What some people can't see
Unfair critics hold Israel to standard of conduct demanded of no other country
We certainly see enough attempts by our enemies to demonize Israel and Israelis. Yet one would think that someone who lives here, who follows daily events, and who should be familiar with recent history, would be more objective. This has nothing to do with which side of the political spectrum you are on. We all have our political views and we all have a right to express them. What we do not have is a right to ignore facts, nor to misrepresent reality.
The article was about the incident in which an IDF soldier shot a Palestinian prisoner in the foot. With this as his starting point, the author attempted to create the image of the daily "horrors" of the occupation.
Yet the argument was totally one-sided. Only Israel is the perpetrator of all the supposed evils. There is not one mention of incidents perpetrated by our adversaries, who are presented as innocent of any wrongdoing. We do not hear of the almost daily incidents of stone throwing, Molotov cocktails, attempts at smuggling weapons, or other terrorist plots. We hear nothing of the massacre of yeshiva students, the two bulldozer incidents in Jerusalem, or the attacks on Israeli citizens in the West Bank. On that subject, the author is strangely silent. Only Israel is guilty.
What real options do we have?
Moreover, Michael starts off with a particularly offensive allusion to "just following orders" - as if comparing the IDF's actions to those of the Nazis who were also "just following orders." The language used in this tirade also include terms such as "evil", "millions purposefully abused", "cold and calculated", and "Stasi-like chokehold". All of the above is more than exaggerated language. It is a deliberate slander no different than the propaganda campaign conducted by the Arabs to delegitimize our existence as a Jewish state.
Second, the author ignores why we are in the West Bank. You would think that one fine day, Israel invaded some peaceful neighbor just for the hell of it. One can argue about the merits of a two-state solution - this is a legitimate debate - but we are not the aggressors in this occupation business. We took control of disputed territory as the result of a war of aggression against us. It is conveniently forgotten that our adversaries refused all negotiations at the end of that conflict. Further, they eventually renounced claims to the area but only after many years had gone by.
The fact that this is disputed territory led to the establishment of many Jewish settlements. One can argue the wisdom of that policy but the fact of the matter is that they are there. Israeli citizens live in those settlements and require the protection of our army, as is their right.
But there is another over-riding concern why the IDF maintains a presence in the West Bank: Security. Can anyone ignore the threat of terrorism emanating from the West Bank given the geographical proximity to our major population centers? Given our recent experience with the withdrawal from Gaza and the rather unpleasant consequences, what real options do we have?
Palestinians held to no standard at all
Third, and this is the point that rankles most, the author holds us to a standard of conduct that no country in the world would be held to (and they aren't.) Armies are composed of people, real people. All kinds of people - good people, not so good people, and a few really rotten people. They are in a situation that most of us would consider quite stressful. We are in a war. There is no such thing as a "nice" war.In all wars, past and present, there are abuses. World War II, for example, featured many abuses, yet who would say this war was not justified? However, the author cannot seem to understand that here in the real world, even the most just cause has imperfections. Humans are imperfect.
Nor does Michael seem to understand the unfortunate necessity of harsh policies against a hostile population. These policies are used, quite frankly, because we don't know what else to do and neither does anyone else. Given our circumstances, no one could do better. This is not a reason to demonize us. Why hold us to impossible standards of behavior while the Palestinians are held to no standard at all?
The unfortunate reality is that we have no good options in dealing with the Palestinians. Reality does not change because it doesn't please us. In a sense, the author is acting like a spoiled child having a tantrum, unable to deal with a complex and disagreeable situation. It is exactly this attitude which has demolished the credibility of those on the Left.
