Update: PM Netanyahu repeats 10 year security sound bite
Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA 14 November 2010

"I insist that any proposal meet the State of Israel's security needs, both
in the immediate term and vis-à-vis the threats that we will face in the
coming decade."
PM Netanyahu's remarks to reporters at Ben Gurion Memorial Service 14.11.10

When Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu indicated to his Cabinet in his
prepared remarks that his concern for security was within the framework of a
ten year planning horizon this already raised concerns (see below).

There was a slight - very slight - chance that the remark was more a matter
of some sloppy writing of that statement than a reflection of more than
that.

But it now turns out that this reference to ten years is one of Mr.
Netanyahu's sound bite policy building blocks.

It is a phrase he repeated later in the day and, no doubt, will be repeated
countless times in the future (unless someone who
happens to read this brings this to his attention).

And it is a very disturbing policy sound bite.

Because policy sound bites typically reflect more than a few minutes of
thought.

So here we are, with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu saying that the test
of a deal is if it can be expected to be viable for only ten years.

This should be taking as a warning to any cabinet member or MK being asked
to support any proposal relating to Arab-Israeli relations that comes
through Mr. Netanyahu's office. Anyone, that is, that is interested in
Israel's future beyond 2020.
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Observation: PM Netanyahu and the Jewish Rip Van Winkle
Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA 14 November 2010

"I insist that any proposal meet the State of Israel's security needs, both
in the immediate term and vis-à-vis the threats that we will face in the
coming decade."
PM Netanyahu's Remarks at the Start of Today's Cabinet Meeting
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)14.11.10

Mr. Netanyahu has children and grandchildren.

His only concern is for the next decade?

This attitude of sacrificing the welfare of future generations for the sake
of short-term gain runs counter to Jewish tradition. The story is told
(Ta'anit, 23a) of Honi Hame'agel, the Jewish Rip Van Winkle, who saw an old
man planting a carob tree. He asked the man why he was working so hard,
since the tree would bear fruit only in 70 years.

Replied the man: "I found a world with carobs because my forefathers planted
them, and I say: I also plant a carob tree ... for my children after me."

We owe it to ourselves, to previous generations who sacrificed so much to
get us here as well as to the unborn future generations, to resist the
temptation to forfeit the future in return for what at best may be momentary
relief.