April 18, 2012-Netanyahu Speaks at Yom Hashoah Ceremony About Iran

Yom Hoshoah began in Israel tonight at sundown. I am sitting here writing this evening, frankly, scared for our future. Prime Minister Netanyahu just finished speaking at Israel's official memorial ceremony at Yad Vashem. Netanyahu briefly shared several anecdotes of Holocaust survivors he had met the day before. However, the overwhelming majority of his long speech was devoted to talking about the Iranian threat. Netanyahu vigorously attacked those who complain claiming that the Iranian threat cannot be compared to the Holocaust. He fervently stated he believed it was the responsibility of the Prime Minister of Israel to do so. Netanyahu compared the current situation, and by implication himself, to Vladamir Jabotinsky, who called on the Jews of Poland to leave prior to World War II. Netanyahu stated that Jabotinsky was vehemently attacked for his warnings at that time. Now this son of one of Jabotinsky's aids sees himself as the modern Jabotinsky. However, unlike Jabotinsky, who failed to save the Jewish people, he, Benjamin Netanyahu will not fail. Netanyahu will employ the power of the State of Israel to stop this existential threat. Over the last year I was never quite sure whether or not Obama and Netanyahu were participating in a well-choreographed play. I hoped so, but I was always worried. Tonight I am convinced that Netanyahu is a "true believer". As such, he is on his own page. This is very scary. Since people who so envision themselves, more often then not, make decisions based on their views, rather than based on the facts.

Meanwhile, today was marred by dual tragedies. We needlessly lost two soldiers today. One soldier lost her life when the lighting system at Mt. Herzl collapsed during a rehearsal for next week's Yom Ha'atzmaut ceremonies. The second young soldier died after he collapsed during an intake exercise for an elite combat unit.

Finally, the Army Chief of Staff came to the only decision he could and removed Lt. Colonel Eisner from his command for hitting an unarmed demonstrator with his gun. Whatever the provocation might have been, it was terribly wrong for a senior officer to lose his temper that way. It is bad enough when young recruits lose their temper after being provoked. It is utterly inexcusable for a senior officer to do so.