Berl Falbaum
If there ever was a lost opportunity, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent speech to the joint session of Congress was it.
The principal criticism facing Israel world-wide is its alleged cold-blooded, unfeeling, “genocidal” attack on Palestinian civilians.
Other than pointing out that Hamas fights from schools, mosques, hospitals, and fires at its own people when they try to escape the war zone, Netanyahu failed to provide a comprehensive explanation in diplomatic language, and I emphasize the word, “diplomatic.”
Consider if he had said something along these lines:
“To the Palestinian, we grieve with you at the loss of loved ones. Our hearts and prayers are with you.
“As one of my predecessors, Golda Meir, addressing Arab nations, said so perceptively, ‘We can forgive you for killing our children, but we can never forgive you for making us kill your children.’
“Israel throughout its history has valued human life, even when it fights enemies. We have done more than other armies in implementing measures to limit civilian casualties.
“For example, going back almost eight decades, in 1946, when we were fighting the British, Menachem Begin, who would become an Israeli prime minister, wanting to avoid not just civilian casualties but British military ones as well, made three telephone calls, alerting the British of plans to bomb the King David Hotel, which served as a British headquarters.
“We work tirelessly to avoid unnecessary hardship within the limits of war. We distributed millions of flyers, sent texts, made phone calls warning of upcoming attacks. We do that despite the risks it creates for our soldiers.
“The major point: The tragic death toll in Gaza is entirely the fault of Hamas. It has admitted publicly that the deaths of civilians serve its strategic interests.
“So, I ask you to rise up in protest and demand that Hamas lay down its arms to end this needless bloodshed and wrenching heartache. Make your voices heard. The war could end today. We join you in prayers that God will hear our pleas.”
Along with failing to deliver such a message, Netanyahu needed to temper his belligerency. His tone, at times, was needlessly, acidic. Calling protesters Iran’s “useful idiots” was foolhardy, or how about the following: “Gays for Gaza. They might as well hold up signs saying,
‘Chickens for KFC.’” That may be a good line for a late-night TV comic but not for a beleaguered prime minister seeking support from the world.
Name calling only angers Israel’s critics. We needed statesmanship, not sarcastic insults.
What if he had addressed protesters accordingly:
“I ask you to study the history of Israel, how it has suffered war after war after war, along with hundreds of terrorist attacks. Read the Hamas Charter, which is mute on how Palestinians and Israelis should work to live peacefully next to each other. Instead, it is devoted entirely to destroying Israel, and to kill every Jew hiding behind a tree or under every rock.
“Further, Hamas has promised to repeat October 7, and, I use its language, ‘again, again and again.’
“Study how the Palestinian leaders, over the decades, have rejected several proposals that would have created their own state.
“I ask you to reflect on how Israel should defend itself when its enemy uses civilians as shields. How would you react if you and/or your loved ones were in the cross-hairs of this terrorist organization — one that burns people alive, beheads them, riddles babies with bullets, and gang rapes women?”
Yes, many protesters are anti-Semites and others, it has been reported, are funded by Iran’s proxy organizations. But some may be sincere and disturbed by the death and destruction.
In recent columns, like Netanyahu, I have castigated the protesters in an “Open Letter” to them, for their embrace of Hamas, their “selected outrage,” and double standards. But I am a political columnist not shackled by political considerations. I am not the leader of a politically besieged nation needing all the help it can get.
The speech was a chance to engage critics constructively. It was an opportunity to, at least, try to “educate” them on the conflict.
When I have discussed this approach with Israel supporters even before Netanyahu’s address, they usually responded: “It would make no difference.”
They are wrong on three points:
First, even if such an outreach did little to silence critics, at a minimum, Israel would be able to show it regrets and deplores the humanitarian disaster and is not blind to the suffering.
Second, a conciliatory approach may influence those on the fence, those who recognize Israel’s quandary while torn emotionally by the agony suffered by Palestinians.
Three, there is nothing to lose. What if it doesn’t work? An attempt was made. We know full well that the opposite — arrogance, defensiveness, taking a hardline — will not help. All we have to do is look around: Israel is a pariah in much of the world, and it cannot thrive and prosper in isolation.
What’s more while the speech contained many applause lines (“I came to assure you today of one thing: we will win;” “Victory is in sight;” “Together we shall defend our common civilization;” etc.) there was no substantive discussion on freeing the hostages, negotiations on ending the war, or solving the overall Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
On the positive side, Netanyahu, unlike when he spoke to Congress in 2015, was gracious and thanked the U.S. for its support. Last time, he “complained” about Israel not receiving the aid it needed, and, shockingly, said defiantly Israel is prepared to go it alone.
The eloquent Israeli diplomat, Abba Eban, once studiously quipped: “The Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.”
Netanyahu surely remembers the quote but, unfortunately, he did not learn from it. One cannot let an opportunity go by, especially in times of war.
The principal criticism facing Israel world-wide is its alleged cold-blooded, unfeeling, “genocidal” attack on Palestinian civilians.
Other than pointing out that Hamas fights from schools, mosques, hospitals, and fires at its own people when they try to escape the war zone, Netanyahu failed to provide a comprehensive explanation in diplomatic language, and I emphasize the word, “diplomatic.”
Consider if he had said something along these lines:
“To the Palestinian, we grieve with you at the loss of loved ones. Our hearts and prayers are with you.
“As one of my predecessors, Golda Meir, addressing Arab nations, said so perceptively, ‘We can forgive you for killing our children, but we can never forgive you for making us kill your children.’
“Israel throughout its history has valued human life, even when it fights enemies. We have done more than other armies in implementing measures to limit civilian casualties.
“For example, going back almost eight decades, in 1946, when we were fighting the British, Menachem Begin, who would become an Israeli prime minister, wanting to avoid not just civilian casualties but British military ones as well, made three telephone calls, alerting the British of plans to bomb the King David Hotel, which served as a British headquarters.
“We work tirelessly to avoid unnecessary hardship within the limits of war. We distributed millions of flyers, sent texts, made phone calls warning of upcoming attacks. We do that despite the risks it creates for our soldiers.
“The major point: The tragic death toll in Gaza is entirely the fault of Hamas. It has admitted publicly that the deaths of civilians serve its strategic interests.
“So, I ask you to rise up in protest and demand that Hamas lay down its arms to end this needless bloodshed and wrenching heartache. Make your voices heard. The war could end today. We join you in prayers that God will hear our pleas.”
Along with failing to deliver such a message, Netanyahu needed to temper his belligerency. His tone, at times, was needlessly, acidic. Calling protesters Iran’s “useful idiots” was foolhardy, or how about the following: “Gays for Gaza. They might as well hold up signs saying,
‘Chickens for KFC.’” That may be a good line for a late-night TV comic but not for a beleaguered prime minister seeking support from the world.
Name calling only angers Israel’s critics. We needed statesmanship, not sarcastic insults.
What if he had addressed protesters accordingly:
“I ask you to study the history of Israel, how it has suffered war after war after war, along with hundreds of terrorist attacks. Read the Hamas Charter, which is mute on how Palestinians and Israelis should work to live peacefully next to each other. Instead, it is devoted entirely to destroying Israel, and to kill every Jew hiding behind a tree or under every rock.
“Further, Hamas has promised to repeat October 7, and, I use its language, ‘again, again and again.’
“Study how the Palestinian leaders, over the decades, have rejected several proposals that would have created their own state.
“I ask you to reflect on how Israel should defend itself when its enemy uses civilians as shields. How would you react if you and/or your loved ones were in the cross-hairs of this terrorist organization — one that burns people alive, beheads them, riddles babies with bullets, and gang rapes women?”
Yes, many protesters are anti-Semites and others, it has been reported, are funded by Iran’s proxy organizations. But some may be sincere and disturbed by the death and destruction.
In recent columns, like Netanyahu, I have castigated the protesters in an “Open Letter” to them, for their embrace of Hamas, their “selected outrage,” and double standards. But I am a political columnist not shackled by political considerations. I am not the leader of a politically besieged nation needing all the help it can get.
The speech was a chance to engage critics constructively. It was an opportunity to, at least, try to “educate” them on the conflict.
When I have discussed this approach with Israel supporters even before Netanyahu’s address, they usually responded: “It would make no difference.”
They are wrong on three points:
First, even if such an outreach did little to silence critics, at a minimum, Israel would be able to show it regrets and deplores the humanitarian disaster and is not blind to the suffering.
Second, a conciliatory approach may influence those on the fence, those who recognize Israel’s quandary while torn emotionally by the agony suffered by Palestinians.
Three, there is nothing to lose. What if it doesn’t work? An attempt was made. We know full well that the opposite — arrogance, defensiveness, taking a hardline — will not help. All we have to do is look around: Israel is a pariah in much of the world, and it cannot thrive and prosper in isolation.
What’s more while the speech contained many applause lines (“I came to assure you today of one thing: we will win;” “Victory is in sight;” “Together we shall defend our common civilization;” etc.) there was no substantive discussion on freeing the hostages, negotiations on ending the war, or solving the overall Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
On the positive side, Netanyahu, unlike when he spoke to Congress in 2015, was gracious and thanked the U.S. for its support. Last time, he “complained” about Israel not receiving the aid it needed, and, shockingly, said defiantly Israel is prepared to go it alone.
The eloquent Israeli diplomat, Abba Eban, once studiously quipped: “The Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.”
Netanyahu surely remembers the quote but, unfortunately, he did not learn from it. One cannot let an opportunity go by, especially in times of war.
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