http://www.haaretz.com/
Sat., August 12, 2006 Av 18, 5766
Ehud Olmert may decide to accept the French proposal for a cease-fire
and unconditional surrender to Hezbollah. That is his privilege. Olmert
is a prime minister whom journalists invented, journalists protected, and
whose rule journalists preserved. Now the journalists are saying run away.
That's legitimate. Unwise, but legitimate.
However, one thing should be clear: If Olmert runs away now from the
war he initiated, he will not be able to remain prime minister for even
one more day. Chutzpah has its limits. You cannot lead an entire nation
to war promising victory, produce humiliating defeat and remain in power.
You cannot bury 120 Israelis in cemeteries, keep a million Israelis in
shelters for a month, wear down deterrent power, bring the next war very
close, and then say - oops, I made a mistake. That was not the intention.
Pass me a cigar, please.
There is no mistake Ehud Olmert did not make this past month. He went
to war hastily, without properly gauging the outcome. He blindly followed
the military without asking the necessary questions. He mistakenly gambled
on air operations, was strangely late with the ground operation, and failed
to implement the army's original plan, much more daring and sophisticated
than that which was implemented. And after arrogantly and hastily bursting
into war, Olmert managed it hesitantly, unfocused and limp. He neglected
the home front and abandoned the residents of the north. He also failed
shamefully on the diplomatic front.
Still, if Olmert had come to his senses as Golda Meir did during the
Yom Kippur War, if he had become a leader, established a war cabinet and
called the nation to a supreme effort that would change the face of the
battle, a penetrating discussion of his failures could be postponed. But
in blinking first over the past 24 hours, he has become an incorrigible
political personality. Therefore, the day Nasrallah comes out of his bunker
and declares victory to the whole world, Olmert must not be in the prime
minister's office. Post-war battered and bleeding Israel needs a new start
and a new leader. It needs a real prime minister.
Russian version
An introduction to MAOF
Haim Goldman
Haim Goldman
Dear Friends,
Would you believe that the undersigned has anything in common with
-- Professor Victor Davis Hanson (Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University),
-- Dr Charles Krauthammer, (Washington Post, Time, The Weekly Standard),
-- Caroline Glick (Deputy Managing Editor of the Jerusalem Post),
-- Jonathan Tobin (Executive Editor of the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent).
Amazingly, the editors of the MAOF website decided that the missives of the undersigned are worthy of translation and posting along the articles written by these distinguished authors.
The first letter was published without the consent of the undersigned.
However, after thorough examination of the laudable attitude of MAOF and of the excellent contents of the website, the undersigned had most graciously granted his permission for publication of his missives in both English and Russian.
“Analytical Group MAOF” [1] is an organisation founded about ten years ago by Russian-speaking Jewish intellectuals. The attitude of MAOF is definitely pro-Zionist -- unambiguously and unapologetically.
One of MAOF’s primary purposes is providing information and analysis about Middle-Eastern and world affairs as well as about Israel’s history, values and dilemmas. In addition to extensive publication activity in various media, MAOF also organises excursions and seminars. While the vast majority of the contents of the MAOF website is in Russian, texts originally written in English are provided in the original [2] as well as in Russian.
There are arguably about 250 millions of Russian-speakers worldwide and many of them do not read English. The indisputable motivation for the author’s permission was to grant those millions of disadvantaged people the grand benefit of reading the author’s ruminations. If the author is ever maliciously accused that his tacit motivation for authorising the publication was his craving to be listed along with the above-mentioned distinguished writers, his plea will definitely be “nolo contendere”.
The editors of MAOF expressed their gratitude by granting the undersigned a privilege that no other author got – the opportunity to review and correct the Russian translation before publication. The original letters of the undersigned are at [3] and their Russian version is at [4]. At of today, only two letters are posted but several other letters are pending translation.
You are kindly ENCOURAGED TO RECOMMEND the MAOF website to your friends and colleagues worldwide, particularly those who speak Russian. Those who do not enjoy the benefit of proficiency in the exquisite Russian language can find many thought-provoking and inspiring articles about Middle-Eastern and world affairs in the English section [2].
Sincerely,
Haim Goldman
28.10.2006
REFERENCES:
[1] http://maof.rjews.net
[2] section.php3? sid=37&num=25
[3] authorg.php3? id=2107&type=a
[4] authorg.php3? id=2166&type=a