beyondzerosum

Gen (Ret) Nati Sharoni - Wouldn't you listen to this General?

Who do you think would be most worried about whether or not Israel has defensible borders?  Who would be most wary of trusting the Arabs?  Who might you think would believe that maintaining the settlements, and particularly the outposts, should be a cornerstone of Israeli defense policy?  The obvious answer would be:  former IDF and security (Shin Bet, Mossad, etc.) officers, right?  Think again.

Some of Israel’s most recognized and decorated soldiers, sailors, airforce personnel, security directors and staff have joined together with other prominent diplomats and academics to form the one thousand strong Council For Peace and Security.  The Council describes itself as a “Non-Profit Organization of Experts on Peace and Security”.  One of the statements in its website’s Profile sums up their point of view:

“It (the Council) considers the support of the Middle East Peace Process to be a necessary component of National Security.” 

The Council’s current President, Gen (ret) Nati Sharoni, is going to be in Chicago speaking this Thursday (July 28) at a private home in the city.  I urge you to come hear him.  If you are interested – please email me directly at beyondzerosum@gmail.com.

To understand more about the Council, here are the Guiding Principles that all members must accept:

• DELIBERATIONS ON SECURITY ISSUES MUST BE NON-POLITICAL 

• PEACE IS ACHIEVED BY COMPROMISE 

• THE OCCUPATION IS CAUSING DAMAGE

• A PALESTINIAN STATE IS NOT A THREAT

• JERUSALEM, THE CAPITAL OF ISRAEL

• A PALESTINIAN STATE IS NOT A THREAT

• ISRAEL MUST REMOVE PROBLEMATIC SETTLEMENTS

• ISRAEL MUST RESIST PROVOCATION

• PEACE WITH SYRIA IS A STRATEGIC NECESSITY

• THREAT OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION 

• CONSCRIPTION FOR ALL 

• EQUAL RIGHTS FOR MINORITIES

The members of the Council are not wild-eyed, left-wing radicals whose views can be dismissed with the usual argument of naiveté.  They are seasoned military and security thinkers who have come to the very rational conclusion that Israel’s long term security depends on achieving a two-state solution – as soon as possible.  Disappointedly, I have never heard of the Council For Peace and Security in any of the Jewish circles that I am involved with in the United States. 

To remedy that, J Street is sponsoring nine members to travel the country so that American Jews can listen to the conclusions of these military and security experts.  It is particularly important  because the conclusions they have arrived at are almost 180 degrees opposite from what Mr. Netanyahu’s government is espousing – along with the American Jewish organizations which believe that there should be “no daylight” between American Jews and the Israeli government.  Personally, I think that it is irresponsible  for American Jews not to listen to the point of view of these extremely experienced and battle-hardened military and strategic experts.  Listening only to people who tell you what you want to hear is the easiest way to make tragically wrong decisions.

So, again, if you are available on Thursday night and would like to meet General (Ret) Sharoni (along with Col (Ret) Shaul Arieli), please send me an email at beyondzerosum@gmail.com – and feel free to pass the information along to others who might be interested.

Related articles

• Israeli ex-generals, diplomats press for U.S. role in peace talks (jta.org)
• Poll Shows Shift In American Jewry View Of Israel (lezgetreal.com)
• Guy Ziv: The Generals vs. Netanyahu (huffingtonpost.com)