B'Tselem photo. Love of country?
B’Tselem, take responsibility
Op-ed: Rights group provides ample material for organizations aiming to delegitimize Israel
As the child of Israelis and a proud citizen of this country, I was raised in a fervently Zionist home that both encouraged individual human rights and proudly respected and admired the sacrifice and commitment of IDF soldiers. It is with this perspective that I read Noam Raz’s piece titled “I Love My Country,” and that left me profoundly disappointed by the two realities he chose not to address in his piece.
On a personal level, Raz’s work and largely that of B’Tselem have redefined the conversation on human rights and have forced me to make the harrowing choice between supporting and defending my home against vicious critics and championing the cause of human rights. On a broader scale, Raz entirely ignored one of the strongest criticisms against B’Tselem: The consequences and irreversibly negative impact of the work they do on an international scale.
Other Side
Noam Raz
Op-ed: IDF soldier who serves as B’Tselem official explains why he criticizes Israel
It is quite clear that the fight for human rights is a cause in which Raz believes and I am in no position to question his patriotism and love for his country; as someone living in Israel I am thankful for his past and continued military service. Nonetheless, I can’t help but feel frustrated with the decision B’Tselem forces me to make and the assumptions on which B’Tselem has based the discussion of human rights in the disputed territories.
Despite the claims of B’Tselem, the IDF is one of the most principled and disciplined militaries in the world, operating under a strict code of conduct and often facing enemies that readily cast away the human rights of their own women, elderly and children. Despite this asymmetry, the IDF maintains its commitment to minimizing the painful cost of conflict, even going as far as contacting and instructing innocent civilians to leave targeted areas. This is one of dozens of examples of the documented policies of the IDF, examples that B’Tselem finds no need to address in its discourse on human rights and armed conflict.
Disregarding impact of work
While undoubtedly there exist examples of criminal behavior in the IDF, B’Tselem draws broad conclusions about the character of the IDF from insufficiently few examples. Raz states his belief that Israel, and perhaps by extension the IDF, can be “more moral and more just.” Generally speaking, the IDF operates under a policy that could not be more moral or just, yet will always fail against B’Tselem’s standard of perfection. The final product is the decision the public is forced to make: Do we support the IDF, albeit B’Tselem’s depiction of the IDF, or do we support human rights?
While legitimate questions can be asked about the methodological approach on which B’Tselem operates, the greatest problem with Raz and B’Tselem is their disregard for the impact of their work. Stating that their intention is improving the moral fabric of Israeli society is not an excuse for providing ample material for groups and organizations such as the UN Human Rights Council and others whose de facto missions have become the de-legitimization of the State of Israel and a resurgence of virulent anti-Semitism.
If B’Tselem’s goal was purely to influence Israeli society, there would be no need to publish its work in English; instead, it provides questionably-accurate evidence to those who wish to tear the fabric of Israeli society that B’Tselem so ardently claims to want to strengthen. B’Tselem, it is time to take responsibility for your work: answer Lieberman’s call, open your books and step up to the plate.
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