Samet Chinam

Among the things that Jews confess to during Yom Kippur is the sin of "sinat chinam," or baseless hatred. Gideon Samet, sometime contributor to that bastion of calm and reasoned thought, Counterpunch, apparently reads the New Republic, and has decided to translate Chaitred into Hebrew.

I'll be among the first to admit that there are times when I wish Sharon had been more aggressive in pursuing Arafat and the terrorists. But the notion that he's keeping Arafat around because he needs him politically, is a product of the same mind-bending, logic-twisting hatred that liberals feel for Bush. Samet can't understand why people believe Sharon? Maybe it's because he's refused to surrender to the pathology of peace that so captivated the Left? Sharon hasn't created complete security? I'm sure Samet wouldn't find Sharon's solutions too palatable, either. Sharon risks others' lives on his own adventures? Please, the man has a personal war record that's replete with personal courage. The fact that he's no longer willing to impersonate Don Zimmer on the battlefield can hardly be held against him. Sharon brought on the war? Almost certainly a reference to Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount in 2000, this claim is made either from ignorance or malice.

Sharon has proven to be the one figure, so far, capable of holding together a coalition and of defending the state, without illusions about the other side. Until the left has something both realistic and constructive to offer, all they'll have is their own hatred, and all they'll contribute is to the destruction of the country.