Olmert’s next spin

Prime minister set to turn Hamas into negotiations partner

Elyakin Haetzni

The Olmert cabinet has no agenda. Instead it has spin. The takeover of the Gaza Strip by Hamas was met with a spin that presented a political downfall as a win in the lottery.

Fatah terrorists were reinvented as the “the sons of light” against Hamas’ “sons of darkness,” and it doesn’t matter whether characters such as Dahlan and Tirawi were formerly involved in acts of terror. It also makes no difference that the Fatah charter calls for the destruction of the State of Israel.

They turned the Fatah expulsion from the Strip into an achievement: Separation of the good from the bad and the establishment of a government in the West Bank that is a partner to the release of prisoners, supply of weapons and the handing over of withheld funds – and God willing, a “political horizon.” And with regards to the Gaza Strip, this will be a different type of Palestinian state, part of the “axis of evil.”

Yet the Arabs have not bought into this spin. Fatah is not in favor of the partition of “Palestine,” and it is continuing to demand the release of Hamas prisoners and to pay salaries to Hamastan officials using the funds released by Israel. Saudi Arabia refuses to join the front against Hamas, and Egypt is being ambiguous.

An Egyptian delegation is supposed to return to Gaza to handle the release of Gilad Shalit, who suddenly even Ismail Haniyeh is openly expressing concern for, because it is on his back that Hamas will return to the Arab bosom and the initiative promoted by the Saudis, who in the Israeli world of spin are depicted as our ally.

Condoleezza Rice is on her way here to fall into line with the “moderate” Arab quartet, which is calling for renewed Palestinian unity. This way the “allies” will leave anyone trying to divide the Palestinians between good and bad “with their pants down.” The spin has spiraled out of control.

Impressed by fascists

What’s to be done? The anti-spin is on its way:

We release Hamas terrorists, we “reveal” that their ultimate goal is the destruction of Israel, that there is no difference between Fatah and Hamas, we “remember” that Hamas came to power democratically and that Mahmoud Abbas’ presidential guard was in fact armed and trained in order to topple Hamas in a violent coup. So which of these two gangs is the legal regime and which is the rebel? And anyway, “peace is made with enemies” – is it not?

In the new spin there will also be compliments for Hamas: It and not the messed up Fatah can “deliver the goods.” Its word can be relied upon, and instead of corruption and lack of control there will be order. Once again we shall have a partner, if not for “peace,” then at least for 10 years.

What’s wrong with that? That’s how the fools who were impressed by Mussolini’s and Hitler’s freeways and the punctuality of the trains were found; they were amazed by the “order” prevalent among the fascists and the Nazis.

The prime minister will be assisted by new Vice Premier Haim Ramon, a certified spin doctor, who just a few months prior to the Second Lebanon War said in an interview:

“I am not ignoring the Hamas victory. On the contrary. I will do what I did in Lebanon (disengagement). Even then I was warned that I was strengthening Hizbullah, just as you are warning me that I am strengthening Hamas. And even then I was told that there would be terror attacks such as the one in Avivim just as you are telling me that there will be shoulder-launched missiles coming from the West Bank. But the northern border is calm. Nasrallah won’t dare attack Israel. He knows what the response would be.”

How did Olmert persuade Ramon to join the government? “In the end I told him, it’s you and me together.” You bet!