Israeli television and radio offer their insights about a country at war.
Evening news extends beyond its usual hour on each of the three channels to three hours or more. During the day one can find almost continuous coverage on TV or radio from 5 AM to late at night. There is considerable repetition. By a quarter hour into any program one is likely to have heard experts speculating on everything from early cease fire to operations that will continue for months or--according to a comment attributed to an active general--a year or more. Some are sure that the IDF will stop short of dealing with the fighters holed up in booby-trapped buildings. Others report that the tanks are already entering such areas, and that there is still much to be done. One view is that the latest movements are meant to pressure Hamas into accepting a reasonable cease fire. Another is that the IDF should occupy the border area between Gaza and Egypt, and only the IDF can assure the end of munitions smuggled from Iran that will produce more fighting.
The army may not be planning an early end. On my late afternoon around the neighborhood, I saw a sign at an intersection that was not there yesterday, directing reservists to their assembly point.
Prime time began with President Shimon Peres' visit with two families in mourning. He contributed to the 1956 invasion of Egypt, Israel's nuclear option, and in recent years one effort after another of compromise for the sake of peace. He hugged and kissed the father, mother, and grandmother of a Russian immigrant, controlled himself while they wept, and talked about the contributions of their son and his generation. No one wept in the home of religious Jews, which included parents and a young widow holding her small baby. They smiled with eyes that shined with the light of conviction. Their young man had died for religious values. His father talked about angels walking through the Land of Israel. It was not clear if he was talking about emissaries from Paradise, or people who dedicate themselves to the common good.
Next up was coverage of reservists called to service, who spent more than a week in retraining, and were just now entering Gaza. We saw pictures of their training, tanks, armored personnel carriers and lines of men moving forward, and somber interviews with the wives left behind. One was just home from the hospital with her new baby.
Between all of these segments was more news, pictures of explosions, soldiers on patrol, destruction and misery in Gaza, frantic Israelis immediately after missiles landed on or near their homes, clips of Muslim extremists and moderates, including the Hamas leadership, commentators who emphasized civilian suffering in Gaza and Israel, those who praised the Israeli military for good work with few casualties, and those who stressed that the war was not over, and that it could change dramatically from victory to disaster if Hamas got lucky.
The evening that began with weeping parents ended with a satire about the military commander and minister of defense. The general is widely credited with skilled management, and refurbishing the equipment and training of the military since the 2006 war in Lebanon. In the skit he was a hairy simian who devoured everything that came to hand. The defense minister has improved his personal standing and that of his political party. From being portrayed as a sure loser he is now described as a competitor for the post of prime minister. In the skit, he appeared as a strutting martinet, sure of himself, forceful but incomprehensible.
It was crude but funny. Israel would not be itself without self-criticism, and intolerable without humor.
I welcome comments sent to my e-mail address, below.
Ira Sharkansky (Emeritus)
Dept of Political Science
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
msira@mscc.huji.ac.il
Tel: +972-2-532-2725
Fax: +972-2-582-9144