A rchive Date
[ 14-09-2002 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ Israel ]
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[http://www.canoe.ca/Columnists/coren.html
'Hatred in their eyes'
By MICHAEL COREN - Sun Media
September 14, 2002
I interviewed Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week, shortly after a group of pro-Palestinian fascist youths in Montreal had prevented him from speaking.
They had kicked, abused and spat at Jewish people walking into a university to hear the former Israeli prime minister. Some of those attacked were aging Holocaust survivors. The thugs had no idea if their victims were supporters or foes of Netanyahu. That they were Jews was enough.
I use the term "fascist" because I cannot think of a better one. They were violent, they hated free speech, they were anti-democratic, they shouted support for dictatorial regimes and they were racist. Draw your own conclusions.
That the Montreal police failed miserably in their job is quite disgraceful. Perhaps if the hoodlums had been displaying store signs in English only there may have been a more solid intervention. Either way, those of us who call for peace and compromise in the Middle East received another body blow.
Let me emphasize, however, that these gangsters were not in force in Ottawa or Toronto and do not speak for the Palestinian people. Indeed, they do more harm to the Palestinian cause than the most active Zionist.
"I agree with you. They show the Canadians what terror is like. Look at the hatred in their eyes, the sheer zealotry and insanity," says Netanyahu. "They are about totalitarianism. In fact all terrorism is about totalitarianism. Look at the peaceful and successful struggles for rights in the American south and in India. Compare that to what happens in the Middle East."
I don't refer him to the actions of Jewish underground groups such as the Irgun and the Stern Gang is pre-Israel Palestine. In his defence though, both were genuinely condemned by the Jewish leadership and actively subdued by the military wing of the mainstream Jewish community.
The 53-year-old former special forces soldier has a point, of course. Imagine 20,000 Palestinians walking in peace and silence to a checkpoint, sitting down on the ground and doing nothing as they are removed by Israeli soldiers. The scenes would be covered by journalists throughout the world and would be beamed into every home in North America. The results would be extraordinary.
Would this be pleasing to Netanyahu, who relies on American support; and does he really care about the well-being of Palestinians?
"Under my apparently hard-line administration as prime minister, the GDP of the Palestinians increased enormously, to an extent unheard of in the past. I'm a free marketer, so I opened up the markets, opened up the borders. There was work and there was money."
He smiles, leans forward and winks. "We opened up casinos. Even in Ramallah, terrible Ramallah where things are supposed to be so bad. The communities mixed and everybody benefited. Yes, I care about the Palestinians. I want them to be prosperous and I want them to be democratic. In fact I want the whole region to be democratic."
Which is exactly what Netanyahu's opponents claim to want as well. But they say that if the Arab peoples were allowed to express their will, relatively friendly regimes such as Egypt and Jordan would fall and corrupt pro-American ones such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait would become radical and even Islamic republics.
"I don't think so," he replies. "Compare Turkey with Iran. The former has democracy and elects pro-western governments who are friendly toward Israel. Iran, on the other hand, is not democratic and has a violently anti-American government."
Yes and no. Turkey is certainly not the oppressive state painted by anti-Americans the world over, but nor is it as liberal as a western democracy. Iran is certainly repugnant. If, perhaps, the shah and his family had not been forcibly put into power by the West this fertile nation may have developed in a slightly different manner.
I ask him about the future.
"There will be a change very soon in Iraq. Terrorism will be defeated if we are sufficiently determined and you'll have to ask me in a month if I will run again for prime minister of Israel."
Ironically, it usually takes strong and conservative leaders to achieve peace and compromise. Pray, then, that this man can do that. Because somebody has to. For the sake of everybody concerned.
Michael Coren is a Toronto-based writer and broadcaster. He can be emailed at info@michaelcoren.com and his web site is michaelcoren.com. Letters to the editor should be sent to editor@sunpub.com.
 World Fact Book (CIA)]
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