December 18, 2011
"Painful"
I begin with something that I address with hesitation, because it's an internal Israeli affair and I prefer to keep such matters in house. But this one -- involving a group of young people who identify with the religious nationalist movement and who acted in a deeply reprehensible fashion last week -- has made significant news. I feel at this point I must address it.
Let me make it clear that I do not condone what they did in any way whatsoever. It was wrong morally and tactically. They did a disservice to themselves and their nation. Most especially was this the case with regard to the brief but violent action, at night, undertaken at the Ephraim Brigade's (IDF) base in Samaria, during which they vandalized equipment and clashed with members of the IDF, throwing a stone at the car of
the deputy brigade commander and injuring him.
Prime Minister Netanyahu was absolutely correct when he said, in response to this action, that, “No one can break the law. No one can raise a hand against the IDF or the police. This is the foundation of democracy."
And so this -- Jew setting against Jew -- causes pain. It's one of those things that should not be, that we hope will not be. With the state of the world today, and the hostility with which we are surrounded, it is something we can ill afford.
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However... if the actions of these young people are to be condemned, it is important to set their behavior into context. That context is significant, and it, too, is painful.
