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Uri Avnery's Column

A Boy Called Bibi

02/05/15

THERE ARE two dierent o!inions about Binyamin "etanya#u$ %t is dii&ult to

believe t#at t#ey &on&ern t#e same !erson$

ne is t#at "etanya#u is a s#allow !oliti&ian( devoid o ideas and &onvi&tions(

w#o is led solely by #is obsession to remain in !ower$ T#is "etanya#u #as a )ood

voi&e and a talent or ma*in) s#allow s!ee&#es on television( s!ee&#es devoid o

any intelle&tual &ontent + and t#at's all$

T#is "etanya#u is #i)#ly ,!ressurable, -a Hebrew word invented almost solely

or #im.( a man w#o will &#an)e #is views a&&ordin) to !oliti&al e!edien&y(dis&laimin) in t#e evenin) w#at #e #as said in t#e mornin)$ "one o #is words

s#ould be trusted$ He will lie and &#eat anytime to assure #is survival$

T#e ot#er "etanya#u is almost t#e ea&t o!!osite$ A !rin&i!led !atriot( a

serious t#in*er( a statesman w#o sees dan)er beyond t#e #orion$ T#is

"etanya#u is a )ited orator( able to move t#e U Con)ress and t#e U" !lenum(

admired by t#e )reat mass o %sraelis$

o w#i&# o t#ese des&ri!tions is true"eit#er$

%3 %T is true t#at t#e &#ara&ter o a !erson is s#a!ed by #is early &#ild#ood( we

must eamine t#e ba&*)round o "etanya#u in order to understand #im$

He )rew u! in t#e s#adow o a stron) at#er$ Benion 4illi*ows*y( w#o &#an)ed

#is orei)n name to t#e Hebrew "etanya#u( was a very dominant and very

un#a!!y !erson$ Born in arsaw( t#en a !rovin&ial town in t#e Russian Em!ire( #e

immi)rated to 6alestine as a youn) man( studied #istory at t#e new HebrewUniversity in 7erusalem and e!e&ted to be&ome a !roessor t#ere$ He was not

a&&e!ted$

Benion was t#e son o an early ad#erent o 8ladimir -9e'ev. 7abotins*y( t#e

etreme ri)#tist 9ionist leader$ He in#erited rom #is at#er a very etremist

outloo*( and !assed it on to #is t#ree sons$ Binyamin was t#e se&ond one$ His

elder brot#er( still a &#ild #imsel( &alled #im Bibi( and t#e &#ildis# a!!ellation

stu&*$

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Benion's re:e&tion by t#e !resti)ious youn) Hebrew University turned #im into

a bitter man( a bitterness t#at lasted until #is deat# in 2012( at a)e 102$ He was

sure t#at t#is re:e&tion #ad not#in) to do wit# #is a&ademi& ;ualii&ation( and

everyt#in) wit# #is ultra<nationalist o!inions$

His etreme 9ionism did not sto! #im leavin) 6alestine and see*in) #is a&ademi&

lu&* in t#e United tates( w#ere a se&ond<rate university )ave #im a

!roessors#i!$ His lie's wor* as a #istorian &on&erned t#e ate o t#e 7ews in

medieval C#ristian !ain + t#e e!ulsion and in;uisition$ %t en)endered in #im a

very dar* world view= t#e &onvi&tion t#at 7ews will always be !erse&uted( t#at all

>oyim -non<7ews. #ate t#e 7ews( t#at a strai)#t line &onne&ts t#e auto<da<? o

t#e !anis# in;uisition wit# t#e "ai Holo&aust$

@urin) t#e years( t#e "etanya#u amily went ba&* and ort# between t#e Uand %srael$ Binyamin )rew u! in Ameri&a( a&;uired !ere&t Ameri&an En)lis#(

essential or #is uture &areer( studied and be&ame a salesman$ His obvious

talent or t#is !roession attra&ted a i*ud orei)n minister( w#o sent #im to

t#e U" as %sraeli s!o*esman$

BE"9%" "ETA"AHU was not only a very bitter !erson( w#o a&&used t#e

9ionist and %sraeli a&ademi& establis#ment o ailin) to re&o)nie #is a&ademi&

stature$ He was also a very auto&rati& amily man$

T#e t#ree "etanya#u boys lived in &onstant awe o 3at#er$ T#ey were not

allowed to ma*e any noise at #ome w#ile t#e >reat 4an wor*ed in #is &losed

study$ T#ey were not allowed to brin) ot#er boys #ome$ T#eir mot#er was

&om!letely devoted to #er #usband and served #im in every way( sa&rii&in) #er

own !ersonality$

%n every amily( t#e se&ond &#ild o t#ree is in a dii&ult !osition$ He is not

admired li*e t#e eldest( nor indul)ed li*e t#e youn)est$ 3or Binyamin t#is was

es!e&ially #ard( be&ause o t#e !ersonality o t#e eldest$

onatan "etanya#u -bot# names mean ,>od #as )iven,. seems to #ave been a

s!e&ially blessed boy$ He was )ood<loo*in)( )ited( mu&# li*ed( even admired$ %n

t#e army( #e be&ame t#e &ommander o t#e revered ayeret 4at*al -,>eneral

ta Commando Unit,. + t#e elite o t#e army's elite$

As su&# #e was t#e )round &ommander o t#e darin) 1D Entebbe &ommando

raid in U)anda( w#i&# liberated t#e &a!tive !assen)ers o a li)#t #i:a&*ed by

6alestinian and >erman )uerillas on t#e way to %srael$ onatan was *illed and

be&ame a national #ero$ He was also adored by #is at#er( w#o never ;uitea&&e!ted t#e ;ualities o #is se&ond son$

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Between #is at#er( t#e embittered >reat T#in*er( and #is elder brot#er( t#e

e)endary Hero( Binyamin )rew u! as a ;uiet but very ambitious boy( !art

%sraeli( !art Ameri&an$ He wor*ed or some time as a urniture salesman( until

#e was dis&overed by t#e ar<ri)#t i*ud orei)n minister( 4os#e Arens$

Between #is obsessive need to be a!!roved by #is at#er and to be ound e;ual

to #is )lorious brot#er( "etanya#u's own &#ara&ter was or)ed$ His at#er never

;uite a!!re&iated #im( on&e sayin) t#at #e would ma*e a )ood orei)n minister(

but not a !rime minister$

Bein) #is at#er's son( "etanya#u in&ited t#e !eo!le a)ainst it#a* Rabin ater

t#e slo A)reement and was !#oto)ra!#ed on t#e s!ea*er's bal&ony durin) t#e

demonstration in w#i&# a symboli& &oin o Rabin was &arried around$ oon

ater( w#en Rabin was murdered( #e denied all res!onsibility$Rabin's su&&essor( #imon 6eres( ailed miserably( and "etanya#u be&ame !rime

minister$ %t was a total &atastro!#e$ n t#e evenin) ater t#e net ele&tions(

w#en it be&ame &lear t#at #e #ad lost( multitudes streamed to Tel Aviv's &entral

s;uare -now named ater Rabin. in a s!ontaneous demonstration o :oy li*e t#at

at t#e liberation o 6aris$

His su&&essor( abor's E#ud Bara*( #ad no more lu&*$ A ormer army C#ie o

ta( admired by many and es!e&ially by #imsel( #e &om!elled 6resident Bill

Clinton to &onvene an %sraeli<6alestinian !ea&e &oneren&e at Cam! @avid$ Bara*(

w#o was ;uite i)norant o 6alestinian attitudes( &ame to di&tate #is terms and

was s#o&*ed w#en t#ey were re:e&ted$ Comin) #ome( #e de&lared t#at t#e

6alestinians want to t#row us into t#e sea$ Hearin) t#is( t#e !ubli& t#rew #im out

and ele&ted t#e tou)# ar<ri)#t )eneral( Ariel #aron( t#e ounder o i*ud$

"etanya#u be&ame 4inister o 3inan&e$ As su&# #e was ;uite su&&essul$

A!!lyin) t#e neo<liberal ultra<&a!italist tea&#in) #e #ad absorbed in t#e U( #e

made t#e !oor !oorer and t#e ri&# ri&#er$ T#e !oor seemed to li*e it$

#aron was t#e at#er o t#e settlements in t#e est Ban*$ To stren)t#en

t#ese( #e de&ided to )ive u! t#e >aa tri! wit# its ew settlements( w#i&#

were a dis!ro!ortional dra) on t#e army$ But #is unilateral retreat rom t#e

>aa tri! s#o&*ed t#e ri)#tist &am!$ T#e elder "etanya#u &alled t#e move a

,&rime a)ainst #umanity,$

%m!atient wit# o!!osition( #aron s!lit t#e i*ud and ounded #is own Fadima

-,3orwards,. !arty$ "etanya#u a)ain be&ame t#e leader o i*ud$

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As usual( #e was lu&*y$ #aron suered a stro*e and ell into a &oma( rom

w#i&# #e never re&overed$ His su&&essor( E#ud lmert( was a&&used o

&orru!tion and #ad to resi)n$ T#e net in line( Ti!i ivni( was in&om!etent and

unable to orm a )overnment( t#ou)# all t#e in)redients were t#ere$

"etanya#u( t#e man w#o was *i&*ed out :ust a ew years earlier by t#e &#eerin)

masses( &ame ba&* as an im!erator$ A)ain t#e masses &#eered$ #a*es!eare

would #ave loved it$

%"CE THE"( "etanya#u #as been ele&ted a)ain and a)ain$ T#e last time was a

&lear !ersonal vi&tory$ He van;uis#ed all #is &om!etitors on t#e Ri)#t$

o w#o is t#is "etanya#u Contrary to !o!ular o!inion( #e is a man o very

stron) belies + t#e belies o #is ar<ri)#t at#er$ T#e entire world is out to

*ill us at all times( we need a !owerul state to deend ourselves( all o t#e landbetween t#e 4editerranean and t#e 7ordan #as been )iven us by >od -w#et#er

#e eists or not.$ Everyt#in) else is lies( subteru)es( ta&ti&s$

#en( in a amous s!ee&# at Bar<%lan university near Tel Aviv( "etanya#u

embra&ed t#e !rin&i!le o ,Two tates or Two 6eo!les,( t#ose w#o *new #im

&ould only smile$ %t was as i #e #ad re&ommended t#e eatin) o !or* on om

Fi!!ur$

He dan)led t#is statement beore t#e eyes o t#e naive Ameri&ans and let #is7usti&e 4inister( Ti!i ivni( lead endless ne)otiations wit# t#e 6alestinians(

w#om #e des!ises$ #enever it seemed t#at t#e ne)otiations were nearin) some

)oal( #e ;ui&*ly !ut u! anot#er &ondition( su&# us t#e ridi&ulous demand t#at t#e

6alestinians re&o)nie %srael as t#e "ation tate o t#e 7ewis# 6eo!le$ He would

not dream( o &ourse( o re&o)niin) t#e 6alestinian territories as t#e "ation

tate o t#e 6alestinian 6eo!le + a !eo!le #e does not really believe eists at all$

n t#e eve o t#e last ele&tion( :ust now( "etanya#u announ&ed t#at t#ere would

not be a 6alestinian state as lon) as #e was in !ower$ #en t#e Ameri&ansremonstrated( #e re!udiated #imsel$ #y not As #is i*ud !rede&essor(

it#a* #amir( amously said( ,%t is !ermitted to lie or t#e 3at#erland$,

"etanya#u will lie( &#eat( re!udiate #imsel( raise alse la)s + all or t#e

!ur!ose o a&#ievin) #is one and only real )oal( t#e Ro&* o our Eisten&e -as #e

loves to say.( t#e #erita)e o #is at#er + t#e 7ewis# tate rom t#e sea to t#e

river$

THE TRUBE is t#at in t#is area( t#e Arabs are already t#e ma:ority( a small

ma:ority( but one t#at is bound to )row steadily$

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A 7ewis# and demo&rati& state in t#e entire &ountry is im!ossible$ T#e !o!ular

 :o*e #as it t#at t#is is too mu&# even or >od$ o He de&reed t#at we #ave to

&#oose two o t#e t#ree attributes= a 7ewis# and demo&rati& state in !art o

t#e &ountry( a 7ewis# state in all o t#e &ountry t#at will not be demo&rati&( or a

demo&rati& state in all o t#e &ountry t#at will not be 7ewis#$

"etanya#u's solution to t#is !roblem is to i)nore it$ 7ust )o on( enlar)e t#e

settlements( and &on&entrate on t#e immediate !roblem= install #is ourt#

)overnment and !lan or #is it#( our years rom now$

And( o &ourse( s#ow #is at#er( w#o is loo*in) down on #im rom #eaven( t#at

ater all little Bibi( #is se&ond son( is wort#y o #im$