Political Echolalia

by: Schvach Yid

It plays like a broken record, and goes something like this. Vladimir Putin of Russia has announced that Russia will re-target its arsenal of nuclear ICBM’s at the more southern reaches of Europe if America goes forth with President Bush’s plan to install an anti-missile defense system in parts of Europe to protect that continent from ‘the emerging threat’ of nuclear assault from the Middle East, ie., Iran.

Well, it’s May,1967 all over again, and once again Israel stands alone. Apparently, America has accepted as an inevitability that Iran, under the leadership of Ahmadinejad, will have a nuclear ICBM capability in the somewhat near future. Get it? The USA doesn’t plan to intervene on Israel’s behalf, and Naomi Shemer, the author of the soul-bolstering ‘Yerushalayim Shel Zahav’, - ‘Jerusalem of Gold’ – died in June 2004 (may she rest in peace). What now?

Most of the great military leaders of Israel’s past are dead, Ariel Sharon lies in a hospital bed, responsive, according to a recent newspaper article, but his career certainly over, Peace Now is on the march, presumably because they think Palestinian Arabs are needier than Jews (well, there’re all sorts of ways to make oneself feel superior – condescension has always worked), and the current leadership in Israel is – well – stymied. Shimon Perez is talking about making another bid for PM, and of course, he’ll appease, not because he’s a traitor, but because he probably thinks he owes loyalty to his political party (how could they, and he, have been wrong all these years), and to the memory of Yitzhak Rabin (may he rest in peace; after all, his murder was a sacrifice, and therefore some good must derive from it).

The reverberations of past errors drive me meshuga. Pass the Haldol, and while you’re at it, have a few yourself. It’ll screw up our vision, but what the hell, the Israeli leadership lost theirs ages ago. Please go to Arutz Sheva and read Yoram Ettinger’s article at http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/7172.

Wait. Have become prophetic? I’m having a vision. Israelis – crowding the International Arrivals Building at JFK International Airport in NY. They’re milling around on line at the customs tables. One of them turns to me, arms outstretched at his sides, palms facing outward in a gesture of supplication. He speaks: ‘It was only an experiment, and it didn’t work; we tried, but it didn’t work’. Nebich! What's Arabic for nebich?

Israel is up against the wall, won’t admit it, and toys with the prospect of electing the old carcasses that have created Israel’s dilemma in the first place. I feel psychotic – I’m taking a nap. That’s certainly something we can all learn to do from the political leadership of Israel.