Ambassador Dave Sharma, Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

ב׳ לחודש החמישי תשע"ז

Dave Sharma

YNET: 'If Israel abandons the values of democracy, it will lose world’s support'In a farewell interview, Dave Sharma, Australia's ambassador to Israel, talks about the security ties between the two countries and the need for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement both sides would benefit from, and announces that 'by the end of 2018, it will be possible to fly from Tel Aviv to Sydney directly.'

Itamar Eichner, 06.07.17

Dave Sharma, who finished his four year service as as the Australian ambassador to Israel last month, left his replacement a list of tips for survival in the Jewish state.

“Australia has snakes, sharks, spiders, etc. Here in Israel, I explained to him, there are no dangerous animals, at least not outside the Knesset,” says Sharma with a charming smile as he continues to lay out his tips.

“Do not wear a suit; ties in Israel are only for funerals and official events. The tuxedos should be pushed deep into the back of your closet, you will not need it.

“You must learn some Hebrew phrases. If anyone says to you, 'It will be alright’—start worrying. The word ‘balagan’ means something isn’t working at all, but in the end it somehow works out.

“There is no such thing as a line in Israel. And it’s a waste of time to stand in one, because everyone will cut you and try to get ahead, and you’ll be the sucker who finds himself at the back.”

Sharma, 41, was sad to leave Israel. If he could, he would have extended his term another year, but he already received a one-year extension, the maximum possible. During his time here, he managed to acclimatize to Israel, fall in love with the country, and get to know it in depth. One might say that he is one of the most Israeli ambassadors to have served here, and perhaps the most popular as well. (cont.)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
You are welcome to waste your time reading this entire piece on recent, and now former, Australian Ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma, with all of its raising of hasbarah (publicity; from the Hebrew for explanation) and the importance of how Israel looks in the eyes of non-Jews onto a pedestal, and back handed compliments. Or you can just follow me, in reading between the lines of the most significant sections of this piece.

But, first, it is no secret that bloggers and journalists alike often attempt to find unflattering photos of their subject, their targets caught in the act, if you will, to bring home their message of their hit pieces. But, who knew that Dave Sharma would provide such an unflattering photo of his own accord? (see above) Perhaps  didn't have a choice, as it seems that this is the official Australian Foreign Ministry's photo of him, and where I ended up finding it only posts profile photos in black and white. So, go figure.

Yet, the new Australian ambassador's official photo looks just fine (considering). Change of photo policy perhaps? Or just a poor choice on the part of Dave Sharma and and his people?

Let us begin the analysis of Ambassador Dave Sharma's farewell interview from the (never disappointingly left-wing) YNET.

During his time here, he managed to acclimatize to Israel, fall in love with the country, and get to know it in depth. One might say that he is one of the most Israeli ambassadors to have served here, and perhaps the most popular as well.

Acclimate? Fall in love? Get to know it in depth? You mean from his bubble in Hertzlya Pitu'ah, known for its limousine liberals? Yes, he loves it so much, that he encourages us to give a big chunk of it away. Even though it is not ours to give away (It's The Holy One's, Blessed Be He), and not to mention continually reinforcing Arab terrorism, by caving into their demands.

“There is no such thing as a line in Israel. And it’s a waste of time to stand in one, because everyone will cut you and try to get ahead, and you’ll be the sucker who finds himself at the back.” 

(sigh) This hasn't been true for almost 20 years, at least in the big cities. Thanks for the throw in of the self-deprecating comment, YNET! Actually, the Ambassador said it, so it was more like a nasty kidney punch.

"I do not blame the media. There is a conflict they need to cover. But I think everything else happening in Israel is not being covered. If you do a Google search on Israel, you see confrontations at checkpoints, terrorist attacks, IDF operations in Syria: People think this is all that happens in Israel. even though there are hundreds of other things happening here."

Granted, the Israeli Government needs to stop being wishy-washy, stop making the same mistakes about "more talk" and "more prisoner releases" and "more land giveaways" will make one damn bit of difference with these descendants of Yishma'el, and furthermore, make up its mind already as to whether Eretz Yisra'el (the Land of Israel) belongs to it or not, stop Can it be changed, or is it a lost cause? There are terror attacks all over the world now, but other places are not branded in this manner.

The day after the attack in Sarona, you went with your embassy staff for coffee at Max Brenner. Why was it important to do that?

"It was a gesture of solidarity with the people of Israel. We wanted to say that if you are not afraid, we are not afraid. We received amazing and heartfelt responses from the Israelis, but we did not do it for the responses. We wanted to do something meaningful.”

(eyes rolling)

The youngest, Daphne, is four years old and has lived most of her life as an Israeli. Sharma says his daughter has a warm Israeli temperament and only eats Israeli food (bourekas, shakshuka and hummus). 

See how easy it is to become "Israeli," even when not Jewish? The Israeli government, or rather those higher on the food chain than the Israeli government, have watered down "Israel" so much, it has made it so much easier for them to bring a replacement population of mostly non-Jews from the Former Soviet Union, foreign workers from India and the Philippines, as well as African insurgents, including the Black [Non-] Hebrews. Who will be next? Evangelical Christians from the U. S.? (link)

When he [David Sharma] speaks about Israel, his eyes light up, as if he were a Zionist or a Jew—even though he is not.

Not a Jew? We knew that. Not a Zionist? We knew that, too. Anyone who believes that Israel must be like every other nation, and give away at least some of its Divinely promised Land could not possibly be a real Zionist. But not a Zionist, even according to the definition of the Labor Zionists who hijacked the term? Unclear.

"We have also succeeded in advancing the hi-tech relations between the two countries

Translation: We have also succeeding in exploiting the State of Israel's desperate need for love and validation from the outside. And why shouldn't they love that we love them? After all, we almost never condemn building in the settlements (see below).

Ambassador Sharma says the Australian army is also involved in defending Israel's borders. There are Australian soldiers among the UN forces in the Golan Heights and in southern Lebanon. An Australian commander leads the multinational force in the Sinai Peninsula, both overseeing the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt and taking part in the war against ISIS in the peninsula. 

For the last time, I will say that I never want to hear anyone tell me that foreign troops are not stationed in Israel. They are!

Oh, and the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt?  Gee. I wonder why the ambassador didn't mention Jordan as well. Did he know something was going to break down with that in advance, or is it simply in Arab nature to react in a violent tantrum anytime it gets upset? You be the judge.

Australia is now considered one of the friendliest countries towards Israel. It is one of the only nations to consistently support Israel in important votes at the UN and it almost never condemns Israeli construction in the settlements.

"We support a two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian state,...”

Seriously?! Sorry, Dave, but you cannot have your cake and eat it, too. A country cannot be considered one of the friendliest countries towards Israel while at the same time supporting the giving away of its Divinely promised lands to a people and country which do not even exist.

Along with his love for Israel, Sharma is concerned about anti-democratic things happening in the country. “Israel’s strength and its ability to survive depends on the vitality of its democracy, its liberal and pluralistic nature, its freedom of press and freedom of expression, no less than its military superiority,” he says. "Values such as separation of powers and the free press, the fact citizens and organizations can criticize government policy without being outlawed or arrested—all of this makes Israel unique in the Middle East and grants it international legitimacy. Israel depends on the support of the West, which is based on shared values, shared morality and common governing methods. If Israel abandons these principles, in 20-30 years, it will not enjoy the same legitimacy and support it enjoys today.” 

Liberal and pluralistic nature, its freedom of press and freedom of expression...?

Oh, Dave! Where were you all this time you were ambassador to Israel?! In the bubble of Hertzlya Pitu'ah? With your head in the sand? (same thing, really) You actually missed the torture of settler kids in Shabba"k (secret police) custody? The court orders, based on police a  recommendations forbidding suspects to talk to their friends? Where is the freedom of speech and expression in that?

Shared (Western) morality? This is undoubtedly code for that whole Judeo-Christian Values crap rearing its ugly head again.

Legitimacy and support it enjoys today? First of all, what legitimacy and support? The Australian Government supports the giving away of Land Divinely given to the Jewish People. One of our greatest friends indeed! I'm sorry. Did I say that already? Well, it bears repeating.

According to Sharma, “The democratic nature of Israel is as important as its Jewish nature, and I don't think you need to strengthen one at the expense of the other. Today, Israel's Jewish nature is expanding at the expense of its democratic and pluralistic nature. When you see things like this happening, it becomes increasingly difficult to identify with Israel from the outside. This is bad hasbara.”

Democracy? deMOCKracy be a nation like everyone else? We all know what that means: Globalism, assimilation of the the Jewish People into oblivion. (daughters...sons Gen.) There's that word again, "hasbara" (From Heb. root for explanation; public relations). The problem with this opinion of Dave Sharma is not that he believes that Israel should be like any other deMOCKractic nation. (Did you get that one?) The problem is that most members of the Israeli Government, Israeli citizens, and their rabbis agree with him.

The hospital (Ziv Medical Center, Tzfath) has treated more than a thousand Syrians wounded in the civil war raging in the neighboring country. When the ambassador first came to Israel, he was surprised to learn Israel was treating citizens of an enemy country.

Well, I'm not in the least bit surprised. More publicity, more opportunities and more fruitless attempts of the Israeli Government at obtaining love and validation for our very existence, from non-Jews. See? Israel is quite capable of committing suicide. We do not need any outside nation to assist us in our own destruction. Just great...

I'm hoping to have Qantas do a pilot of direct flights to Israel this October, as 3,000 Australians are arriving on charter flights for the 100th anniversary events marking the liberation of Be'er Sheva from Ottoman rule in World War One (by ANZAC, Australian and New Zealand Army Corps).

Of the 3,000 Australians expected to arrive this fall, how many will be Jews who are not in the least bit interested in actually living here? How many will be Christians scoping out the Land, while handing out a flier or two, taking advantage of Israel's commitment to the freedom of religious expression? Oh yeah, and how much slobbering and groveling will the Israeli Government do over Australia and New Zealand, even though the "liberation" was for the British Empire, and certainly not for the Jews? (eyes rolling)

Based on the amusing video that the embassy produced, in which Sharma leaves a list of tips for his successor, he certainly can consider a career in acting.

Yeah? Well, maybe Dave Sharma should have considered acting as a career before he took on the post of ambassador to Israel.

The unfortunate truth is that Dave Sharma is like every other foreign diplomat. He is either here to deliver suggestions orders from the government he represents, or to formulate them himself, and then deliver them. And his youthful appearance, supposedly positive attitude toward Israel, and ability to say a few phrases in Hebrew is supposed to cause us to praise him slobber all over him, all the more?

On the contrary. A neutral, even a hostile, government, which attempts to order us around, is at least being true to itself, and is no big surprise to us. For Esau hates Ya'aqov. And I no longer buy the "western nations naivete and ignorance" excuse, either. A fallafel-eating foreigner with a smile on his face, whose government wants us to give away land and make other concessions to people who want to eradicate us, is nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing.