Forgot? 'You are a Jew!' How Lieberman lives with the radical transformation he made I Tor

March 6, 2020   

The political transformation that Avigdor Lieberman has undergone over the past year is one of the great mysteries of the Israeli political arena. Many journalists and politicians have tried to understand the motivations for this transformation, which seems to be completely contrary to Lieberman's entire worldview and even to his own inclinations over the years. In my opinion, the story of Lieberman turning his back is very reminiscent of a story with similar motifs of another political figure - Arik Sharon during the disengagement. Like Lieberman, who turns his back on his old allies - the right-wing coalition, the settlement people and the ultra-Orthodox, Sharon also turned his back on everything he had built, pushed for and believed in his entire life. With a broken heart and tearful eyes, we were forced to watch Sharon destroy the settlements of Gush Katif and Northern Samaria in a few days, settlements that he pushed for and was a full partner in establishing. What motivated Arik Sharon? Here, unlike in Lieberman's story, there is a kind of consensus on the subject - "the depth of the displacement is the depth of the investigation": the legal sword that was placed on his neck and the necks of his family members was what apparently forced him to initiate the process of displacement. How did Sharon manage to convince himself of the righteousness of his path, of the righteousness of the displacement? Apparently, he did not succeed. Geula Cohen, may God be pleased with her, said in an interview with Israel Hayom that, according to her impression, Sharon was very hurt by the move: "Arik was at odds with himself as a result of what he did. One day, after destroying Gush Katif, he came to my house. I saw his eyes filled with tears. I asked him: 'Arik, are you crying?' 'Yes, Geula,' he replied. 'For what?' and he replied: 'I have a reckoning with God who brought me to this.' "It was very touching. I'm not a doctor or God, but I have the impression that his heart overcame his head. They were both at odds. The stroke from which he never recovered was part of the matter.".

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And Lieberman? Is he, like Sharon at the time, threatened by the legal system and law enforcement? It is possible that he is, and many believe so. Personally, I find it hard to accept this: Lieberman has been under investigation for years and has not made a move to the left. Another claim made by many is that Lieberman is motivated by deep hatred and loathing for Netanyahu. This is also not a sufficient claim: Has he suddenly developed an abysmal hatred in the past year or two that was not there before? Because of what? The explanation lies, in my opinion, precisely in what distinguishes Avigdor Lieberman from Arik Sharon: Sharon was a man of action, a bulldozer who does not stop at red lights. He was the perfect person in double and triple quotation marks to carry out the deportation because he knew how to execute his decisions well. Unlike him, Lieberman is mainly a man of words and statements. One of the main claims of his critics is that he has not fulfilled a single statement or political promise over the years. Here, in my opinion, lies the key to understanding Lieberman's change: This is a man who for years had his sights set on the position of Defense Minister. After he succeeded in reaching the coveted position, he could no longer hide behind inflated declarations and was required to implement what he had promised in the past. But since he is not a man of action in practice, he failed to implement his policy and was forced to resign in order to preserve his honor and image. This is a dream that broke, no less: the man realized that there was no way back. He was given the opportunity to prove the image he had created for himself over the years, and failed. In addition, he apparently realized that he was unable to stand behind his statements and found himself facing a broken trough. In order to survive politically, Lieberman realized that he had to make a quick and radical change, something like political junk food, like hatred of religion and the Haredim (easy to make, tempting to eat, and the damage is hard to repair), and hence the path to the sad transformation was short, quick, and painful. (Interim note: The political system is full of people who belong to the right but, because they have been hurt in one way or another, they cut to the left. See the entry Yoaz Hendel, Zvi Hauser, Bogy Ya'alon. The phenomenon of ideological change following a hurt ego is quite common in the circles of the Israeli right. Perhaps it is time to grow up.).

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How does Avigdor Lieberman live with this radical transformation? What does he tell himself to justify the terrible campaign against the Haredi? My God, it's beyond my comprehension. About twenty years ago, Lieberman was a guest at a conference in Kfar Chabad. Wearing a kippah, he told the audience about a significant childhood experience for him: "When I was a child and I would travel with my parents on public transportation, my parents always made sure to speak Yiddish, and I remember as a child, how I would feel uncomfortable when all the Gentiles on a bus full of people would turn to my parents and wonder: Why are these Jews speaking Yiddish? "And I would pull my father by the sleeve and my father would look at me and ask loudly: 'Vas vilsta Ingela? Du bist a Yid!' (What do you want, child? You are a Jew!) I will remember this for the rest of my life: That's how I learned to be a Jew, to be proud of being a Jew." Avigdor Lieberman is fighting for his political life, for his honor and image, out of a wounded ego and a burning insult. To that end, he is willing to fan the flames of hatred and disgust towards his people and does not care about the scorched earth that will be left behind. Mr. Lieberman, how did you forget? You are a hand!