Aharon Shabtai has published 18 books of poetry in Hebrew. His Hebrew translations of Greek drama are definitive. Two of his books have appeared in English: Love and Other Poems (New York, Sheep Meadow Press, 1997), and J'Accuse (New York, New Directions, 2003). Echoing the title of Emile Zola's attack on anti-Semitism during the Dreyfus trial, the poems of J'Accuse confront and resist Israeli practices during the Occupation. Translations of Shabtai's work have appeared in the leading English-language poetry journals, and he has recently contributed to the Red anthology, Aduma. ************************************ FAILURE 1 I pray for the failure of this stinking war spread your wings and come, merciful failure come (16 July 2006) 2 Planes rattle toward Lebanon diving toward Ba'albak to destroy a bottle factory 3 I pray that the plane with a bomb in its belly will be beaten by the building's ceiling 4 In the name of the beautiful books I've read -- in the name of the kisses I've kissed -- may the army be vanquished 5 The Gauleiter of Lebanon has already promised to establsih military rule 6 When the tanks reach the Litani grenades will be thrown at them from the Ebro's banks 7 In this war I'm for the villages for the mosques 8 In this war I'm for the Shi'ite family for Tyre 9 for the mother the grandfather for the eight kids in the minivan for the white silk kerchief 10 Ruff ruff ruff ruff ruff ruff barks Olmert 11 Ruff ruff ruff ruff ruff ruff barks Ramon (the minister of justice) 12 The odor of failure wafts from the mouth the stink of war from the tongue 13 Israelis strong the sign shouts from the newspaper building spurring the diners on toward Chimichanga.* * Chimichanga: A fancy Mexican restaurant in Tel Aviv