"Go Back to Auschwitz"
Judith Levy ·
Jul 19, 2010 at 4:22am
The IDF has declassified the details of the flotilla raid and posted two videos reconstructing the events. They're each about eight minutes long and they're well worth watching. Here they are:
On a personal note, as the mother of three children who will all serve in the army one day, these were extremely difficult videos for me to watch.
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Re: "Go Back to Auschwitz"
Can you post the URL as well? I can't get YouTube unless I use a proxy browser. Are these newly released?
Re: "Go Back to Auschwitz"
By the way, your personal note reminded me of a question I've been meaning to ask you: How do you and Arnon explain all of this to your kids? How much do they understand?
Re: "Go Back to Auschwitz"
Here are the URLs:
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwoqGJJltPU&feature=player_embedded
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpPvs3YSE4g&feature=player_embedded
The IDF posted them last Thursday.
Re: "Go Back to Auschwitz"
My eldest is only 7 and my twins are 4, so they don't know about any of this yet. I did hear Arnon tell our eldest once that Israel has enemies and attempt very briefly to define the term, but he didn't press the point.
I have no idea how we're going to explain to them how much they're hated. We'll probably handle it the good old-fashioned Israeli way -- give them as cheerful a childhood as we possibly can and let them figure it out for themselves.
Jun '10
Re: "Go Back to Auschwitz"
Good morning Judith and Claire.
About six months ago Peter Robinson did one of his Uncommon Knowledge interviews with Dr. Hanson and a former intelligence agent. At the time both his guests rated the chances of an Israeli strike on Iran at 50/50 by March of this year. It's now July. I've been reading commentary from Israelis on another site that seems to indicate a new war in the Middle East could begin any day. Hezbollah in the north and Hamas in Gaza are apparently well armed and ready. What's your take?
Re: "Go Back to Auschwitz"
Judith, what is with the soundtrack on these videos? What were they thinking? This isn't a movie. This isn't a video game. Are you as bothered by this as I am? By adding that they've created the impression that this is some kind of slick propaganda effort rather than a serious report.
I suppose it's folly even to ask whether this is being disseminated with Turkish subtitles. This makes me tear out my hair: Turkish people have no access to this point of view, and they certainly won't find it on the Turkish nightly news. Almost no one here speaks English. There's no way for them to study this and make up their own minds. We're about to release some more Murky in Turkey footage that shows how little ordinary Turks actually understand what happened -- no one we spoke to, for example, knew that the Israelis offered to allow the Mavi Marmara to dock at Ashdod so that the supplies could be delivered overland. They were astonished when I told them, but not disbelieving: It was clear that this information changed their point of view.
Re: "Go Back to Auschwitz"
~Paules: Good morning Judith and Claire.
About six months ago Peter Robinson did one of his Uncommon Knowledge interviews with Dr. Hanson and a former intelligence agent. At the time both his guests rated the chances of an Israeli strike on Iran at 50/50 by March of this year. It's now July. I've been reading commentary from Israelis on another site that seems to indicate a new war in the Middle East could begin any day. Hezbollah in the north and Hamas in Gaza are apparently well armed and ready. What's your take? · Jul 19 at 5:14am
Contrary to rumor, I don't have access to the kind of intelligence information that would allow me to speculate in any meaningful way. That decision will be made based on assessments about the stage of advancement of the Iranian nuclear program. And little could be more classified than the details of those assessments. So really, anyone who tells you he knows that this is going to happen, or when, is by definition not credible. Those who do know are for sure not talking.
Re: "Go Back to Auschwitz"
One more thing: It is very significant that at roughly minute 8 of the second video, the oration is not being delivered in Turkish. It sounds like Arabic, but perhaps bad Arabic? And everyone understands what he's saying! Doesn't this tell you something? Turks don't usually speak Arabic, folks!
Jun '10
Re: "Go Back to Auschwitz"
On one level, Claire, you are correct. Those in the highest echelons of the Israeli military and intelligence services most certainly are not talking. But there are other signs worth noting:
(1) Saudi Arabia has granted Israel overflight permission. The Saudis have also tested their air defense systems to ensure there won't be any accidents.
(2) The Israeli air force has tested for range in war games over the eastern Mediterranean. The range tested matches the distance from Israel to Iran.
(3) Arab diplomats in the gulf region have made public statements about the need for a strike.
I'm wondering what type of specialists in the IDF have been called to active duty. That would be another signal that something is afoot.
Re: "Go Back to Auschwitz"
Sure, and you heard that here first! But these are not necessarily signs of imminent war. They could also be "We mean business" signals -- the continuation of diplomacy by other means, in other words.
Jun '10
Re: "Go Back to Auschwitz"
Yes, I agree, there are many possibilities. I'm trying to anticipate a crisis that is more likely than not, but I'm half a world away. I suppose more signs will be in the offing as the dark day draws nigh.
Jul '10
Re: "Go Back to Auschwitz"
What is Israel's self-criticism of this? I'd be curious to know since they are like the USA in that, we (USA) could be well in the right given the then-current knowledge, but we would still criticize ourselves for not knowing "what we now know." Especially as regards military operations. Disclaimer that I have not been looking, but this type of thing is sure to come from a democracy like ours, and should be enlightening.
Re: "Go Back to Auschwitz"
I'm going to go out on a limb and put the odds of our hitting Iran in the near future at less than 10%. I believe that the very facts you note, Paules -- that other Arab states are making public statements about the desirability of a strike and that the Saudis have publicly agreed to let us fly over their territory -- diminish the actual need for us to go in. Arab alignment with Israel, particularly with regard to a proposed military action, is an exceptionally powerful message, insofar as it lays bare the extent of Iran's isolation. It's in our strategic interest to allow that isolation to deepen, as it surely will if Iran's bonkers leadership continues to threaten the whole region.
Re: "Go Back to Auschwitz"
Also, there have been increasing signs of instability within the Iranian theocracy; again, it's in our interest to allow them to go at each other rather than unify them against us. (That's obviously a calculated risk, since Iranian mullahs have stated that they are willing to see Teheran in flames if its destruction serves Islam. The hope is that they'll take each other down before they take the country down with them.) Then -- and I believe this to be the most important point -- there's the logistical near-impossibility of successfully striking Iran's nuclear facilities in any case.
From our point of view, there's the calculation that Iran's response would probably include hitting us on both the northern and western fronts (via Hezbollah and Hamas) together with long-range missile strikes, none of which would require nuclear warheads to create a seriously bad situation. There's no way I see the current calculus adding up logically to our striking Iran.
And yes, I freely acknowledge the likelihood that there's a healthy dollop of wishful thinking in my analysis.
Jun '10
Re: "Go Back to Auschwitz"
Judith,
Your analysis gives me hope that the worst is perhaps not on the way. I only hope that if the greens rise up again against the Iranian theocracy that Mr. Obama displays some moral rectitude for a change. Our president missed an opportunity last year that might have brought down the odious regime in Tehran.
Re: "Go Back to Auschwitz"
Claire, I'd be glad to type the whole narration into a Word file or straight into an email and send it to you for translation into Turkish. Then you could post it wherever you think it might get the best exposure.
May '10
Re: "Go Back to Auschwitz"
Judith and Claire - Any reflections from the two of you about the reports that Hosni Mubarak may be terminally ill and dead within a year?
Subhead on the Washington Times story:
Mubarak a stable force in Mideast
Yeah, like Castro "stabilized" Cuba...
Jun '10
Re: "Go Back to Auschwitz"
Mubarak wants to start a dynasty on the Assad model. Don't expect much to change unless the military steps in.
May '10
Re: "Go Back to Auschwitz"
Thanks, Judith.
Interesting. This is a great example of why analysts are essential to news.
I agree that the music makes it seem like an episode of COPS. It's probably necessary for many viewers to keep watching until the end, but ultimately does more harm than good.
At risk of dampening Judith's admirable optimism, I don't believe the Saudis' recent actions are a clear indicator of their intentions. They don't want a nuclear Iran, but they also don't want Israeli neighbors. If Israel is forced to strike Iran, Saudi Arabia's response (including their alliances) will depend on the reactions of Iran and other nearby members of the OIC.