"Moadim L'Simcha" (times
of joy) is the traditional greeting for the intermediate days of
Sukkot. And, yes, I've heard it many time these past few days.
Personally, I have been
finding it to be an especially lovely Sukkot -- with family
gathered in the sukkah amidst laughter and singing. And not one, but two
visits to the Kotel.
But each time within the last week
that I have turned away from the holiday celebrations to familiarize myself
with the latest news, all joy has fled, replaced by a sense of horror and
immeasurable weariness.
Emotional dissonance: To balance
the disparate emotional responses (somehow) requires the skill of
an emotional gymnast -- a skill I seem to be lacking.
~~~~~~~~~~
During this Sukkot, we have lost
two soldiers to terrorism within as many days.
First, Sgt. Tomer Hazan, age 20,
who was serving in the Air Force.
Credit:
moralowground
The terrorist, Nedal Amar, a
Palestinian Arab who worked in Israel without papers, was someone Hazan knew;
they held jobs in the same Bat Yam restaurant and reportedly had become
friendly.
On Friday, Amar lured an
unsuspecting Hazan into Samaria, to an open area not far from his village
of Saniria, killed him with a blunt weapon, and hid his body in a
well.
After Hazan was reported missing,
a team consisting of Shin Bet, IDF and police began a search. Ultimately this
brought them to Amar. He confessed -- citing as his motivation the
intention of trading Hazan (whose death would not yet have been revealed) or,
alternately, Hazan's body, for the release of his brother, Nur al-Din Amar, a
member of the terrorist group Tazanim (Fatah). Nur al-Din Amar has
been in Israeli prison for some years for a variety of terror-related
offenses.
~~~~~~~~~~
This particular attack, on
Hazan, has touched many nerves in our nation, and raises a host
of significant issues.
The most pertinent
involves the propriety of releasing terrorists from Israeli prison for
political reasons before their sentences are complete. It's been done to
free Israelis held hostage, and to allow Israeli bodies to be brought
home. And it's being done now as a "good will" gesture, in a very
questionable and widely opposed deal that the Israeli government agreed to under
duress in order to bring the Palestinian Arabs to the negotiating table.
What this does is foster a
Palestinian Arab mindset that sees it as possible to secure the release of
additional prisoners by taking Israel soldiers as hostages. The number of
such attempts has doubled in the past few months. Hey! It can be done: they
see that Israel is willing to strike such deals.
What is more, potential terrorists
are emboldened by the hope and expectation that if they are caught and sentenced
to Israeli imprisonment, there will be some deal that will get them
out.
All of this works to the detriment
of Israeli security goals and Israeli deterrence.
~~~~~~~~~~
The deal for bringing our
"negotiating partners" to the table was the release, in four stages, of some 104
prisoners. (I am still a tad dubious about the final number.) The first
group of 26 was let go last month, and the second group is scheduled to be
released soon; according to Arab reports, it will be 250 prisoners this
time.
According to Israeli sources, when
this deal was struck, the release of additional prisoners beyond the first 26
would depend upon good progress in the talks (however that is defined), while
the Arabs have been saying that release would follow no matter the progress of
talks.
Now, with the abduction and murder
of Hazan, there has been an outcry and protest that no further prisoners
should be released. Key among those in the government taking a vociferous
stand against further releases is Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett
(head of Habayit Hayehudi).
Credit:
indynewsisrael
He has joined with six other
ministers in sending a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu asking that he
reconsider the release of additional prisoners as part of the "peace
process."
Yesterday, he said (at the funeral
of the second soldier to be killed -- see below) that:
"We must stop giving our enemies the
impression that Jewish blood has become the cheapest commodity in the Middle
East. Make no mistake about us. We will not lay down our weapons. We will not
blink."
"The answer to terror must
be a war on the murderers, and not dialogue with those who encourage
them." (Emphasis added)
~~~~~~~~~~
Another issue that evokes
heightened Jewish emotions here is the matter of whether one can trust
Arabs. I would never say -- as a blanket statement -- that Arabs cannot be
trusted. Certainly there are those who can be. (If you disagree with
me and would like to see me make a blanket statement, please save your time and
energy, for I will not.)
The problem is that those who are
trustworthy cannot be readily identified because of a readiness the Arabs
have to be deceptive for what they consider their larger goals.
The fact that Hazan knew Amar and
considered him a friend served him nothing in the end. And this is hardly an
isolated instance -- other Arabs who were employed by or accepted as the friends
or business associates of Jews have then killed those same Jews.
In particular, it is necessary for
Israeli soldiers to be on guard, as there are Arabs plotting to abduct them and
murder them.
~~~~~~~~~~
But let me turn to the second
soldier we have lost this week: Gavriel Kobi, 20.
Credit:
TimesofIsrael
Just yesterday, he was stationed
at a post near the Machpela (the Cave of the Patriarchs) in Hevron, when he was
hit by a sniper shooting from a distance. He was brought to a hospital,
where he was pronounced dead. The sniper is still being sought.
He will be found. The IDF
presence in Hevron has been reinforced, and the search for the sniper is
concentrated in the Jabal Johar neighborhood.
Kobi and many other soldiers were
stationed on duty in Hevron to protect the tens of thousands of visitors who
come during the Sukkot holiday.
Just prior to the shooting of
Kobi, there was a riot of Palestinian Arabs at a location near where he was
stationed. The Arabs had thrown stones and Molotov cocktails at the IDF
personnel stationed there. As I write, I am aware of no direct link that
has been identified between this riot and the sniper.
~~~~~~~~~~
Just hours after Kobi was killed,
Prime Minister Netanyahu made a decision about permitting Jews to move into a
building practically adjacent to where the soldier was shot.
Last year, the Jewish community of
Hevron purchased a building just across the street from the Machpela -- they
called it Beit Machpela and, in March, they moved in. It's a modest,
three-story structure, as you can see:
Credit:
YNet
Within weeks they were evicted
because of questions about the authenticity of their documents. By
July of this year, an appeals court had validated the purchase, but the Jews
were still not permitted to move in because the signature of the Defense
Minister was missing.
Now Netanyahu has
said:
"Those who attempt to uproot us
from the city of our forefathers will achieve the opposite effect. We will
continue on one hand to fight terror and to harm terrorists and on the other
hand to strengthen settlements."
It is understood that, as his boss
has spoken, the Defense Minister will now be signing...
~~~~~~~~~~
The Jewish community of Hevron was
rightfully pleased with this decision. And yet I am unsettled. Yes,
I know that building, or settlement, is considered the Zionist approach to
terrorism. But Jews had legally purchased this building prior to the
terror attack on Kobi. They should have been allowed entry as soon as the court
determination had been made. Instead, word did not come down from the
boss, and so they could not use the building.
I think it's imperative to note
the dynamic here: Jews prevented from exercising their proper legal rights in
Judea and Samaria because of political considerations -- with the Arab position
frequently the default. This is not an isolated case. Beit
Hamachpela is on the periphery of the part of Hevron controlled by the PA, and
Jewish residence there would have expanded -- now will expand -- Jewish presence
in the city. Netanyahu apparently did not see this as a "politically
correct" move. Until now.
~~~~~~~~~~
It should be noted that ostensible
PA president Mahmoud Abbas has not condemned the killing of Kobi, nor of
Hazan. Our "peace partner."
It should also be noted that
deputy political bureau chief Moussa Abu Marzouk has written on his Facebook
page that:
"We are facing a political failure
for the Palestinian Authority and the beginning of a new popular intifada
against Israel."
~~~~~~~~~~
The question that has to be asked
is, How crazy are we?
In my next posting I want to take
a closer look, with some concerns about what's coming down the road regarding
the "peace negotiations" and Netanyahu's second Bar Ilan speech, scheduled for
October 6th. That's when it is being said he will set new
policy.
No, he has not shared with me
what he expects to say, and I would be less than honest if I failed to
admit to a certain unease -- although rumors are not facts and we
don't have the facts.
~~~~~~~~~~
But wait! Before October
6th, on the last day of this month, Netanyahu is going to Washington to confer
with President Obama. I ask myself what our prime minister has to say to
this man after Syria, and I don't like the answers.
Reportedly, the main topic of
conversation will be Iran. But... but... Obama is buying the Iranian "charm
offensive." There are thoughts circulating about what Obama might demand
of Netanyahu with regard to the negotiations, in return for a somewhat tough
stand on Iran (somewhat tough, as in, no reduction in the sanctions, not a
military threat).
~~~~~~~~~~
But wait again! Netanyahu is
also going to the UN to warn the world about Iran. But Bibi, you've been
there, done that. They didn't listen then, and now with the Iranian charm
offensive they're surely not going to listen. The world is very eager to
be deceived, and I fear that anyone who tries to unsettle the complacency that
accompanies this mindset will be seen as a nag who always harps on the same
issue.
The fact that Netanyahu is correct
to warn about Iran is irrelevant. Golly gee, the permanent members of the UN
Security Council are going to meet with representatives of Iran -- who are
hinting about a reduction in sanctions in order to create a new
environment. Is Netanyahu going to make this more
difficult?
It boggles the mind to recognize
that in all the world we see the situation the most clearly, refusing to be
taken in by Iranian game-playing. Or perhaps there are others (such as the
Saudis) who also see it clearly but remain mum. What occurs to me is that if we
do hit Iran, the world will tell us that we've stirred up matters just when
there was diplomatic achievement on the horizon. There will certainly be
no thanks for what we will have done for the world.
~~~~~~~~~~
So many concerns to select from --
so many issues to make the stomach knot.
Thank Heaven for Moadim
l'Simcha.
~~~~~~~~~~
©
Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by Arlene Kushner,
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