Um, please shut up now!

What the hell is wrong with people?

If private citizens want to demonstrate for or against the present military conflict... let 'em.

If private citizens want to offer their two cents on blogs, or in op-eds... let 'em.

But when public officials/personages who honestly should know better make public pronouncements that provide encouragement to the enemy and limit the government's menu of strategic options... I think official censure, if not criminal charges, are called for.

Examples of recent unhelpful public statements:

"Israel must negotiate a withdrawal"
    ~Labor MK Brigadier General (Ret) Ephraim Sneh~

Sneh is supposed to be one of the better informed people about the situation on the ground in Lebanon, having once been in charge of that area during his service.  He is also said to be actively offering behind the scenes help to Defense Minister Peretz who likely wouldn't know which end of an M16 to point at an enemy if left on his own.

So why in the world would this man make a public statement that can only serve to encourage the enemy to hold on just a little longer in anticipation of getting what they want?

"Operation will be completed in a couple of weeks"
    ~Deputy IDF Chief of General Staff Maj.-Gen. Moshe Kaplinski~

OK, again, one of the most potent weapons an army in the field has is keeping the enemy completely unaware of your capabilities and time-table.  Revealing either of these crucial elements allows your enemy to analyze his position and supply status and adjust accordingly.

So why is the number two man in uniform giving away the store?

"Israel may have to weigh prisoner swap."
    ~Public Security Minister (and former head of the Shin Bet) Avi Dichter~

Here is a guy who should really know better than to share his private convictions publicly.  He spent a good part of his career in the secret-keeping business. 

What would possess him to publicly express such a defeatist sentiment?

The answer (IMHO) to all three of these questions is that these people (and many others like them) feel they are not sufficiently recognized by the public for their expertise and the clout they can wield... and in truth they aren't even thinking about the current conflict when they make such statements.

What is happening right before our eyes is that a bunch of political opportunists are positioning themselves for the next election during a time of national crisis. 

At a time when even many lefties are grudgingly supporting the government's need to carry out the current operation in Lebanon... these treasonous men are staking out a self-interested patch of turf for themselves, knowing full well that their statements will resonate strongly with the core voters who put the current government in power.

They are taking advantage of the fact that people like PM Olmert and his top cabinet ministers can't make statements like this (no matter how in keeping with their core beliefs) because the country they are leading is in a shooting war on two fronts. 

By staking out positions to the left of the actions being taken by the Israeli government they are betting on the current operation going south or settling into a stalemate so they can write 'I told you so' on their next campaign banner.

I don't care what party you support now or which party you voted for in the last election.  The Labor party is not at war. The Likud is not at war.  ISRAEL is at war and anyone who puts personal and/or party politics ahead of national concerns right now should be severely punished.

I doubt these traitors will receive legal punishment for their shameless and dangerous pandering... but I am hoping Israeli voters will have long memories and punish any party that allows these opportunists to remain on their lists during the next election.

A real patriot doesn't have to follow the government blindly into battle.  But he also doesn't float potential campaign slogans while our children are still on the battlefield.