Israel Matzav

Saint Shimon the Untouchable

Israeli President Shimon Peres - who never won a single national election - has suddenly become an untouchable saint in his old age. Writing in the Shmuel Katz blog, David Isaac postulates that Peres' newfound popularity has to do with his being the last man standing from the State's founding generation. Isaac also reminds us of some reasons why Peres doesn't quite deserve the sainthood.

But the Israelis seem to have forgotten the reasons they didn’t like the man and he’s now treated with reverence – an untouchable according to MK Aryeh Eldad. Even though he continues to behave just as subversively as president as he did in every other position he held.

His dastardly character must have been evident early on because Moshe Sharett, Israel’s prime minister (1953-1955), wrote in his personal diary: “I have stated that I totally and utterly reject Peres and consider his rise to prominence a malignant, immoral disgrace. I will rend my clothes in mourning for the State if I see him become a minister in the Israeli government ….”

Sharett was a good judge of bad character. Over his career, Peres has made it a habit to undermine Israel’s duly elected governments. Most recently, he did it with the current one. Mr. Obama created a great deal of sturm and drang by calling for Israel to withdraw to the ’67 lines. But less reported was that Mr. Peres reinforced that this was a good idea in a meeting with Obama six weeks before.

Funny that I don't recall reading that story in any of the English mainstream media either here or abroad. The story was broken by Shimon Shiffer of Yediot and as far as I am aware it was only published on their Hebrew site and not on the English one. (Aaron Lerner of IMRA translated it to English).

Maybe Eldad is right. Maybe we should refer to Peres as Saint Shimon the Untouchable. Unbelievable.

Photoshop courtesy of the very-talented MR (Daughter # 3, Child # 5).

Labels: Binyamin Netanyahu, Moshe Sharett, Shimon Peres, Shimon Shiffer, Shmuel Katz

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:27 PM