Column One: The Incitement of Ideas

Caroline Glick's latest article in the Jerusalem Post talks about how any dissent towards the Gaza pullout is being crushed in all areas -- and is being labeled as incitement. The government seems to feel that people against Sharon's disengagement plan are inciting a civil war and should be kept in administrative detention. Glick is understandably unhappy to find that Sharon has "relegated all of his political opponents to criminal status." The media appears to join him, attacking anyone who takes issue with disengagement. It is creating a scary atmosphere for democracy if opposing ideas aren't allowed to be voiced. The big loser is the Israeli public, being denied any debate or discussion of the plan -- things like, how will this make Israel safer?

Another interesting element of the article has Glick pointing out something Gindy discussed on his site -- an article proclaiming, "The Fear: A Jewish Suicide Attacker" by Alex Fishman in Yediot Aharonot. She marvels at how they're treating Sharon's assassination as a foregone conclusion, wondering how rather than if or when it will be done. "The entire article was devoid of sourcing, facts or even grounded suspicions." Never mind it's offensive to even bring up a Jewish suicide bomber when there isn't any evidence of one -- and it goes against everything one is taught about Judaism.

On a side note, she clears up some of the erroneous coverage of Netanyahu's scuffle last week. His tires weren't slashed -- he had a flat. And no group had surrounded him; rather one teenager yelled at him -- and that was done because a journalist told him to do it. He was even sent a "thank you for a job well done" text message on his cell from the journalist. Well, I guess I should be grateful it wasn't a blogger!