On the anniversary of Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination, Haaretz asked nineIsraelis to comment on the state of the Israeli left. Their contributions werepublished on November 14, 2008. This was one of them.
In the crucial battle over the national consciousness, we are experiencinggreat success.
Let us pause to recall: In the aftermath of the 1948 war, when we said there isa Palestinian people and that peace should be made with it, there were not 100people in Israel and the entire world who agreed.
When we said a Palestinian state should be established alongside Israel, we weredeemed national enemies.
When we insisted that dialogue with the PLO was vital, we were called traitors.Four cabinet ministers demanded that I be prosecuted for treason after I metYasser Arafat in 1982 in besieged Beirut.
We were subjected to endless denunciation when we made it clear that EastJerusalem had to be the capital of Palestine.
When we said that the settlements are a cancer in the nation's body and that weneed to talk to Hamas, we received death threats.
Yet these positions have by now come to be accepted by most of the Israelipublic. The "two-state solution" is a matter of worldwide consensus,and even politicians who oppose it must pretend to endorse it.
So if things are so good, why are they so bad?
The victory in the battle for national awareness does not come hand in hand witha political victory. On the contrary: The settlements are growing at an alarmingrate, even though their residents are isolated within the Israeli public. Theoccupation is becoming entrenched. The settlers are infiltrating the military'shigh command. The large political parties pay lip service to making peace and dothe opposite. The upcoming elections will include three large, outdated, tiredparties, which have already been in charge of the country and demonstrated theirinability or unwillingness to bring about change. There is no chance that Israelwill have a new government that is willing to take on the settlers in the WestBank and the Golan Heights, or to play a leading role in genuine peace talks.
Many factors can be blamed for this. The recent presidents of the United Statessupported the proponents of settlement and annexation. Ehud Barak pulled the rugout from under the Israeli peace camp when he returned from Camp David to spreadthe mendacious mantra that "I have left no stone unturned on the road topeace / I have offered them unprecedented generous terms / They have turnedeverything down / We have is no partner for peace."
Politics is about power. The Labor Movement, in the days before theestablishment of the State of Israel, knew this well and created its powerstructures in all areas of life. That is why it dominated the Jewish communityhere for two generations. Its power had negative side effects, but it alsoenabled it to
direct the establishment of the state.
Since then, the Israeli left has moved from one extreme to the other, reachingthe point of utter political collapse. It seemed to believe that if the rightmessage were only voiced, everything would then happen on its own.
The left has divested itself of all its political assets and of almost all itsmedia assets. It has lost touch with Israel's peripheral areas, as well as withthe Jewish Oriental and Russian communities. It emasculated itself when itagreed to exclude the Arab public from the coalition arena. It has failed toconvince
Israelis that peace is possible, that there is a partner for peace.
Without access to the media, the voice of the active, dedicated and resolutepart of the peace camp rings weak.
The appearance of Barack Obama, the man who came from nowhere and led a historicrevolution, proves that anything is possible. People with an exciting vision,creative thinking, courage, determination and a clear message can work miracles.Two years ago no one believed it was possible. Now it has happened. Obama hasmobilized an entire new generation, which understands that change must bepolitical and that political mobilization is the duty of anyone who wants to fixthe world.
On Saturday, two weeks ago, the proponents of peace gathered at Rabin Square andlistened politely to sad songs and to the cliches of failed politicians. Theword "Palestinians" was not mentioned once during the entire evening.An air of quiet despondency floated above everything. But perhaps there was inthat crowd an Obama of our own, waiting for his day.
I believe that the Israeli Obama will find fertile ground for peace. I wouldlike to be present at his victory rally at Rabin Square.
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Uri Avnery is a writer, journalist and former MK. He edited the Ha'olamHazeh newsmagazine, was among the first Israelis to meet with Yasser Arafat andfounded the Gush Shalom movement.
