As an American with strong ties to Israel, I have a tremendous conflict regarding the subject of ?objectors? within the IDF. I know that those in Israel who will read this will say that I, as an American, don?t have the right to comment on the matter. After all, it?s not my children who are in danger. Frankly, had I had draft-age children during the days of the Viet Nam war, I would have moved them to Canada. It was, for me, a confusing war. I never understood who were the enemy and who were the ?good guys.? Yet there is no such problem in the case of the enemies of Israel. Those who want to destroy Israel surround her.
Therefore, I believe the public letter, which ran in the Israeli paper Yediot Aharonot, that stated ?We hereby declare that we will no longer fight beyond the Green Line (Israel?s pre 1967 border) with it?s purpose of controlling, expelling, starving, and humiliating an entire people? to be treasonous. If this ideology is allowed to take hold it could be the beginning of the end to the democracy in Israel. Those who encourage this behavior, should be allowed - no encouraged - to move closer to the bosom of their Arab friends. Isn?t that what the American-turned-Taliban, Joe Walker, did in his efforts to understand America?s enemies better?
The story of the IDF ?objectors? is gaining a great deal of publicity in the world, in order to back up existing hatred of Israel. What does the average person think when picking up the LA Times and seeing a front page spread, continuing for two full pages, with the headline, ?Israel: Army Reservist Protest Military Conduct?? At CNN, they follow up with stories of their own deploring the ?cruel and inhuman punishment that the Israel Reservist are protesting, against the ?poor Palestinian people.?? It doesn?t matter that there are tens of thousands of IDF soldiers who are lined up to condemn the behavior of the ?objectors.? The damage has been done. The public relations work that those reservists were able to do for Hizbulla, Islamic Jihad, Fatah and Hamas has been tremendous.
Soldiers in the IDF who believe in the ?objectors?? declaration endanger those with whom they serve. Israel is a country besieged by Arab terrorists who thrive on killing Israeli civilians. Children are taught that nothing can be better than to strap bombs on their bodies and blow up cafes, shopping malls and buses. These terrorists, whom the IDF ?objectors? don?t want to see ?humiliated,? would like nothing better than to demoralize the Israelis. It would be better for youngsters to mourn the regular and ever more vicious deaths of Israeli civilians, their own flesh and blood, before worrying about the ?humiliation? of the Arabs.
Incredulously the traitor who started this protest movement bemoans how badly he felt stripping areas clean of groves of trees that were people?s livelihood. I spent over a month covering the war in Beirut, in June of 1982, and I vividly remember how these same terrorists would come out from behind such trees, just like those in Israel, and set roadside bombs for IDF patrols. They used those trees as cover to kill Israeli soldiers. How can these kids from Tel Aviv University bemoan the uprooting of olive trees that gave livelihood to the neighborhood Arabs, when the same trees are used as cover for terrorists?
One of the founders of this mini-movement laments how he was raised to be an officer ?with values.? He?s upset at how he feels he has now has been turned into a combatant who deals in bloodshed and war crimes. These renegades desecrate the memory of those who have been the victims of those he is so anxious to protect. I find it shocking that those in this ?movement? consider the defenders of the territories of Judea, Samaria and Gaza to be war criminals. I remember when the prevailing belief was that the brave souls who moved to those backwater areas were pioneers. The ?objectors?, on the other hand, are ?Ideologically motivated by a political view that Jewish settlements should be abandoned and the ?occupied territories? handed over to the Palestinians.?
At this writing, the army is reviewing the ?dissenters? commands. I?ll go one step further. Traitors such as those reservists, who live in a country whose very existence is tied into the mandate of national unity, should be jailed, at the very least.
Although there are only a few bad apples, and it is not the norm, such publicity hurts. Thank G-d for those who founded the counter-movement to that of the ?objectors.? Over 100,000 brave IDF soldiers signed a counter petition, dubbed the ?Right to Serve?, in only one day. Don?t you know which group got the world press coverage?
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Arlene Peck (ArlenePeck.com) is an internationally syndicated columnist and television talk show hostess.
Therefore, I believe the public letter, which ran in the Israeli paper Yediot Aharonot, that stated ?We hereby declare that we will no longer fight beyond the Green Line (Israel?s pre 1967 border) with it?s purpose of controlling, expelling, starving, and humiliating an entire people? to be treasonous. If this ideology is allowed to take hold it could be the beginning of the end to the democracy in Israel. Those who encourage this behavior, should be allowed - no encouraged - to move closer to the bosom of their Arab friends. Isn?t that what the American-turned-Taliban, Joe Walker, did in his efforts to understand America?s enemies better?
The story of the IDF ?objectors? is gaining a great deal of publicity in the world, in order to back up existing hatred of Israel. What does the average person think when picking up the LA Times and seeing a front page spread, continuing for two full pages, with the headline, ?Israel: Army Reservist Protest Military Conduct?? At CNN, they follow up with stories of their own deploring the ?cruel and inhuman punishment that the Israel Reservist are protesting, against the ?poor Palestinian people.?? It doesn?t matter that there are tens of thousands of IDF soldiers who are lined up to condemn the behavior of the ?objectors.? The damage has been done. The public relations work that those reservists were able to do for Hizbulla, Islamic Jihad, Fatah and Hamas has been tremendous.
Soldiers in the IDF who believe in the ?objectors?? declaration endanger those with whom they serve. Israel is a country besieged by Arab terrorists who thrive on killing Israeli civilians. Children are taught that nothing can be better than to strap bombs on their bodies and blow up cafes, shopping malls and buses. These terrorists, whom the IDF ?objectors? don?t want to see ?humiliated,? would like nothing better than to demoralize the Israelis. It would be better for youngsters to mourn the regular and ever more vicious deaths of Israeli civilians, their own flesh and blood, before worrying about the ?humiliation? of the Arabs.
Incredulously the traitor who started this protest movement bemoans how badly he felt stripping areas clean of groves of trees that were people?s livelihood. I spent over a month covering the war in Beirut, in June of 1982, and I vividly remember how these same terrorists would come out from behind such trees, just like those in Israel, and set roadside bombs for IDF patrols. They used those trees as cover to kill Israeli soldiers. How can these kids from Tel Aviv University bemoan the uprooting of olive trees that gave livelihood to the neighborhood Arabs, when the same trees are used as cover for terrorists?
One of the founders of this mini-movement laments how he was raised to be an officer ?with values.? He?s upset at how he feels he has now has been turned into a combatant who deals in bloodshed and war crimes. These renegades desecrate the memory of those who have been the victims of those he is so anxious to protect. I find it shocking that those in this ?movement? consider the defenders of the territories of Judea, Samaria and Gaza to be war criminals. I remember when the prevailing belief was that the brave souls who moved to those backwater areas were pioneers. The ?objectors?, on the other hand, are ?Ideologically motivated by a political view that Jewish settlements should be abandoned and the ?occupied territories? handed over to the Palestinians.?
At this writing, the army is reviewing the ?dissenters? commands. I?ll go one step further. Traitors such as those reservists, who live in a country whose very existence is tied into the mandate of national unity, should be jailed, at the very least.
Although there are only a few bad apples, and it is not the norm, such publicity hurts. Thank G-d for those who founded the counter-movement to that of the ?objectors.? Over 100,000 brave IDF soldiers signed a counter petition, dubbed the ?Right to Serve?, in only one day. Don?t you know which group got the world press coverage?
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Arlene Peck (ArlenePeck.com) is an internationally syndicated columnist and television talk show hostess.