Translation: Aren't We Good Doggies, Mr Bush?

[ Middle East News Service comments: Benny Ziffer is the Culture and Literature Editor of Haaretz who also has an outspoken blog on the paper. But it is his occasional TV review columns which often tell us more about Israeli alternative thinking than more formal writing. Naturally they are not translated for the overseas edition – generally speaking we can’t watch Israeli TV abroad. However this one was sharp enough and telling enough to merit going to trouble of translating it. This may not be everyone’s cup of tea but one ought to be familiar with the views encapsulated here. The Hebrew contained two other segments relating to other subjects – Sol Salbe.]

This Week’s TV

Aren’t we good doggies, Mr Bush?

Benny Ziffer
Hebrew original - haaretz.co.il

Israel is a good and well-trained dog. When the President of the US says: “Drop!” she obeys instantly. When he commands “Give me paw!” you immediately see Ehud Olmert smiling and shaking the President’s hand. And when he orders a stop to talks with Syria, he can truly rely on his visitor to come up with an appropriate excuse as to why conditions are not ripe for negotiations. And so it was on Channel Ten news at 10pm on Tuesday night. Olmert was sitting in a striped armchair right next to the Empire’s ruler. The network’s political reporter, Udi Segal, asked Olmert about his position on peace negotiations with Syria. You could tell that Olmert had done his homework properly when he reeled off the correct answer. That’s the fate of vassals: they need to know how to reel off the answers in order to survive.

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But when Olmert was asked about the shameful situation in Gaza and the Fatah refugees seeking to be evacuated, he got a real chance to be a hero, the kind who picks on somebody weaker. Vassals who get trodden on by their superiors need to prove that they can tread on somebody else in turn. So in the typical self-righteous manner of rulers and such vassals, Olmert emphasised that “the Palestinians brought all this upon themselves.” Nevertheless he promised Israel’s help, on a case-by case basis. Another delightful homily.

But yesterday’s visuals from Gaza showed just how far the homilies were disconnected from reality. Take for example that confused father cradling a plastic-wrapped baby’s body in his arms. His baby had died, but he could not pass the checkpoint before persuading those in charge that his baby was actually dead. The bleeding wounded lay on the ground. They were not among the chosen lucky few whose evacuation was authorised by the Israeli security forces following a 20-hour wait. No one need to utter a word: the dissonance between the replete meeting at the White House and the horrible scenes at the Erez Crossing said it all: we are living in an era where everything is fake and the lack of care is colossal.

The scandalous price of this official visit to Washington was revealed on Monday evening’s Ten News. The flight alone cost NIS 3 million (US$ 700,000). Olmert said so himself while talking to El Al’s owners before departing: “You’ve ripped us off”, he said in half-serious, chummy way. How many bandages, blankets and medicines; how much food could you buy for that amount? It would have come in handy for the wretched group of people idling for days in the deserted passageway to the crossing. There, between two impervious concrete walls, they waited, propaganda hostages stuck between equally uncompassionate sides. There is only one difference between them – the Israeli side is also self-righteous.

That’s how we have ascertained that our ruling elite is not a bad animal. It need not shell out for anything. The only form of payment required is the ability to show to our great friend that we can hold the Palestinians on a short leash. Ruff, ruff, aren’t we good doggies, Mr Bush? We might get an extra serving of Pal, mightn’t we, Mr Bush?

[The independent Middle East News Service concentrates on providing alternative information chiefly from Israeli sources. It is sponsored by the Australian Jewish Democratic Society. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the AJDS. These are expressed in its own statements]

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