One month ago we lost 12 heroes ? three civilians from Kiryat Arba and nine officers and soldiers, including the Hebron Commander, Colonel Dror Weinberg. They were ambushed by Arab terrorists following evening prayers at Ma?arat HaMachpela, the Tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, in Hebron. According to an IDF investigation, at least one of the three terrorists planned on attempting mass murder inside the gates of Kiryat Arba. Had these brave souls not stopped the terrorists with their bodies and their lives, we can only guess what the catastrophic results might have been.
We would have expected that following such a horrific terror attack, the government would have ordered the IDF to take substantial measures, firstly, as punishment, and secondly, as a deterrent to further terror activity. The only way to prevent additional such attacks is by letting the Arabs know, in no uncertain terms, that murdering Israelis doesn?t pay off. All houses in the area of the attack should have been immediately demolished. New Jewish housing in and around Kiryat Arba/Hebron should have been okayed within a few days of the murders. Efforts to collect weapons held by Arabs should have been intensified. These measures, as well as others, some of which it is preferable not to talk or write about, would easily have gotten the message across: ?If you kill Jews, and if you support killing Jews, you will suffer.?
In actuality, what was done? You can choose, a, b, c d, all of the above, or none of the above. The right answer is also the wrong answer - that is, the latter, none of the above.
How is such inaction interpreted by the terrorists? It clearly expresses that anything goes. Killing Jews, especially if they live in Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza), and how much more so in a place like Hebron, and best of all, if they are in uniform, is not such a terrible crime. In fact, it is not considered to be a crime at all. Rather, it is an act of war, which, of course, is permissible.
Writing in Ha?aretz newspaper on December 11, in the print and internet English edition, a creature named Emadeddin J. Fraitekh, a self-proclaimed Palestinian American writer living in Washington DC, proclaims, ?The legitimate targets for armed struggle by palestinians are the Israeli military occupations forces? and also include the armed Jewish settlers who illegally occupy Palestinian land, while implementing and enforcing the Israeli government?s illegal settlement policy.?
Lack of reaction on the part of Israel, leads our enemy to actually believe that this is true. The results were not long in coming. Only a few nights ago, on Thursday evening at about eight o?clock, two Israeli soldiers were shot and killed in cold blood, from almost point-blank range. Two terrorists infiltrated an empty building and, using automatic weapons, blasted the two 19-year-olds to death. Keren Ya?akobi was the first female soldier killed in combat during the Oslo War. Keren and her companion, Maor Kalfon did not have to serve in combat units. Maor had a low physical profile. But both insisted in serving to the fullest of their ability, served in Hebron, and were shot down by terrorist animals.
What was the government?s reaction to this killing? The IDF was allowed to demolish the house from which the shots were fired, as well as several other small unoccupied buildings on the side of the road. The Arabs were placed, again, under curfew. And that?s it. Nothing of any substance was done, not as punishment and not as a deterrent. We know what that means, and we know what the tragic results are likely to be.
Who is responsible for this explicitly appalling security failure?
In Israel today, there is one person - one person alone - who pushes the buttons, determines policy, makes the decisions, and decides how and when to implement them. His name is Ariel Sharon.
Ariel Sharon gave former Defense Minister Binyamin (Fuad) ben Eliezer the green light to again pull out of Hebron, knowing full well that the reasons were solely political. He allowed Fuad to again retreat from Bethlehem, knowing full well that the reasons were solely political. Sharon refuses to allow the IDF to implement all necessary measures needed to both punish the Arabs and to act as a deterrent. I recently sat in a meeting with a very senior IDF officer who said clearly, and sadly, ?today, the IDF has no deterrent force.? That does not mean that the IDF hasn?t deterrence capability. Rather, it means that the IDF is not allowed to utilize its crushing capabilities that would, otherwise, certainly qualify as deterrent force.
The only person in Israel today who has the power to crush Israel?s deterrent capabilities is Ariel Sharon. The only person in Israel today who has the power to restrain Israeli might against the Palestinian Terrorist Authority is Ariel Sharon. The only person in Israel today who has the power to push a Palestinian state down our collective throat is Ariel Sharon.
Two years ago, Sharon was elected on a security platform. His slogan was, ?I will bring security to Israel.? The only thing Ariel Sharon has brought Israel is bloodshed, grief and death. Hundreds of Israelis have died as a result of Ariel Sharon?s negligence. Thousands have been wounded and maimed. Yet, Sharon still has not reined in the horses. Terror continues to flood Israel, tragic funerals continue day after day, and Sharon does absolutely nothing.
The time has come to point a finger and place the responsibility where the responsibility belongs. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has failed the most elementary test of any national leader. He has not protected his people.
In the upcoming elections, we must ensure that the Israeli right receives enough Knesset mandates to force Sharon?s hand, compelling him to do what he has, so far, refrained from doing, and that is, eradicating the terrorists and the terror.
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David Wilder is a spokesman for the Jewish community of Hevron. A recorded version of his regular radio commentary on Arutz Sheva Israel National Radio can be heard on IsraelNationalNews.com.
We would have expected that following such a horrific terror attack, the government would have ordered the IDF to take substantial measures, firstly, as punishment, and secondly, as a deterrent to further terror activity. The only way to prevent additional such attacks is by letting the Arabs know, in no uncertain terms, that murdering Israelis doesn?t pay off. All houses in the area of the attack should have been immediately demolished. New Jewish housing in and around Kiryat Arba/Hebron should have been okayed within a few days of the murders. Efforts to collect weapons held by Arabs should have been intensified. These measures, as well as others, some of which it is preferable not to talk or write about, would easily have gotten the message across: ?If you kill Jews, and if you support killing Jews, you will suffer.?
In actuality, what was done? You can choose, a, b, c d, all of the above, or none of the above. The right answer is also the wrong answer - that is, the latter, none of the above.
How is such inaction interpreted by the terrorists? It clearly expresses that anything goes. Killing Jews, especially if they live in Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza), and how much more so in a place like Hebron, and best of all, if they are in uniform, is not such a terrible crime. In fact, it is not considered to be a crime at all. Rather, it is an act of war, which, of course, is permissible.
Writing in Ha?aretz newspaper on December 11, in the print and internet English edition, a creature named Emadeddin J. Fraitekh, a self-proclaimed Palestinian American writer living in Washington DC, proclaims, ?The legitimate targets for armed struggle by palestinians are the Israeli military occupations forces? and also include the armed Jewish settlers who illegally occupy Palestinian land, while implementing and enforcing the Israeli government?s illegal settlement policy.?
Lack of reaction on the part of Israel, leads our enemy to actually believe that this is true. The results were not long in coming. Only a few nights ago, on Thursday evening at about eight o?clock, two Israeli soldiers were shot and killed in cold blood, from almost point-blank range. Two terrorists infiltrated an empty building and, using automatic weapons, blasted the two 19-year-olds to death. Keren Ya?akobi was the first female soldier killed in combat during the Oslo War. Keren and her companion, Maor Kalfon did not have to serve in combat units. Maor had a low physical profile. But both insisted in serving to the fullest of their ability, served in Hebron, and were shot down by terrorist animals.
What was the government?s reaction to this killing? The IDF was allowed to demolish the house from which the shots were fired, as well as several other small unoccupied buildings on the side of the road. The Arabs were placed, again, under curfew. And that?s it. Nothing of any substance was done, not as punishment and not as a deterrent. We know what that means, and we know what the tragic results are likely to be.
Who is responsible for this explicitly appalling security failure?
In Israel today, there is one person - one person alone - who pushes the buttons, determines policy, makes the decisions, and decides how and when to implement them. His name is Ariel Sharon.
Ariel Sharon gave former Defense Minister Binyamin (Fuad) ben Eliezer the green light to again pull out of Hebron, knowing full well that the reasons were solely political. He allowed Fuad to again retreat from Bethlehem, knowing full well that the reasons were solely political. Sharon refuses to allow the IDF to implement all necessary measures needed to both punish the Arabs and to act as a deterrent. I recently sat in a meeting with a very senior IDF officer who said clearly, and sadly, ?today, the IDF has no deterrent force.? That does not mean that the IDF hasn?t deterrence capability. Rather, it means that the IDF is not allowed to utilize its crushing capabilities that would, otherwise, certainly qualify as deterrent force.
The only person in Israel today who has the power to crush Israel?s deterrent capabilities is Ariel Sharon. The only person in Israel today who has the power to restrain Israeli might against the Palestinian Terrorist Authority is Ariel Sharon. The only person in Israel today who has the power to push a Palestinian state down our collective throat is Ariel Sharon.
Two years ago, Sharon was elected on a security platform. His slogan was, ?I will bring security to Israel.? The only thing Ariel Sharon has brought Israel is bloodshed, grief and death. Hundreds of Israelis have died as a result of Ariel Sharon?s negligence. Thousands have been wounded and maimed. Yet, Sharon still has not reined in the horses. Terror continues to flood Israel, tragic funerals continue day after day, and Sharon does absolutely nothing.
The time has come to point a finger and place the responsibility where the responsibility belongs. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has failed the most elementary test of any national leader. He has not protected his people.
In the upcoming elections, we must ensure that the Israeli right receives enough Knesset mandates to force Sharon?s hand, compelling him to do what he has, so far, refrained from doing, and that is, eradicating the terrorists and the terror.
--------------------------------------------------------
David Wilder is a spokesman for the Jewish community of Hevron. A recorded version of his regular radio commentary on Arutz Sheva Israel National Radio can be heard on IsraelNationalNews.com.