Is Avi - Sharon's Worst nightmare Come True?

(AP)

The downfall of "disengagement" has begun and all we have the arrogance (easily mistaken for stupidity) of the Government and the IDF to thank for it. Everything – everything – the "powers that be" are doing in favor of disengagement is backfiring and backfiring badly! They vastly underestimated the level of resistance they would face and the bravery of Israel’s youth.

Steven Spielberg himself couldn't direct the script any better. But if he did it would go something like this:

Let's hire the most gorgeous looking, well built, Hollywood actor we can find.



(Yes, that's Tom Cruise on the right.) Let's give him your good old-fashion typical Jewish Israeli name, say Avi. Perfect! Even American news reporters can pronounce it. Speaking of which let's be sure to invite lots of news cameras and reporters. Enter Israel youth protesters right. Order IDF troops – fully armed mind you – to violently clear away these youths who are only protesting against the senseless destruction of Jewish property. Now let's throw in a wildcard. Avi spent his childhood in New Jersey! Nice. The local news affiliates anywhere within a 300 mile radius of Passaic (including of course New York City – whose news coverage reaches tens of millions) will be sure to cover this story now aside from all the Israeli media of course. Well the US media was going to cover it anyway. Remember it stars a Hollywood actor look-a-like. But now they have a catchy headline.

"N.J. mom hails Israeli soldier's Gaza defiance" screamed the New York's daily news!

Well that's pretty good. But what else could we do to make sure it makes international headlines? Ahh, let's throw the book at Avi and give him a maximum harsh sentence. Ahh, yes! That ought to do it.

"N.J. - Born Israeli Soldier Gets Jail Time" ran the New York Times over – what's this? An Associated Press story? So it's hit the AP and Reuters newswires too. And according to Google the story and pictures have already appeared in thousands of papers around the globe.

"'I didn't come to Israel to beat up Jews,' he shouted during the confrontation between soldiers and pro-settler activists," ran BBC news. (Notice even the BBC only used the phrase "pro-settler activists" not the traditional "extremist settlers" they are so used to using... even the left wing press is not buying the Government’s propaganda.)


Now – remember those arrogant people we were talking about before. They deluded themselves into believing they made an example out of Avi. They raise their heads up high and say "There! Glad we solved that problem. Now no soldiers will disobey orders ever again!" Sadly, the State of Israel and the IDF never did have a clue when it came to public relations. They are seriously public relations-ly challenged. Well here's a hint: Everything that could go wrong for you – DID go wrong for you.

Meet the newest Israeli Hero – meet Israel's newest poster child.

(Reuters)

You will be seeing a lot more of Avi. Kumah has got it right: Oleh of the Decade: Corporal Avi Bieber.

After they stop (if they ever stop?) fooling themselves the IDF and Sharon will realize they are in deeper trouble than they ever imagined was possible. What's more? The United States will begin to distance themselves from this mess – President Bush has enough of his own messes to deal with. The only advice is stop digging the hole deeper before it's too late!

Indeed, it may already be too deep to climb out.

(AP)