Harel: Israel is bullied because it acts like a doormat

[Israel Insider]

Anyone who acts like a doormat when he visits one foreign ruler should not be surprised when other rulers come along and act as arrogantly as the first. From day one we have let the world understand that we are a country with no self-respect, that we can be insulted and punched and will respond, if at all, with restraint and meekness. French President Nicolas Sarkozy was able to say what he said about Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman because for years Israel has been getting across the message: You can treat us arrogantly.

It isn't the Americans who formulated the belittling and trivializing formula "natural growth" at which the Obama administration is now chipping away in an arrogant and bullying manner. An Israeli government, headed by Ariel Sharon, was responsible for the trivializing. And instead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring, here at home, that no independent nation can agree to have "natural growth" dictate its rate of construction, Defense Minister Ehud Barak has gone off to the United States to plead for this poor little lamb.

And to whom has he gone? To the president? To the vice president? To the secretary of state? No. To an envoy, who holds the mere rank of ambassador. The State of Israel's defense minister has tried to extract an agreement to build kindergartens in Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria. And since George Mitchell has apparently sent the defense minister away empty-handed, the prime minister himself is about to go to him hat in hand. Maybe he'll change his mind.

Read the rest of Israel Harel's piece in Haaretz, of all places.

[RonaldH]

Excellent article. If Israelis developed more pride in their nation and appreciated more the virtue of their cause, the nations of the world would hold them in a higher regard. When too many Israelis are ignorant of Torah and absorb socialist, moral relativism, they lose respect for their great heritage and themselves.

[R.Alkalai]

He is absolutely correct. Groveling Shetel- Dhimi mentality. Suicidal, actually. There was a very pragmatic reason when Moshe Rabbenu and the Jewish wondered in the desert for 40 years. The generation of slaves- and their slave mentality died out. Moshe needed brave, warriors to take the land. The same is needed now.

[RonaldH]

R.Alkakai, I had never heard the idea before, that G-d wanted the Jewish slave mentality to die out, but it makes sense.