This is just too weird! Compare the news-making names and events from just around a decade ago to those that are gracing our headlines today.
Let?s see, the Gulf War had featured prominently along with a US President named George Bush and his top war advisors, Dick Cheney and Colin Powell. We had an aging Likud Prime Minister and a young upstart named Benjamin Netanyahu as deputy Foreign Minister. Israeli general elections were fast approaching. And, the issue of terror and an ongoing intifada would be highlighted as major campaign issues.
Ok, you?re cool. You can handle these rather strange, but totally coincidental circumstances, right? But, here's the piece of the puzzle which will really blow your mind.... The figure of 10 billion dollars in loan guarantees were being kicked around back then. And, in case you missed yesterday?s news, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon sent his bureau chief and finance ministry director to Washington on Saturday night with a request for $10 billion in loan guarantees. Come on, Sharon! You couldn?t have picked another figure? Nine and a half, maybe, or eleven billion? No, you had to bring up the magic number that is synonymous with capitulation.
Remember (and if you don?t, you should) this sequence of events: After demonstrating, in George Bush?s words, ?remarkable restraint? by staying out of the Gulf War, Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir finds himself coerced into ?peace talks? at the Madrid Conference in exchange for an end to the intifada. When negotiations aren?t moving fast enough, a frustrated President Bush, who is anxious to make his footnote in the history books prior to American elections, starts wavering on his commitment to the 10 billion dollar loan guarantee. Shamir refuses to accept George Bush?s condition of a settlement freeze in exchange for the funds.
Meanwhile....
Shimon Peres and Yosi Beilin didn?t miss a beat. They convinced Bush to renege on his promise to Shamir in order to facilitate a Labor victory in the May 1992 elections, because once elected, Yitzchak Rabin would have no problem complying with a settlement freeze on Judea, Samaria and Gaza. Of course, Labor wins the election, secures the loan and the rest is history. It should be noted that Washington had no problem suggesting that the loan guarantees, which were denied Shamir due to his policy of settlement expansion, could be used to assist in the evacuation of settlements.
Why is Sharon running to Washington at this time with a request for aid, which will ultimately be used to pressure us into concessions? Is this a telltale sign of things to come under Ariel Sharon? Ever get the feeling that we're all stuck in some kind of a time warp?
Now, I?m not one to rely on or believe in mystical signs and omens. But, I do believe in the lessons of history and I hold that a Jew must have a constant awareness of past events and the consequences of past actions. And in this sense, yes, we are in the midst of another cosmic set-up. The names, the faces and the events just keep cycling along with the same old ingredients of power, politics, greed and evil.
What would happen if just this once instead of saying, ?Stop the world. I want to get off,? we were to say, ?Stop the world and let me get involved by taking responsibility and trying to effect change?? What if we were to accept King Solomon?s invitation to look over and beyond the sun rather than settle into the ?there is nothing new under the sun? syndrome?
Six years ago, Benjamin Netanyahu made some of the same old, very costly mistakes, but he also made a bold attempt (which began to bear fruit) to break the economic cycle of dependence on America and set Israel on its own two feet. He began the process of gradual reduction of U.S. economic aid to Israel. Israel?s in trouble and ?Grandpa Sharon? would rather run into the arms of a very strong and very rich, but conniving, Uncle Sam.
--------------------------------------------------------
Ellen lives in the Golan Heights with her husband and six children. She is a painter and writer.
Let?s see, the Gulf War had featured prominently along with a US President named George Bush and his top war advisors, Dick Cheney and Colin Powell. We had an aging Likud Prime Minister and a young upstart named Benjamin Netanyahu as deputy Foreign Minister. Israeli general elections were fast approaching. And, the issue of terror and an ongoing intifada would be highlighted as major campaign issues.
Ok, you?re cool. You can handle these rather strange, but totally coincidental circumstances, right? But, here's the piece of the puzzle which will really blow your mind.... The figure of 10 billion dollars in loan guarantees were being kicked around back then. And, in case you missed yesterday?s news, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon sent his bureau chief and finance ministry director to Washington on Saturday night with a request for $10 billion in loan guarantees. Come on, Sharon! You couldn?t have picked another figure? Nine and a half, maybe, or eleven billion? No, you had to bring up the magic number that is synonymous with capitulation.
Remember (and if you don?t, you should) this sequence of events: After demonstrating, in George Bush?s words, ?remarkable restraint? by staying out of the Gulf War, Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir finds himself coerced into ?peace talks? at the Madrid Conference in exchange for an end to the intifada. When negotiations aren?t moving fast enough, a frustrated President Bush, who is anxious to make his footnote in the history books prior to American elections, starts wavering on his commitment to the 10 billion dollar loan guarantee. Shamir refuses to accept George Bush?s condition of a settlement freeze in exchange for the funds.
Meanwhile....
Shimon Peres and Yosi Beilin didn?t miss a beat. They convinced Bush to renege on his promise to Shamir in order to facilitate a Labor victory in the May 1992 elections, because once elected, Yitzchak Rabin would have no problem complying with a settlement freeze on Judea, Samaria and Gaza. Of course, Labor wins the election, secures the loan and the rest is history. It should be noted that Washington had no problem suggesting that the loan guarantees, which were denied Shamir due to his policy of settlement expansion, could be used to assist in the evacuation of settlements.
Why is Sharon running to Washington at this time with a request for aid, which will ultimately be used to pressure us into concessions? Is this a telltale sign of things to come under Ariel Sharon? Ever get the feeling that we're all stuck in some kind of a time warp?
Now, I?m not one to rely on or believe in mystical signs and omens. But, I do believe in the lessons of history and I hold that a Jew must have a constant awareness of past events and the consequences of past actions. And in this sense, yes, we are in the midst of another cosmic set-up. The names, the faces and the events just keep cycling along with the same old ingredients of power, politics, greed and evil.
What would happen if just this once instead of saying, ?Stop the world. I want to get off,? we were to say, ?Stop the world and let me get involved by taking responsibility and trying to effect change?? What if we were to accept King Solomon?s invitation to look over and beyond the sun rather than settle into the ?there is nothing new under the sun? syndrome?
Six years ago, Benjamin Netanyahu made some of the same old, very costly mistakes, but he also made a bold attempt (which began to bear fruit) to break the economic cycle of dependence on America and set Israel on its own two feet. He began the process of gradual reduction of U.S. economic aid to Israel. Israel?s in trouble and ?Grandpa Sharon? would rather run into the arms of a very strong and very rich, but conniving, Uncle Sam.
--------------------------------------------------------
Ellen lives in the Golan Heights with her husband and six children. She is a painter and writer.