Friday, January 02, 2009

Sarkozy’s Sense of Proportion

On Wednesday the French author Michel Gurfinkiel published an essay, “Le sens des proportions”, about Nicolas Sarkozy and his change of attitude towards Israel. I took a look at the French version — I’m on his mailing list — but it was beyond my ability to translate. Fortunately, M. Gurfinkiel translated it himself yesterday for Pajamas Media.

Mr. Sarkozy’s coolness towards Israel runs counter to the latest trends among his countrymen. France hasn’t suddenly become a nation of philo-Semites, but in the current crisis there seems to be distinctly less French hostility towards Israel than one would expect. As the Jerusalem Post pointed out last Monday,

…a survey published by French newspaper Le Figaro on Sunday showed that 55 percent of French respondents were understanding toward the Israeli operation, while 45% were critical of it.

“When you have a 10% lead in France, that’s better than we could have expected,” notes [the Foreign Ministry’s deputy director-general for media and public affairs, Aviv] Shir-On.

So President Sarkozy is out of step with the times, even in France. The current French attitude towards Israel’s Gaza operation is a sign of how the global political winds are shifting. The Palestinians have not been able to rally the usual level of support from the international media. Perhaps the excesses of Hamas are too much to swallow, even for the knee-jerk Left. Or perhaps Israel learned from the Lebanese debacle and has refined its media game.

In any case, the climate has changed.

Here are some excerpts from M. Gurfinkiel’s essay:

Gaza: A Matter of Proportion
By Michel Gurfinkiel


A “disproportionate reaction.” This is how Nicolas Sarkozy, the president of France, characterized — on the very first day of the war — Israel’s operations against Hamas, the terrorist brotherhood that rules Gaza. Many French citizens will return the compliment. What may be truly “disproportionate” is to pass judgment on the Hebrew state for fulfilling its primary duty as a state: to protect the safety of its land and its people.

Is Gaza under Israeli occupation? No. The Israelis withdrew from the enclave to a man in 2005. Is Hamas a legitimate ruler in Gaza? No way. It seized power there in 2007, as the result of a civil war against the Palestinian Authority. Has Hamas engaged in systematic aggression against Israel ever since then? Yes. Is it conducting repeated, blind shelling against civilians in southwest Israel? Yes. Has Hamas abducted an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, on Israeli soil, and does it keep him as a hostage, which is under international law a crime against humanity? Yes. Has Hamas one-sidedly announced it was canceling a several-month lull with Israel? Yes. Does it publicly list the destruction of the Israeli republic and of the Israeli society as political aims? Yes. Under such conditions, Israel’s right to make war on Hamas and to destroy it is absolute.
- - - - - - - - -
[…]

Why is Sarkozy, a man known for his pro-Israel sympathies, taking such a negative line? Why is he suddenly eager to distance himself from the United States, which correctly assessed Hamas’ responsibility in the crisis and made clear that Israel was right to act in self-defense?

One explanation is that presidents don’t work alone. They rely on the usual “inner circle” of close friends or cronies, on advisors with agendas of their own, and finally on the government machine…

A second explanation, closely related to the previous one, is that the French president must take into account a growing Islamic community or is advised by his inner circle to take it into account. As a presidential candidate, Sarkozy ran in 2007 on a staunchly anti-immigration platform, which stressed the need for “national identity.” The moment he was elected, he turned to the very opposite: a policy of multiculturalism and multiethnicity that entails affirmative action programs (once seen as anathema by French Republican standards) as well as the grand opening to Arab and African countries known as the Union for the Mediterranean. Support for the Palestinians, including Hamas-run Gaza, hastily dressed up as a humanitarian issue, is just a further step in that direction.

A third explanation is that Sarkozy, like almost everybody in the French political establishment, is getting mired in delusions of “grandeur,” and claims a “global role” for France in every crisis or conflict in the world, even if he actually lacks the requisite means…

Read the rest at Pajamas Media.

9 comments:

Bilgeman said...

Baron;

"…a survey published by French newspaper Le Figaro on Sunday showed that 55 percent of French respondents were understanding toward the Israeli operation, while 45% were critical of it."

I would offer that the percentage approving is directly proportional to the amount of Frenchmen who have seen the family voiture burn up when their "youths" riot.

Just an observation...

Captain USpace said...

.
Sarkozy is a dhimmi weasel. Israel must destroy as much of Hamas as possible before the MSM and the idiots and ignorants whine loud enough for them to stop. They must only quit when they are ready.

For EVERY missile shot into Israel at least ONE missile should be returned to the area as close as possible to the shooter. Tit for tat. Every single missile should be returned. Period. Treat them like adults, if they kill, they will be killed. If they send missiles, they will receive them. That is the only way they will learn. Screw public opinion, force them to see the truth, or let them be damned.
.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
hope your kids grow up

to strap bombs on babies
to kill other children

.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
form a terrorist country

then wish to be destroyed
by committing acts of war

.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
blame your failings on the Jews

for a few more thousand years
they are Earth's scapegoats

.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
give Israel away

to appease her enemies
dishonor America
.
All real freedom starts with freedom of speech. Without freedom of speech there can be no real freedom.
.
Philosophy of Liberty Cartoon
.
Help Stop Terrorism Today!
.
USpace

:)
.

costin said...

But what do you say about this piece of garbage coming from UK's The Times:

"In the five years that I have been visiting Gaza and the West Bank, I have met hundreds of Hamas politicians and supporters. None of them has professed the goal of Islamising Palestinian society, Taleban-style. Hamas relies on secular voters too much to do that. People still listen to pop music, watch television and women still choose whether to wear the veil or not."

"The political leadership of Hamas is probably the most highly qualified in the world. Boasting more than 500 PhDs in its ranks, the majority are middle-class professionals - doctors, dentists, scientists and engineers. Most of its leadership have been educated in our universities and harbour no ideological hatred towards the West. It is a grievance-based movement, dedicated to addressing the injustice done to its people. It has consistently offered a ten-year ceasefire to give breathing space to resolve a conflict that has continued for more than 60 years. "

Tuan Jim said...

What's really curious is seeing Sarkozy take such a different line from when he was Interior Minister (or whatever they call that position over there) during the months of riots in '05. Maybe he was only posturing then for the electorate - and again, maybe it's the frustrations of now holding the position and not being able to do anything. None of his campaign promises about education reform, job reform, etc. have gone through (that I can remember). Anytime he tried to help out the country - easier to hire/fire new employees, reform university standards, abolish 35 hr work week - all he got for his trouble were general strikes.

Maybe he's just tired. It was a big change seeing him as EU pres trying to counter the US in a few areas after being such a big Bush fan right after being elected (especially compared to Chirac).

laine said...

Sarkozy turned out to be an opportunistic CINO (conservative in name only) who is as spineless as our RINOS.

He married the prototypical hippy dippy silver spoon socialist untalented flower child and is presumably led around by her just as Arnold Schwarzenegger could not withstand the Kennedy-Shriver Dem brain washing brought to his marriage bed.

Any French leader must always keep in mind the restive Muslims France foolishly imported. None fear displeasing Jews nearly as much who will not riot, burn cars nor attack other religions and the police.

Sarkozy's mother is Jewish. Perhaps he is so concerned not to let his French critics accuse him of favoritism toward Israel that he he leans backwards in the other direction?

Lastly, he's a glory hog who wants his moment in the Mid-East sun posing as a wise peacemaker. Many world leaders have gone before, all turned into jackasses by their ignorance of Islam and Palestinians who respect no non-Muslim and look on them as fools (rightly) to be soaked for more money and arms as well as manipulated into commuting the punishment intransigent Palis bring on themselves and so richly deserve.

Unknown said...

laine,

Sarkozy's mother is Jewish. Perhaps he is so concerned not to let his French critics accuse him of favoritism toward Israel that he he leans backwards in the other direction?

Ethnically, Bernard Kouchner is also part Jewish on his father's side and his recent comments on Israel's situation were flippant.

However I don't think Jewish ethnicity has anything to do with it in either case. They're just both liberals who don't believe in the moral principle of self-defense for Israel, or even France itself.

Unknown said...

Below is an old news article which gives an insight into Sarkozy's personality and his contempt for his fellow 'Europeans'.

"Initially, Mr Sarkozy was furious with the Irish. “They are bloody fools,” he told aides, according to le Canard Enchaîné weekly. “They have been stuffing their faces at Europe’s expense for years and now they dump us in the s***.” He then ordered his Government to play down the “no”, proceed with their plans and find ways to save the treaty. “We have to manage the Irish ‘no’ with calm, with sang-froid and neither dramatise nor minimise it,” he said."

Zenster said...

Is Gaza under Israeli occupation? No. The Israelis withdrew from the enclave to a man in 2005. Is Hamas a legitimate ruler in Gaza? No way. It seized power there in 2007, as the result of a civil war against the Palestinian Authority. Has Hamas engaged in systematic aggression against Israel ever since then? Yes. Is it conducting repeated, blind shelling against civilians in southwest Israel? Yes. Has Hamas abducted an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, on Israeli soil, and does it keep him as a hostage, which is under international law a crime against humanity? Yes. Has Hamas one-sidedly announced it was canceling a several-month lull with Israel? Yes. Does it publicly list the destruction of the Israeli republic and of the Israeli society as political aims? Yes. Under such conditions, Israel’s right to make war on Hamas and to destroy it is absolute.

I just wanted to note how refreshing it is to see the truth appear in print every so often. Less frequently noted is how Gaza was far more prosperous during the Israeli occupation than it ever has been since their withdrawl.

closed said...

Gee ... maybe the average Frenchman is getting tired of all the Car-Be-Ques?