Former Chief of Staff: 'Disengagement' was to save Sharon and it is a failure
I'm getting to say "I told you so" a lot these days.During last summer's lead up to the unilateral
Now, former IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon is confirming just about everything I said. So once again, it's "I told you so." For the record, Yaalon was fired by Ariel Sharon for opposing the Gaza surrender and expulsion. (Ironically, I could not find this interview on HaAretz's web page. Hmm).
"There is no doubt that the disengagement failed. This failure emanates from the fact that the disengagement was essentially based on a doomed idea. It was not the result of thorough strategic analysis but the result of a political distress of his who was prime minister then, Ariel Sharon," Yaalon told Haaretz.I'm still waiting for those who called me a 'Kahanist' (as if that is the worst thing in the world to be) for my opposition to the 'disengagement' to apologize. So far, only one person has apologized.
Yaalon, whose term at the helm of the army was not extended by a year under a common IDF practice [The common IDF practice IS to extend the term. Yaalon's was not extended because Sharon wanted to get rid of him. CiJ], added that "the disengagement was an internal Israeli game that ignored what's going on outside Israel. It was a disengagement from reality and a disengagement from the truth."
Speaking to Haaretz, the former chief of staff said: "The process created an illusionary hope that was not planned strategically and practically. The disengagement was mainly a media spin. Those who initiated it and lead it lacked the strategic, security, political and historical background. They were image counselor. They were spin doctors. These people put Israel in a virtual spin that is disconnected from reality using a media spin campaign which is imploding before our eyes."
...
"The disengagement was a strategic mistake of the first order. It brought about Hamas's victory. It emboldened terror groups. It has fueled the Palestinian struggle for years. It created a feeling among the Iranians, the Muslim Brotherhood, and al-Qaeda, that Israel can be beaten. That Israel is a society of spider webs as Nasrallah said or a rotten tree as Ahmadinejad said. And therefore the disengagement not only harmed us badly, but also harmed America's strategic war on terror in the region. It created a feeling among Muslim extremists that as it defeated the Soviets in Afghanistan it defeated us in Gaza and it will defeat us in Tel Aviv. As such, as they destabilized a super power, they will destabilize the west by defeating Israel."
'Like a weak animal'
"At the moment our situation in Gaza is similar to south Lebanon. Plenty of arms have been smuggled into Gaza: explosives, Katyusha rockets, anti-aircraft rockets, anti-tank rockets, Grad rockets. As a result of the manner in which the pullout was carried out, there are Hizbullah, al-Qaeda and Iranian elements in the Gaza Strip.
"The Israeli public backed the disengagement because it was blinded and drugged and also because it really wanted to free itself from the burden of the conflict and divide the land. But we have to understand that although we are trying to shake the Palestinians off our backs they refuse to do so and stab us instead. We shouldn't fool ourselves. We live in the Middle East. We cannot barricade ourselves behind walls and fences. There is no such thing as unilateralism. Even when we refuse to talk with our neighbors there is interaction with them.
"Our steps affect them. When the steps are withdrawal after withdrawal, after withdrawal, we convey weakness. And he who conveys weakness in the Middle East is like a weak animal in nature: he comes under attack."
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:20 AM
7 Comments:
Carl, the one who apologized, whoever he/she is, is a real mench.
Too bad that many including the self apointed "military experts" will just pretend and shout that everything is find.
The one who apologized was someone on LGF whom I had forgotten had gotten on my case for saying that it would have been 'ironic' if Fat Arik got a Kassam in his fat midsection from Gaza. He accused me of wishing for Sharon's death at the time.
The one I'm waiting for (and YOU know who that is) wrote yet another post yesterday saying how this was a 'brilliant' move that caused the PA to self-destruct. (And forget the one who got kicked off - she's beyond hope).
I'm not holding my breath. But reading last summer's comments was a fascinating exercise in how wrong one side could be and how the other side's predictions were right on target.
Carl and Stemir
There is one ex-Marine on LGF who I would love to see eat crow. He never will admit to being wrong, and will continue to hide his Jew hate in Israel bashing.
If feeling so disgusted and so angry re the expulsion for nearly a year makes one a Kahanist? Add me to the list. I hope that someday soon I will be able to take off my orange wrist band, but as of now, I still wear it.I can't get the images out of my head of the expulsion, and of Amona.
Yes, Nana. You know me too well. That's the guy I had in mind (aside from the one who got kicked off). Yesterday, he wrote a post saying how Sharon's move was 'brilliant' and caused the PA to self-destruct. At least his language lately has been less Marine-like.
Carl,
When I accused him of using Israel as an excuse for his Jew hate, on line, about 3 times, he went ballistic.
I will do a | search on his latest. That one I have to see! He also posts on GCP.
Yes, Carl, I know who that is and I know you are not holding your breath waiting for an apology.
I saw his post on LGF, what a sad piece.
ny nana, it is very easy to make him go ballistic, indeed. I don't know why Charles hasn't canned him yet.
Shabbat Shalom everybody!
as cybermonk on LGF, I believe you know where I stand, I got banned from INN because I took Daniel Pipes to task for his views on the "disengagement", my words are out there for everyone to see. I too was called a Kahanist, I wear that badge proudly, he was perhaps the sanest Jew we have had in Israel and the Arabs and the leftists feared him and eventually murdered him and then later his son. What we need in Israel is another Kahane, but sadly I do not see one anywhere.
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