Much has been said and will be said again for many generations, about the Sharon "Disengagement" Plan against the Jews who bravely chose to settle in Gush Katif and northern Samaria. Without discussing the utter folly of the plan, its immoral and even criminal nature, I wish to voice my opinion regarding the use of the IDF and the police to implement the plan. To me, that was the most disturbing aspect of the whole affair.
Although the IDF forces were compelled by orders of their superiors to carry out the details of the plan, and had been psychologically and militarily prepared, at great expense and with time lost from performing defense-related duties and training, they were, nevertheless, surprised at the ease with which they overcame the mostly passive resistance of the public to the plan. They were met by shows of raw emotion to the point of tears.
As one general said on IDF Radio after the eviction of thousands from their homes, "The task was easier than anyone thought because the army was ready with superior forces, two divisions of soldiers or more, not knowing what to expect in the way of resistance from the settlers."
Needless to say, most of those soldiers had never been to Gush Katif or Samaria and hardly knew who or what a "settler" was. The leftist media did its best to demonize the Jews of Judea, Samaria and Gaza so that little sympathy would be given them.
The police, on the other hand, although also "only following orders", were cold as ice to appeals springing from human suffering, and showed little or no compassion for the "settlers" or for those citizens who demonstrated against Ariel Sharon's Folly, exercising their civil right to protest in the only way they could - by massive civil disobedience. Arbitrary arrests and administrative detentions were commonplace, but only part of the picture. The brutality and cruelty of whole units of special police, in their black uniforms and zeal for carrying out orders, was exposed in real time and in international media for the whole world to see and hear. It was to the eternal disgrace of the Jewish police and the government that spawned them and made them what they are.
No amount of praise by their superiors for difficult work "well done" will hide the fact that both police and military commanders are human beings and Jews, who have families of their own and who, ordinarily, I am sure, are decent people. But they have acted in this situation without listening to the voice of their conscience, nor have they acted with the moral conviction to discern right from wrong, good from evil, with which they have been endowed by their Creator. They have done a grievous evil to their own brothers and sisters, their own Jewish people, and have made refugees and paupers of many thousands of innocent, pure and good citizens.
Homes, businesses, jobs and thriving communities destroyed in just a few short weeks. Nothing can ever pardon such an evil act, which could have been averted if only each one of them had not shut their eyes and ears to the bitter cries and tears of the people of Gush Katif, nor ignored the voices of the many hundreds of thousands of citizens banded with orange to protest this outrage.
The Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, was organized and established as a means to defend the Jewish people and the citizens of the State of Israel against its foreign enemies, primarily in times of war, but also when attacked by sniper fire from along its borders with Jordan, when Katyusha rockets are launched from Lebanon, or when missiles are fired from the Arab-occupied Gaza Strip. The IDF is a citizens' army composed of Jews from all walks of life and also some non- Jews sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, friends and neighbors all serve in this army. The IDF was never intended to be used against its own citizens for politically motivated or even, as some claim, criminal purposes by a corrupt, and dictatorial leader with the support and encouragement of the Supreme Court, select political parties in the Knesset, and the State Prosecutor's Office.
The police, of course, have the function of upholding the laws, statutes, and ordinances of the government. They are only doing their duty when exercised against "settlers", with excessive force and some brutality. Those officers and senior commanders who accepted upon themselves to "follow orders" without question have done a disservice to the army and police. They had the option to refuse (and bear the consequences) or otherwise opt out of something hateful and evil, and had they done so, I am sure the whole plan would have collapsed. Men of no conscience have no place serving in either the Jewish police or the Jewish army of the State of Israel, the state of the Jewish people.
The new image of the IDF is not a pretty one. Who can trust future governments to refrain from again using the army to expel other citizens from their homes without due process of law? The future of the IDF has been compromised by misuse and involvement where it should never have been used. The supposedly democratic nature of our society is shown to be a sham when superior force is used to quell civil disobedience. The use of the military for this purpose is never appropriate and measures need to be taken to see that it does not happen again. Concurrently, the leadership of the military and police, members of the Knesset, and the Supreme Court and other public figures involved in supporting Ariel Sharon's evil and criminal plan need to be replaced or retired. This calls for new elections and reform in our whole system of government and all its institutions, some of which need to be abolished and replaced with institutions that serve the public with compassion and humanity, and reflect long-held Jewish beliefs, traditions and values.
Although the IDF forces were compelled by orders of their superiors to carry out the details of the plan, and had been psychologically and militarily prepared, at great expense and with time lost from performing defense-related duties and training, they were, nevertheless, surprised at the ease with which they overcame the mostly passive resistance of the public to the plan. They were met by shows of raw emotion to the point of tears.
As one general said on IDF Radio after the eviction of thousands from their homes, "The task was easier than anyone thought because the army was ready with superior forces, two divisions of soldiers or more, not knowing what to expect in the way of resistance from the settlers."
Needless to say, most of those soldiers had never been to Gush Katif or Samaria and hardly knew who or what a "settler" was. The leftist media did its best to demonize the Jews of Judea, Samaria and Gaza so that little sympathy would be given them.
The police, on the other hand, although also "only following orders", were cold as ice to appeals springing from human suffering, and showed little or no compassion for the "settlers" or for those citizens who demonstrated against Ariel Sharon's Folly, exercising their civil right to protest in the only way they could - by massive civil disobedience. Arbitrary arrests and administrative detentions were commonplace, but only part of the picture. The brutality and cruelty of whole units of special police, in their black uniforms and zeal for carrying out orders, was exposed in real time and in international media for the whole world to see and hear. It was to the eternal disgrace of the Jewish police and the government that spawned them and made them what they are.
No amount of praise by their superiors for difficult work "well done" will hide the fact that both police and military commanders are human beings and Jews, who have families of their own and who, ordinarily, I am sure, are decent people. But they have acted in this situation without listening to the voice of their conscience, nor have they acted with the moral conviction to discern right from wrong, good from evil, with which they have been endowed by their Creator. They have done a grievous evil to their own brothers and sisters, their own Jewish people, and have made refugees and paupers of many thousands of innocent, pure and good citizens.
Homes, businesses, jobs and thriving communities destroyed in just a few short weeks. Nothing can ever pardon such an evil act, which could have been averted if only each one of them had not shut their eyes and ears to the bitter cries and tears of the people of Gush Katif, nor ignored the voices of the many hundreds of thousands of citizens banded with orange to protest this outrage.
The Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, was organized and established as a means to defend the Jewish people and the citizens of the State of Israel against its foreign enemies, primarily in times of war, but also when attacked by sniper fire from along its borders with Jordan, when Katyusha rockets are launched from Lebanon, or when missiles are fired from the Arab-occupied Gaza Strip. The IDF is a citizens' army composed of Jews from all walks of life and also some non- Jews sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, friends and neighbors all serve in this army. The IDF was never intended to be used against its own citizens for politically motivated or even, as some claim, criminal purposes by a corrupt, and dictatorial leader with the support and encouragement of the Supreme Court, select political parties in the Knesset, and the State Prosecutor's Office.
The police, of course, have the function of upholding the laws, statutes, and ordinances of the government. They are only doing their duty when exercised against "settlers", with excessive force and some brutality. Those officers and senior commanders who accepted upon themselves to "follow orders" without question have done a disservice to the army and police. They had the option to refuse (and bear the consequences) or otherwise opt out of something hateful and evil, and had they done so, I am sure the whole plan would have collapsed. Men of no conscience have no place serving in either the Jewish police or the Jewish army of the State of Israel, the state of the Jewish people.
The new image of the IDF is not a pretty one. Who can trust future governments to refrain from again using the army to expel other citizens from their homes without due process of law? The future of the IDF has been compromised by misuse and involvement where it should never have been used. The supposedly democratic nature of our society is shown to be a sham when superior force is used to quell civil disobedience. The use of the military for this purpose is never appropriate and measures need to be taken to see that it does not happen again. Concurrently, the leadership of the military and police, members of the Knesset, and the Supreme Court and other public figures involved in supporting Ariel Sharon's evil and criminal plan need to be replaced or retired. This calls for new elections and reform in our whole system of government and all its institutions, some of which need to be abolished and replaced with institutions that serve the public with compassion and humanity, and reflect long-held Jewish beliefs, traditions and values.