Uri Orbach
צילום: תומר ברזידה
Papa don't preach
Deputy Minister Vilnai's 'lecture' to southern residents off the mark
Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai is apparently not very pleased with Gaza-region residents' complaints against the government. Earlier this week he even reprimanded them at the Knesset: "We here in Jerusalem sustained hundreds of casualties; hundreds. We had exploding buses and other nutcases who attempted to hurt the State of Israel here, in our Jerusalem. Yet did we say we cannot sleep at night? Did we say there's nothing we can do? Did we claim we were abandoned? Did I, as a Jerusalem resident, dare even think this way once?"
When a politician dares speak out openly against the complaints of the citizenry, it seems as though it is a courageous display. He does not curry favor and does not speak softly, but rather, demands to see civilian staying power.
However, Vilnai simply forgot a few facts that spoil the good taste of his preaching session to southern residents.
In Jerusalem we certainly saw protests by residents claiming that the government abandoned them. When the shooting attacks on the Gilo neighborhood became too frequent, the IDF simply entered Bethlehem and Beit Jala and removed the terrorists from there. Once the number of terror attacks grew all across the nation, the IDF embarked on operation Defensive Shield, and ever since then we have seen relative quiet in Judea and Samaria.
Constant, ubiquitous threat
In Gaza, on the other hand, Israel is not doing anything meaningful, while the siege and assassinations are inadequate and have failed to put an end to the ongoing Qassam attacks. We still need to see whether the ceasefire is worth anything.
And there's another tiny yet significant difference. It is true that things in Jerusalem were tough, but they were tough particularly for those traveling in buses, and they were tough in crowded locations. However, people had some possibility of taking precautions.
On the other hand, every Qassam that lands, even if it does not result in casualties, makes all residents sleepless. The daily pressure faced by a population group attacked with rockets and missiles is much greater than the fear of terror attacks. The threat in the south is constant and ubiquitous, even at home, and southern residents are part of a small group that sustains everything, while life goes on peacefully in the rest of the country.
And therefore, Mr. Vilnai, instead of attacking southern residents, it would be good if you took measures to protect them. Your preaching is the last thing they need right now.
