Warning - Long post: As the police investigation drags on about Muhammad from Bet Hanina and the search for the Kawasmehs who killed Naftali, Eyal and Gil-ad drags on, I think we need a more nuanced view of what the last few weeks have brought upon us than we are being treated to by the politicians. First, nothing is known yet about who killed young Muhammad. However, if it turns out that this act was perpetrated by Jews, then they should be punished harshly and the same measures we take on Arab terrorists should be applied to Jewish terrorists. Further, as Jews we should be horrified on an ethical, moral and national level that this repugnant act was done by Jews and caused unbelievable reputational harm to Israel. It is also completely and totally inexcusable for Jews or anyone to be walking through the streets chanting Death to Arabs. We know what it is like to be on the other side of that and, as Hillel says Dont do to your neighbor what you would not want done to you. However, none of this should excuse the rioting and lawless behavior of the Arabs in Bet Hanina. 3 Jewish teenagers were killed and their families and communities responded with incredible responsibility and dignity. Nothing excuses lawless behavior and further destruction. Nothing. Frankly, the police should be ashamed of the way they handled the protests in Bet Hanina, allowing this vandalism and hooliganism to carry on for too long. In addition, the citizens of Jerusalem should not be required to pay for the clean up of the hooliganism with their municipal taxes (arnona). The people of Bet Hanina could have comported themselves like the people of Nof Ayalon and Talmon but they chose not to and should be responsible for those actions. The same is true for the rioting in the north. It is inexcusable and should not be tolerated. In addition, this murder should not impact the need to ensure that the Israeli residents of Beer Sheva, Ashkelon, Sderot can live in peace. Nothing can excuse the rocket fire there. And it is the job of the government of Israel to put a stop to it. Whatever it takes. How one chooses to respond to tragedy is an indication of their moral fabric as well as national and personal values. It is very disappointing that politicians from the Left such as Erel Margalit (on his FB page) have chosen to focus on how uncomfortable he feels with the death to Arab chants but has found no time to criticize the behavior of the hooligans in Bet Hanina or to suggest that we need to deliver a mortal blow to Hamas for firing endless salvos on our communities in the South of Israel (let alone the bedouin ongoing hooliganism in the Negev). It is equally disappointing that politicians from the right such as Naftali Bennet have not found the wherewithal to harshly condemn the marching chanters but can only find time to talk about the salvos in the south. Life is more complex than politicians on the left and right would have everyone believe. Israelis are very smart people and I believe most of us understand that there are many sides to what is going on now and a complex situation needs a complex response and not simple soundbites to the newspapers or Facebook pages. It would also have been refreshing to hear these politicians who are all so outspoken now on security matters to have been as outspoken, forceful about the police corruption or the possibility that corrupt Fuad would have been President. Sadly, the Labor party supported corrupt Fuad and neither the left nor the right has the spine to take on the police. We are in need of leadership that embraces complexity and is willing to be bold by breaking the standard models of right and left in this country. We are in need of leadership that knows moral and ethical fouls when it sees them in society and the police and treats it across the board with appropriate measures. And we are in need of leadership the restores personal and national security to the citizens and is not afraid to tackle the thorny problems within the system from the Police to the bureaucracy, to widening economic gaps to the corrupt politicians. Our nation deserves it.
Posted on: Sun, 06 Jul 2014 05:59:32 +0000
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