Did anyone else come across an amazing rant by Daniel Pipes? I say "rant" because it ends with the words, "Shame on them," referring to the leaders of the State of Israel, who authorized the asymmetric prisoner swap that freed Gilad Shalit.
I occasionally get condemned for my own critiques of Israeli policies and diplomacy, but I've never presumed to pass judgment on Israeli leaders. As a Jew and a supporter of Israel who doesn't live in Israel and never served in the Israeli military, I just don't feel it's my place. For all his claims of concern that Israel be allowed to act in its own interest -- and for all the opprobrium against centrists and liberals who dissent from Likud orthodoxy -- it's amazing that Dr. Pipes has gotten away with this self-righteous pitch.
Despite a Haaretz column by Bradley Burston a few weeks ago, no one else seems to be taking Pipes to task. Even I happened across Pipes' blog post almost by random. My own post on the Shalit release focused on the atmospheric and spiritual aspects, figuring that Israeli leaders were not acting cynically in winning Sergeant Shalit's freedom -- and even if they were, it's not my call.
It's not just that The Daniel Pipes openly said, "Shame on them," despite always presenting himself as the oh-so-loyal and courageous defender of Israel -- willing to defend his ideology down to the last Israeli -- it's that no one on the right seems to either notice or care about it. Regardless of the legitimate arguments waged in Israel over the Shalit deal, or questioning the right of Israelis to decide for themselves, it is at least worth noting that -- by his own words and the lack of criticism from his neo-conservative or otherwise conservative constituency -- Daniel Pipes and his supporters demonstrate that they do in fact have no shame.
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