A clandestine undertaking on behalf of Israel, the Jets and the Jews.

 
Brian Lehrer Challenges Uzi Landau With My Column

Friday morning on his radio program on New York's WNYC, Brian Lehrer interviewed Likud's Uzi Landau about Landau's opposition to Ariel Sharon's "disengagement" plan. The 14 minute segment can be heard here.

In my column in the last issue of the Jewish Press, I wrote that "my views are similar to those of Uzi Landau and Natan Sharansky of Likud, who support territorial compromises for real peace, but will not make concessions without reciprocity. People who are critical of Sharon, but reject extremist invective."

Lehrer challenged Landau's opposition to Sharon by invoking my column. Lehrer told Landau that my column stated that I agreed with Landau, but quoted the following excerpt from my column:

"Sharon's goal appears to be to retain all of Jerusalem's Old City, part of the Jordan Valley, and more than the four percent of Judea and Samaria that Israel was left with under the Clinton Plan."

Lehrer told Landau that I then expressed disagreement with Sharon's approach, but that I wrote that "the failure of so many to even understand that Sharon has a plan is odd."

Lehrer left out the portion of that paragraph that asserted that Sharon's "refusal to answer substantive questions and criticism does not inspire confidence."

Landau responded that nobody really knows what Sharon's plan is, so it's difficult to debate the pros and cons of an unstated plan.

It's ironic that something that I wrote would be used to defend Sharon and challenge Landau. My political views are definitely closer to Landau's.

My column was a challenge to observant Jews on the extreme right who are opposed to ever compromising over territory, and who regard Sharon as close to being a traitor.

In the forum I am sometimes given in the Jewish Press, I generally choose to address its readers with analytical pieces relating to Israel's political goals and their obstacles. I challenge them to view Israel pragmatically, not solely based on emotion. I do not refrain from expressing right-wing political views, but don't see the point of repeatedly preaching to the converted. I believe that I am writing from the left of most readers and most columnists of the JP, and the tone of my columns often reflects that. If I were writing in the Jewish Week or the Forward, my columns would be different, challenging those on the left with the naive positions that many of them hold.
posted on 3/20/2005