'Strategic threat'
"Lieberman vs. Ahmedinjad: cut it out now!" (from Haaretz)The recent addition to the Israeli government is Avigdor Lieberman, who has been called 'the Israeli le-Pen'. Like many on the new European extreme-right, Liberman carefully and cleverly presents a complex face, championing 'liberal' issues like civil marriage (which does not exist here), while pursuing a deeply racist, xneophobic agenda. What makes it a bit different, in tone and language, is perhaps the fact that Lieberman, like most of constituency, is a Russian immigrant. His party is called 'Israel our Home' - clearly a point that he still feels needs making.
The newspapers say he is going to be the minister for 'Strategic Threats' which mean mainly Iran and its nuclear program. What this man knows about Iran is a good question, but not one that is asked here. Iran (here in Israel) is the ultimate bogey man, big scary headlines in black and red, with the word missiles, bomb or reactor in them. Ahmedinjad's is rapidly replacing the late Yasir Arafat as the Jewish People's ultimate nemesis, a modern-day Hitler and Pharoe. Yes we Jews need an enemy, preferably with some facial hair, that wants to destroy us all. It makes us sleep better at night.
It is fairly common here to come across ex-generals/politicians/'scholars' going on about 'Islamic tsunami' and other phrases to that effect; I think to myself why on earth should I waste time listening to these people who know nothing about Islam, let alone about Iranian society and culture. But analysis, explanation or even a carefully-presented arguments are deemed unnecessary. 'What more proofs do you need? Just listen to what he says!'
I have a feeling that Israel and the 'Zionist regime' play the same bogey-man role for Ahmedinjad and his mates, who need their own 'axis of evil'. Together the two sides tell their consitutenices horror-stories to give them nightmares.
posted by mink @ 2:18 PM
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