The post-sovereign era

Goldstone, Turkey and others expose our fear of Jewish sovereignty


Yoaz Hendel
Ynet/Israel Opinion
04 November 09

Just when it’s calm around here and when we see no suicide bombers exploding in Israel’s cities or emergency reserve call-ups, we are witnessing for some reason wrinkles of fatigue emerging on the State of Israel’s young face. The Jewish sovereignty that appears in the platform of most Zionist parties never seemed so perturbing and elusive.

Post-Zionism has turned into Post-Sovereignty, while the national fatigue in the face of conflicts has turned into policy.

Ranging from Turkey to Temple Mount and from the October 2000 Riots to the Goldstone Report, the State of Israel allows anyone to lead it and tows the line with the new Zionist ideal – keeping the flames low.

Turkey is behaving like an bull in a china shop and voices anti-Israel slogans, yet here we respond by waiting for it to pass. Jerusalem’s Old City (which for now remains under Israeli sovereignty) has been taken over by a phony incitement campaign that seems to belong in the Middle Ages, yet the legal establishment treats it as though it was a childish prank.

Meanwhile, the same Israel that looked into the events of October 2000 without filing indictments against any security officials is now showing signs of regret and offering compensation to the relatives of rioters.

Finally, the probe into the Gaza operation that Israel never accepted (the famous Goldstone Report) may eventually prompt the establishment of a commission of inquiry that seemingly (and this “seemingly” is bad enough) shows that officials in Israel are also not fully satisfied with previous army inquiries.

The common denominator of the above examples is the Israeli renunciation of rights that accompany sovereignty and the aspiration to put an end to the story in line with what appears to be the desire of critics. Good people here are urging us to strip ourselves of any kind of national will or display of determination. Even without being a prophet, one can already realize that these gestures will end up adding more fuel to the fire. Nobody will be applauding us.
( Read full article)
.