On Saturday, 7 December, Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon made derogatory remarks about the Arabs, offering the ridiculous opinion that democracy is not possible in Arab countries because the Arabs — as he put it — have no respect for human rights. Yaalon's remarks, made at Israel's annual business conference and quoted by the Israeli newspaper Globes, were obviously designed to relieve Israel of any responsibility for peace in the region. The Palestinians, he claimed cannot come up with any credible partners for negotiations. There is no one “on the other side” who recognises “our rights”, Yaalon lamented. He promised that Israel would not budge “one inch” before the Palestinians recognise the rights of the Jewish people, while abandoning their own “right to return”. This abrasive attitude is not confined to the Israeli defence minister. His boss has also alienated many world leaders, including some of Israel's staunch supporters. A few days ago, President Barack Obama was quoted as saying — off the record — that Binyamin Netanyahu was overbearing and rude. Obama's sentiments echo that of many European leaders who had exchanges with the Israeli prime minister. Still, the boorishness of the Israelis is not the exclusive domain of cabinet members. Policy-makers and normal people of all walks of life seem to think that crude behaviour is fine, says Israeli etiquette guru Tami Leibovitz. Leibovitz, who runs an etiquette school in Tel Aviv, believes that the attitude problem began when the Jews left the Diaspora to live in Palestine. In the Diaspora, the Jews were supposed to act politely, avoid confrontation, and be courteous to everyone. In their new homeland, they reverted to crass behaviour, as if this was their signal of a new beginning. There is an uncanny similarity between this attitude and the recent rise of disorderly behaviour in Arab Spring countries. The only difference is that in Israel, this attitude drives the country's policies to extremes, making lies and deception a centrepiece of its strategic planning. Recently, former Israeli deputy prime minister Dan Meridor accused Netanyahu of being a habitual liar. Now, deception has always been central to Israeli politics. The country's first president, Chaim Weizmann, was known for his “chameleon” qualities. And everything Israel did throughout its history denotes the gap between its rhetoric and deeds. For example: - Israel claims that the Arabs and Iranians are threatening peace by trying to make a nuclear bomb. But it is no secret that Israel has had nuclear capabilities since the 1950s, and it is not a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. - Israel continually calls for sanctions against Arab countries and Iran. But when it was faced with an Arab embargo, it went around calling it illegal and unacceptable. - Israeli politicians keep comparing Western leaders with British prime minister Neville Chamberlain, who signed a peace deal with Hitler in 1938. It is on record, however, that Zionist organisations signed a deal with Hitler in 1933 urging the removal of German and European Jews to Palestine. - Israel blames the Arabs for terrorism. But the tradition of terrorism in this region was first established by the early Zionists, who assassinated British diplomat Lord Moyne and Swedish negotiator Count Bernadotte, and who blew up the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. Have anyone discuss these facts in a speech or article and they will be automatically branded anti-Semitic. The reason Israel has maintained this stance of abrasiveness for so long is not just that it gives it a deep sense of satisfaction or superiority. The reason is that the international community — led by Western nations — has allowed this type of brutish behaviour to go unpunished. For example, the international community took no action on Israeli nukes, despite evidence that Israel was considering using them against the Arabs in 1973. Also, there has been no investigation into the assassination of Count Bernadotte. The Swedish government, so upright on many other international issues, is silent on this one. The silence is diplomatic, not moral. Any investigation into the case will establish the involvement of Israel's future leaders, including former prime minister Yitzhaq Shamir, in the killing.
