THE HOLOCAUST IS OVER WE MUST RISE FROM ITS ASHES

policy. The government of Israel should declare publicly that it will not cooperatewith immoral regimes, and that it will disallow commerce with states and governmentsthat do not observe human liberties and rights. Thank goodness we are no longer a“small country surrounded by a sea of enemies.” The paranoia that is responsible forthe above statement is no longer true. Even Iran’s stated position against Israel andJudaism does not scare me. They are not only our problem: they threaten andchallenge the entire Western word, and most of the Arab and Muslim world as well.We should not take the lead on Iran; let others also worry. Much has changed sinceAuschwitz. We can now safely stop dealing as merchants of death with those who donot share our view of war ethics.A moral foreign policy is not only possible but also feasible. Early in my term asKnesset speaker, I was asked to host the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual and politicalleader of the Tibetan people and a true man of peace, whose teachings and actions Ihad admired for many years. I approved the request without hesitation and my staffstarted to prepare for the visit with phone calls, letters, faxes, and schedules.Then very quickly other forces mobilized. Without realizing it, by approving the visitI had apparently pushed some very sensitive buttons. Within hours of my decision Ireceived an urgent call from a senior foreign ministry official: he must see me at once.The meeting turned out to be one of the most embarrassing in my life. The diplomat,a very senior one, stood before me and pointedly demanded that I not receive theTibetan.“Why can’t I receive the Dalai Lama?” I asked.“You just can’t,” the diplomat replied.“Why?”“It’s against Israeli foreign policy.”“Why?” I insisted.“Because one week after the Dalai Lama, the Chinese president is coming for anofficial visit,” the diplomat explained.I still did not understand. “So what?”“The Chinese president is threatening to cancel his trip to Israel if you, the Knessetspeaker, receive the Tibetan.”