How did Beilin manage to post such amazing accomplishments? The answer is comprised of two parts. The first part is that Beilin and the Beilins didn't do it alone. They have a senior partner: Islamic Jihad. I'm not talking about the small group by that name, but rather, the broad phenomenon of murderous Palestinian terrorism.
When buses explode and Qassam rockets fly, and we have blood and fire on the streets, people are desperately looking for a solution and are willing to buy a cure from a witch doctor who they didn't treat seriously until yesterday.
Yet here also comes the second part of the answer to our riddle: Beilin spoke. He was there. He promised he has a cure. Talk is an important matter. We must not underestimate talkers or those who raise false hopes.
I'm not saying, heaven forbid, that Beilin and Meretz have deliberately become the Jihad's spokespeople, but in practice, in terms of the effect on Israeli public opinion, this was akin to cooperation between a mute and an amputee - An Arab movement that has hands that can cause damage, but no mouth to speak with, and a Jewish group that has a big mouth, but no hands.
Beilin's talk along with the deeds of suicide Islam created a joint powerful effect, which pushed public opinion and the political system far to the left, not out of hope, but rather, out of despair.
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