Such a nice people
Netanyahu’s father discusses the peace process: excerpts from the
exclusive Maariv interview (part I)
04.03.2010 | Promised Land Blog
Prof. Ben Zion Netanyahu (photo by Kobi Kalmanovitz Maariv/nrg.co.il)
My paper, Maariv, published today an eight pages interview with
professor Ben Zion Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu’s 99 year old father.
Netanyahu often refers to his father as the person who inspired him
the most. When he resigned from the government just before the
disengagement from Gaza, Netanyahu mentioned his father as one of the
reasons for his move (Prof. Netanyahu opposed the disengagement plan).
“From you I’ve learned, father,” said Netanyahu that day.
In this interview, Prof. Ben Zion (who’s mind and thinking are clear
as ever – in fact, he is about to go on a work tour to the US)
explains his political views in length, discusses the dangers from the
Left in Israel, and even passes judgment on his son’s character. He
also discusses personal issues, such as his relations with Netanyahu’s
wife, their kids and how he misses his son, Yoni, who was killed
leading Operation Entebbe in 1976.
Prof. Netanyahu gave the interview without informing the PM’s office.
As walla.co.il reported, Benjamin Netanyahu tried to prevent the
publishing of this interview, and even called Maariv’s publisher, Ofer
Nimrodi, on the matter. Finally it was agreed that because of the
father’s age, the PM’s brother, Ido, will have the right to go over
his answers. I believe this makes this interview even more valid,
since Ido wouldn’t have let Maariv publish a text which doesn’t
reflect the father’s personality and views.
In today’s political world, Prof. Netanyahu will be considered an
extreme right wing man. In fact, Prof. Netanyahu says that because of
his views, he was never offered a teaching job in one of Israel’s
universities (he is a world expert on medieval Jewish history). I tend
to believe him. He was also one of the leaders of the US Zionist
movement, and personal secretary to the founder of the Revisionist
movement, Zeev Jabotinsky.
Over the weekend I will post here the most interesting excerpts from
the interview. Here is the first part, regarding the peace process
(the fun parts are at the end):
Prof. Netanyahu: “The Jews and the Arabs are like two goats facing
each other on a narrow bridge. One must jump to the river – but that
involves a danger of death. The strong goat will make the weaker one
jump… and I believe the Jewish power will prevail.”
Q: What does the Arab’s jump mean?
A: “That they won’t be able to face [anymore] the war with us, which
will include withholding food from Arab cities, preventing education,
terminating electrical power and more. They won’t be able to exist,
and they will run away from here. But it all depends on the war, and
whether we will win the battles with them.”
Q: I suppose you don’t believe in the peace process.
A: “I don’t see any signs that the Arabs want peace… we will face
fierce attacks from the Arabs, and we must react firmly. If we don’t,
they will go on and Jews will start leaving the country… we just
handed them a strong blow in Gaza, and they still bargain with us over
one hostage… if we gave them a blow that would really hurt them, they
would have given us Gilad Shalit back.”
Q: Operation “cast Lead” was one of the worst blows we handed on a
civilian population.
A: “That’s not enough. It’s possible that we should have hit harder.”
Q: You don’t like the Arabs, to say the least.
A: “The bible finds no worse image than this of the man from the
desert. And why? Because he has no respect for any law. Because in the
desert he can do as he pleases. The tendency towards conflict is in
the essence of the Arab. He is an enemy by essence. His personality
won’t allow him any compromise or agreement. It doesn’t matter what
kind of resistance he will meet, what price he will pay. His existence
is one of perpetuate war.”
Q: Is there any hope of peace?
A: “Out of agreement? No. the other side might stay in peace if it
understands that doing anything [else] will cause it enormous pain.
The two states solution doesn’t exist. There are no two people here.
There is a Jewish people and an Arab population… there is no
Palestinian people, so you don’t create a state for an imaginary
nation… they only call themselves a people in order to fight the
Jews.”
Q: So what’s the solution?
A: “No solution but force… strong military rule. Any outbreak will
bring upon the Arabs enormous suffering. We shouldn’t wait for a big
mutiny to start, but rather act immediately with great force to
prevent them from going on…
If it’s possible, we should conquer any disputed territory in the land
of Israel. Conquer and hold it, even if it brings us years of war. We
should conquer Gaza, and parts of the Galil, and the Golan. This will
bring upon us a bloody war, since war is difficult for us – we don’t
have a lot of territory, while the Arabs have lots of space to retreat
to. But that’s the only way to survive here.”
There is valuable experience [on this matter] we don’t pay notice to.
I mean the Ottoman rule over the Arabs. The Turks ruled over the Arabs
for 400 years, and there was peace and quiet everywhere. The Arabs
hated the Ottomans, but every little thing they did brought mass
killings and hanging in towns squares. They were hanging people in
Damascus, and Izmir… every town had hanging posts in its center…the
Arabs were so badly beaten, they didn’t dare revolt. Naturally, I
don’t recommend the use of hangings as a show of force like the Turks
did, I just want to show that the only thing that might move the Arabs
from the rejectionist position is force.”