As news reports had it, Lt.-Col. Shalom Eisner, the deputy commander of the Jordan Valley Brigade of the IDF, struck an "activist" from Denmark on the face with the side of his rifle, lightly injuring him. Initial reports had it that this attack was unprovoked.
The response from across the board here in Israel was one of criticism and distress -- "This is not the way IDF soldiers act!" -- and he was suspended from his position.
As it turns out, however, there is more to the story. Much more. Eisner, who regrets what happened, says he acted reflexively following two hours of sometimes violent provocation by some 250 Palestinian Arabs and foreign activists, who had persisted in trying to enter a forbidden military zone. In fact, the "activist" Eisner took a swing at had first attacked him, breaking two of his fingers.
Questions must be asked then regarding when and under what circumstances, if ever, a soldier has a right to hit back when attacked, and precisely who these "activists" were, who were prepared to engage the IDF in violence. So much for all the hype about people wanting to come peacefully, although of course the Danish "activist" declares his innocence, saying that "I wasn't doing anything."
And there's yet more to the story. This Danish "activist" is said to be an anarchist and is apparently a member of the International Solidarity Movement, a virulently anti-Israel group. And guess what? The ISM was on hand to video the incident and then selectively release a small segment of what had gone on -- carefully editing out the provocations that would be seen on a full video. The ISM released that edited video to news outlets and put it up on the Internet. That's the M.O. of ISM: generating bad press for Israel.
More distressing than what an organization that is a recognized enemy of Israel did, however, is what the response within Israel was at a variety of levels. The media accepted and ran with the story, showing the video without further checking -- and that video went viral worldwide. Furthermore, national leaders apologized for the incident without truly knowing all the facts. This reflects a regrettable pattern -- Israelis ready to show the world how good we are and thus accepting blame reflexively, before the entire story is known. (The very worst incident was with the Al Dura libel, but the question is whether we've learned anything from it.)
"We've gone mad" is how Maariv commentator Ben-Dror Yemini put it, and I would agree.
In its editorial on the subject today, "Benefit of the doubt," the JPost argues:
"Dedicated commanders such as Eisner, who have served our country with distinction, should have been given the benefit of the doubt -- at least until a thorough investigation is conducted.
"Eisner, in particular, has in the past exhibited heroism during wartime and sensitivity toward the Palestinian population. During the Sluki battle in the Second Lebanon War, he led soldiers in battle and helped extract a tank crew under fire. About a year ago, he helped a Palestinian woman give birth after which the baby underwent life-saving procedures under his command."
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Editorials/Article.aspx?id=266313
While in a piece Israel Hayom today, MK Danny Danon (Likud) wrote:
"It is time to wake up. Israel is in the midst of a new kind of war, in which delegitimization has replaced bullets, and provocations have replaced tanks and jets."
Now an investigation will be held and apparently Eisner has hired a lawyer who will seek to document the provocation and attack on his client. (Seems a full video does exist.)
Says , Hagai Segal, writing in YNet:
"...they must keep him in the army. Any other decision will constitute a grave blow to the face of IDF combat soldiers, the perpetual punching bag of all Israel haters."
Indeed, a reprimand and then a reinstatement or reassignment perhaps.
The JPost editorial reflects similar thinking:
"The ease with which these leaders [named] and others denounced Eisner conveys a mixed message to our soldiers.
"Instead of providing them with the trust and backing they so desperately need when confronting radical activists bent on disrupting public order, our leaders issued hasty statements based on partial evidence. This sort of response will inevitably undermine IDF soldiers’ confidence in their next confrontation with anti-Israel activists."
No comments:
Post a Comment