As they say, just when you thought things could not get any worse, they did. It is interesting to juxtapose this bizarre appointment to a bizarre statement Prime Minister Netanyahu made recently, saying he wants to reinstate military parades to celebrate Israels Independence Day. Netanyahu, not unlike North Koreas Kim Jong-Un wants to stand on a high stage and wave as Israels killing machines drive by and men in uniform salute him. Lieberman wants to control the killing machine and be prosecutor, judge and executioner of Palestinian terrorists. It seems that now they can both have their wishes come true thus creating a deadly scenario.
By appointing Lieberman as minister of defense, Netanyahu has given himself a very broad coalition, allowing him the freedom to do what he likes. Until 1973 Israel used to hold a military parade in Jerusalem as part of the Independence Day celebrations. I recall as a child the tanks rolling down the streets, the ceremony that took place at the Hebrew University stadium where dignitaries would stand as the IDF displayed its finest killing machines and marching men in uniform displayed their colors and their weapons. I still remember sitting with my father in the VIP section and watching the breathtaking display of fighter planes fly over our heads. Netanyahu recalls the same images. He said he remembers how excited he was the first time he saw a tank roll by. So was I. But now its time to put our childish admiration for guns and tanks and men in uniform aside and put these killing machines away for good.
Lieberman does not have such visions of grandeur. He demanded the job of defense minister so that he could have the entire arsenal at his disposal. He wants to play with the weapons, to order generals and commanders around and most importantly he wants to see more killing of Palestinians. Having climbed to what is considered Israels second most powerful position, some would even argue it is the most powerful position, he wants the death machine to be at his disposal. An immigrant who barely reached the rank of corporal while serving in the IDF now sits above everyone at the defense ministry high-rise in Tel-Aviv, appointing commanders and ordering generals to serve at his will.
Its not likely Lieberman wants a full out war. First of all there is no one with whom to fight a war. There are no armies around with which to fight. Egypt and its forces collaborate with Israel, Jordan no longer has much of an army and none of the countries that were once willing to fight Israel exist any more. What Lieberman wants is to put terrorists on trial and then execute them. Israel has no death penalty, and when the state wishes to kill Palestinians there is no need for a judge and jury, they just do it but for some pathological reason this is not good enough for Lieberman. He wants to enjoy the drama, the chase. He wants to capture them, display them on trial and then see them convicted and sentenced to death. No doubt that if he could, Lieberman would be glad to act as executioner as well.
Recently Lieberman has been challenged to make good on his promise to murder Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza. Lieberman gave a forty-eight hour ultimatum to Haniyeh within which Hamas must return to Israel the bodies of Israeli soldiers that have been held since the Israeli assault in 2014. In a very blunt statement Lieberman said that if he becomes minister of defense, Haniyeh may as well purchase a plot for himself in a nearby cemetery.
We will find out soon enough if this was an empty threat. But what is even more worrisome is Liebermans determination to execute terrorists. Israel sees a terrorist in practically every Palestinian. They have children in prisons charged with being terrorists. Most of the so-called terrorists held in Israeli jails have never been involved or charged with violence and one has to wonder what their fate might be now that Lieberman is at the helm of the defense apparatus. Will all of these terrorists be executed? Will Israel now charge all Palestinians it holds with terrorism and demand the death penalty? These are serious concerns and we must turn our attention to this issue because it is likely that there will be a wave of Palestinian prisoners murdered not extra-judicially but through a military judicial process.
One interesting response to Liebermans appointment came from the Obama administration. Israel and the United States are now in the midst of negotiating the foreign aid package Israel will receive in the coming decade. The US is willing to give Israel $40 billion over the next ten years if Israel will commit that within those ten years it will not ask congress for more money. So far Israel is unwilling to commit. It was announced by the US administration that the appointment of Lieberman would in no way affect the negotiations. One has to wonder then, is there anything Israel can do that will stop the flow of arms and money? According to the definitions provided in article II of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Israel has been engaged in genocide of the people of Palestine for close to seven decades. According to article III of the Convention the United States government, by being an accomplice to the crime of genocide should be punished as well. How long will it be and what will it take before the world demands a stop to the flow of unlimited money and weapons into the hands of Netanyahu and Lieberman?
This article was written by Miko Peled for American Herald Tribune on May 30, 2016. Miko Peled is an Israeli writer and activist living in the US. He was born and raised in Jerusalem. His father was the late Israeli General Matti Peled. Driven by a personal family tragedy to explore Palestine, its people and their narrative.
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