Kåre Willoch once had a distinguished political career. He was an extremely effective and influential parliamentarian in opposition and - when he got the chance - an accomplished minister in various posts. He was, however, utterly inaccessible to public opinion and is surely one of the least popular prime ministers in Norwegian history. His bitterness over this is palpable in his retirement, but he has found a cause that resonates in the Norwegian political opinion: hating Israel.
If he reads this, he'll undoubtedly dismiss it with disdain, characterizing it the product of someone who puts Israel on a pedestal, instills in the country infallibility, perhaps a religious fanatic.
This time, Willoch feels that the "blockade" of Hamas was a huge mistake, because - he says - Hamas was just about to accept Israel's existence when Israel indulged in this annoying habit of not tolerating kidnapping. But wait, Willoch says, Israel also kidnaps people - there are thousands of Palestinian prisoners who are also "kidnapped," so Israel is hardly one to complain.
Willoch's view was that Israel should have done what first Hamas and then Hizballah asked, namely exchange hundreds if not thousands of Palestinian prisoners in return for the 1, then 3 Israeli prisoners.
I suppose Israel could have done that. I also suppose the Israeli government could call Willoch and concede that his opinion should hold more sway over them than the safety of Israelis. In fact, they should invite Willoch to Israel to finally explain to Israelis what is best for them, since his insights are obviously superior to those of the Israelis.
What it all comes down to is this: Israelis should stop indulging in this really annoying policy of defending themselves. They should realize now what should have been clear to them a long time: they don't know what's good for them, and they should be more appreciative of the forebearance people like Willoch offer. If Willoch, clearly morally and intellectually superior to all of them, believes that they should accept Hamas's demands, they should go along with that.
Willoch must know that the Israeli public support for Israel's operations against Hizballah and Hamas is overwhelming. It is not lost to the Israelis that it is precisely across those frontiers from which Israel has unilaterally withdrawn that rockets are being launched and kidnapping operations conducted. This is a detail of no relevance to Willoch, because he thinks that Israel never does enough. The answer to terrorism, by Willoch's logic, is to give in to it.
Willoch obviously has no respect for the Israeli political process. His intellect towers over those of mere Israeli politicians, unless they happen to agree with him; his moral compass is simply better calibrated. We should all obey Willoch, and the world would be a better place. To be sure, there would be a lot fewer Jews, but that's less important than extending Willoch's already overextended 15 minutes of fame.
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