We Cannot Receive Guarantees, Even from Washington

Let us audit ourselves regarding our national priorities for this past week: One of the most prominent events is the U.S. president’s “dramatic” speech at the Saban Forum. It was an event that was so important that radio and television stations dedicated at least an hour to his honor. It was broadcast live, during prime time; they danced around him both before and after it, seemingly without end.

However, if it weren’t for a minor detail, we wouldn’t learn how much of this is just a well-planned, fraudulent marketing campaign with many participants and a clear intent. After all, what justification is there to elevate an empty and self-serving campaign to the level of headlines when Haim Saban, the ex-Israeli billionaire, funded it?* Coverage of the meeting has been fraudulent and manipulative to its core, but its content demonstrates everything. Its apex was the empty interview with Barack Obama, in which he only came to sell his broken promises and failed diplomacy in a colorful packet.

The stage was organized so that he and his representatives can brainwash us — when you are on a propaganda campaign, many participate. Saban and his public relations team bought, for the small price of a handful of invitations, five Washington celebrities and commentators who operated like soldiers, obedient to the needs of the campaign machinery. They made sure not to ask the right questions, they blew hot air and they provided the required goods to their masters. Simultaneously and worst of all, the Israeli media gave in as well.

If only they knew how empty the reports and endless airtime were, but they gave themselves to the bogus parade with enthusiasm. Is there anything they will not do for ideology? Just pay attention to how much time was dedicated to the president’s propaganda interview and how much was given to the prime minister of Israel’s speech the following day. The difference clearly demonstrates who purchased the airwaves and why.

We Cannot Take Any Risks

The previous generation has been in this situation a few times already. Again and again the heads of Israeli telecommunications and Israeli academia have, for the most part, given themselves to deceptive campaigns that lead us to accept decisions that are pregnant with disaster. When the Oslo Accords erupted in August 1993 and the Yitzhak Rabin/Shimon Peres government was claiming that the traitorous terrorist Yasser Arafat had become, as it turns out, our savior and friend, the newspapers had all the tools they needed to ask hard questions and address the foolishness that ate us.

However, those who determine our destiny sailed off in full participation with the fraudulent campaign. With the full support of the media, they created for us a new Middle East and human nature and therefore we absorbed a strategic setback that we are unlikely to ever recover from. The same thing happened when someone sold us the crazy idea that “disconnecting” from Gaza will give us endless peace in the south. The results speak for themselves. Similarly, back then Sharon’s fraud would have never taken off if it weren’t for the cooperation of central parts of the Israeli media, academia and judicial system.

Now they are again trying to sell us the childish and disastrous vision that is being espoused by John Kerry. Again, all hands are on deck. Again, there is a partner. Again, they are speaking of real peace that only requires some courage and an extended hand. They are again ignoring reality in its entirety — from the cute partners who are not striving every day to destroy us to the ability to completely trust absolutely all of the guarantees and promises given to us by the U.S. government and European leaders. It’s as if we haven’t learned these lessons before.

*Translator’s note: The author refers to Haim Saban as an ex-Israeli, but Haim Saban has dual citizenship and resides in America. Referring to him as ex-Israeli is not factual, but the author intends to be disparaging.