Hamas War

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

The Dangerous Thinking of Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak, From IMRA

Hat tip:IMRA




Dr. Aaron Lerner, IMRA:


So here is the logic of DM Ehud Barak - the military genius who opposed buying submarines that could launch Jericho missiles because he didn't think Israel needed a second strike capability:


#1. "If the other side believes it is possible to bring down Israel...it
will prefer to do so"


#2. "Just like the familiar reality in the Middle East, we will immediately sit down [with Syria] after such a war and negotiate on the exact same issues we have been discussing with them for the past 15 years."


Questions:


#1. And if, thanks to an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan, Syria "believes it is possible to bring down Israel" then what?


#2. And if Israel sits down with Syria after a war, why conclude that there would be any greater logic to make a dangerous concession of leaving the Golan just because there was a war? The Egyptian Sinai model, with a huge peninsula available for different levels of demilitarization - far away from Cairo, is hardly comparable to the tiny Golan that puts Damascus within easy striking range - and the move was premised on the assertion that somehow the outcome of the Yom Kippur War of 1973 convinced Egypt that Israel could not be beaten (I appreciate that this logic is hard to follow -since by the same token the message of the Yom Kippur War could have just as easily been for Egypt that they should switch to American weapons before trying to destroy the Jewish State but that's not the popular narrative).


#3. Here's a novel suggestion for the people drawing salaries in the
Israeli defense field: how about coming up with some ideas so that should Syria indeed decide to attack the Jewish State in the coming years, that the consequences for Damascus be so serious that at the end of the exchange they are the ones telling their citizens that the task of restoring the Golan will have ton be assigned to a future generation?

Barak: War with Syria won't solve diplomatic issues


IMHO, Barak's basic premise is 100% faulty, because our problems with Syria aren't diplomatic; they're military. The Syrians want us dead and gone. That can't be solved by by words. He's not listening to the enemy. I wonder whom he is listening to...

14 comments:

Yonatan said...

Regardless of his past accomplishments in the IDF, I find him to be dangerous to the existence of the country.

From his attempt to hand over the keys to the kingdom with Clinton & Arafat when he was Prime Minister, to his hardline actions to enforce a freeze in Judea & Samaria. I just don't trust him at all. His actions just don't add up.

Anonymous said...

Yonatan, I'm not going to look for it now, but Barak's past "accomplishments" in the IDF, other than the 1972 Sabena event, are nothing to brag about.

Look around and see if you can find a RELIABLE documented critique on Barak's failures in the Sultan Yakub military disaster, during the 1982 war.

Batya said...

Shy's right, and Yonatan, he wasn't hardline, just talk and threats and no action, except against Jews.

Yonatan said...

So his claim to fame is longevity? Perfect!

I'm confused why Bibi puts up with him. I know he needs him for his coalition, but why doesn't he put a muzzle on him? I read that Barak went way overboard on what was agreed to concerning the freeze orders. Is Bibi this weak or does he like using him for good cop / bad cop?

Batya said...

It's a mystery. Barry Chamish has his theories about it, but I'm in the dark.

Hadassa said...

Shalom!
What do you expect from a man who ran away from southern Lebanon, leaving IDF weapons and other equipment for the Arabs to plunder. Oleg had a great comic, which can be found in "Oleg in Peaceland". Barak is walking away, wrapped in an IDF towel saying, "I hope they don't mind erasing the IDF logos."

Batya said...

Hadassa, how is it that he has more power than ever before?

Hadassa said...

Shalom!
I don't know. The last time that Bibi was elected it was due to the fact that Peres threatened him concerning the facts about assassination of Rabin. Perhaps Barak's appointment is connected to the same issue.

Batya said...

Sorry, Hadassa, I just don't get it. What connection does Bibi have to the Rabin murder? Peres and Barak are much easier to connect to Rabin's murder, but what do they have over Bibi?

Hadassa said...

Shalom!
I've heard that Bibi knew the truth about what happened the night of the assassination and that Peres didn't want the truth getting out. Money is not the only way to buy someone.

Batya said...

So that should mean that Bibi has something over Peres, not the opposite. Bibi is letting Barak and Peres run the government.

Hadassa said...

Shalom!
The way I heard it, if Bibi lets the truth out about Peres, Bibi will more than regret it. Bibi is no match for wily Peres.

Hadassa said...

Shalom!
I keep forgetting to mention a key part of the deal: Bibi gets to be Prime Minister, which he needs for his ego, and then Peres has him over a barrel.

Batya said...

So basically, Bibi would do anything for the title "Prime Minister," even if he doesn't have the power. Is that it?