots – and they are not.
What happens when these Israeli Left-wing generals-cum-politicians get it all wrong, and force Israel to leave Gaza,, resulting in rockets fired into Israel? They go to America and make countless millions telling American Jews how Israel is a fascist apartheid state.
It’s time an official Israeli governmental commission is convened to investigate these Left-wing former generals and expose them for what they are.
@ Adam Dalgliesh:Chief of Staff is chosen by Def. Minister and approved by first Prime Minister. The selection committee then gets to verify that the background of the one chosen or nominated is amply qualified plus his background is squeaky clean.
@ joebillscott:Unfortunately, this is not true. The appointment of generals is made by “selection committees” controlled by leftist retired generals and “legal advisors” appointed by the attorney general and the Supreme Court. Netanyahu can at most make nominations to these committees. They have rejected his first choices several times in the past.
Netanyahu can fire generals, relieve them as they say, and promote good soldiers to replace them. Why is that so difficult? Also, a law can be introduced to shut up the leftist retired generals.
I like Mark Langfan’s writings…always have…sensible, focused and always right to the point. BUT…..
The analogy with which he introduces his essay as definitely NOT Langfan. It is utter rubbish. …….my own hastily concocted one is far better. (and still unsuitable) as follows…
A woman has a moderately sore toe..During a bank visit ..whilst chatting with her usual teller she mentions it. The teller has a brother who was a first year medical student..(failed) and ever since, the teller has regarded himself as a fount of medical lore and advice. So she takes his advice to go to a homeopath….who treats her. He has no idea what’s wrong with the toe…which later turns gangrenous……………!!
Even this is not quite on the “mark” (no pun intended).
As for the rest of the article, he is absolutely right. Which everybody has known for ever….. and certainly since Dayan gave the Temple Mount back to the thieves. And the Oslo humbuggery…..plotted by backstabbing banana-heads and carried out by a former (“nervous”) General of Altalena infamy (who -to his credit -is rumoured to have had reservations)…
Just think what could have been so different if Begin had allowed the Irgun to fire back at the assassins and a bullet had killed Rabin…One wandering little piece of lead could have saved Israel from the most unendurable torments, which have since followed.
More properly it should have happened to Peres.
For me…the very first Langfan article which has disappointed..