Rabbi Stav: Harming neutralized terrorists is a 'moral breakdown'
Chairman of the Tzohar association of national-religious rabbis warns Israeli Jewish public against targeting Israeli Arabs who are 'uninvolved in murderous activities' and perpetrators who 'no longer pose a danger.'
The chairman of the Tzohar association of national-religious rabbis clarified Tuesday that despite the justified anger at Israeli Arabs targeting Jews, "people who are not involved in murderous activities and those who no longer pose a danger must not be harmed.
"The blood boils when you see Israeli Arabs, young and old, who have been making their livelihood from Jews, murdering children, soldiers, women and men indiscriminately, without any gratitude," Stav said, adding that "it is precisely on these days that the strength and uniqueness of the Israeli society is put to the test.
"These days, when the boiling blood is mixed with civilian willingness and resourcefulness, it's important to maintain our moral superiority: To avoid harming a person who is uninvolved in murderous activity, and to avoid harming those who have already been neutralized and no longer pose a danger."
'That isn't our way'
Rabbi Stav went on to explain that "it's not because they are immortal. They deserve to die, but that is not our way. Harming a terrorists who has been neutralized causes double damage: The collateral damage is when these images are distributed, and the main damage is harming our moral norms. We will not stoop down to our enemies' despicableness, and we will not contaminate ourselves with a moral breakdown.
The rabbi concluded by saying that "it's encouraging to see how the people continue to live their lives courageously, and civilians showing amazing resourcefulness during terror attacks."
Arab and Palestinian social media has been abuzz recently with inciting images which portray the perpetrators of attacks against Israelis as innocent victims of Israeli aggression. Almost every picture of a neutralized terrorist is quickly uploaded to social media and portrayed as a "cold blooded execution."
