A retraction and apology from JoeSettler

Sometimes when one is used to looking at a situation from a particular angle, it becomes difficult to immediately realize there may be another angle involved, particularly when duplicitous intentions use a valid argument as cover.

Last week I wrote a post commiserating with Naomi Chazan vis a vis police violence and general misuse and abuse of their power, particularly when silencing political dissent. Having witnessed and having been on the receiving end of such official abuse of power (along with Jameel and Lurker) to do just that on more than one occasion, the complaint was quite credible.

It was natural that I, an advocate of the democratic rule of law and equal and fair application of it towards all citizens should join in protest against measures that were once solely used against us on the political right.

But now I feel like a dupe.

Everyone knows about Bi’ilin. The violent Friday battles between the police/IDF and the various united groups of Leftists, Communists, Anti-Zionists, Arabs and others who unite to deny the Jew the right to Eretz Yisrael (much less recognize our right to buy or own land) .

To some it seems it simply become a violent Friday ritual to pass the time.

And if it were a stand-alone event, I would perhaps agree.

But what we are witnessing in Bi’ilin is organized. You can see that it’s organized because the model is being duplicated in other locations.

We’ve been seeing it in Hebron, where Leftists try to incite the Arabs on Fridays against the locals, but there the army has a tight grip so it has been less successful. It’s been going on for weeks now near Neve Tzuf, where the Leftists and Arab have been escalating the protests and violence against the police/IDF.

And now it’s come to Jerusalem.

What we are seeing in Jerusalem, near Shimon Hatzadik, is following the same formula. Leftists leading Arabs, and the two escalating their protests. Eventually the violence begins (if it hasn't already), and it becomes a weekly ritual drawing more and more resources from the security forces.

How long until this is occurring in 10 places, in 20 places, in 100 places instead of 4 or 5?

How thin will the countries security resources be spread as this Intifada expands.

That’s right. Intifada.

I’ve said. It’s begun.

But this Intifada is different. It’s more sophisticated. It smells of Leftists.

This intifada is targeted. It’s targeted in location, in subject, in tactics.

It’s led by Leftists, our own fifth column, who use the Arabs as pawns (they’re used to that by now).

But that’s what it is.

In this case I believe the security forces identified the pattern and realized what the Jerusalem protest is leading into.

Have their actions nipped it in the bud? Absolutely not. But it at least appears they do know what they are up against, and that’s a start.

I completely withdraw my sympathy to Chazan, and I apologize if my position last week led anyone else to mistakenly share that incorrect view.

What we are dealing with here is nothing less than a new front in the war against the State of Israel.

There are no options here; to quote Haim Ramon [simultaneously making a fist in hand motion] the government has only one choice to make here, “Crush them!”

(Thanks to Hodaya Krish-Chazoni for pointing out some salient facts in this weekend’s Makor Rishon)


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