Guilty or Not Guilty of Murder?

The shooting of a Palestinian terrorist in a prone position lying on the ground poses a great moral issue. It has aroused the ire of the Coalition Government, including PM Benjamin Netanyahu, (who later backtracked according to reports) and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon. On the other hand, Naftali Bennett, Education Minister supports the soldier who shot the prone terrorist.

Clip showing the soldier shaking hands with Kahanist Baruch Marzel after shooting

A Betzelem (the Human Rights Group) observer had filmed the incident which was broadcast on all Israel’s TV Channels and publicized on the social media and beyond. Had Betzelem not filmed this incident, it is doubtful if the soldier, who had shot the Palestinian terrorist after he had been rendered harmless, probably dying in the street would have created a stir in the media. The IDF would have investigated the incident and the soldier involved may have been let off the hook with cautionary warning. 

Contrary to what many Israelis think, Betzelem did a service to Israel and the IDF by filming the incident. It will give a clue as to what really happened as legal experts will use this vital information to see whether there is room for indictment of the soldier involved. The moment that evidence is hidden when it is available in order to “whitewash” a possible crime is in itself criminal.

The IDF protocol on using a weapon in order to kill is clear and acceptable by any standard. It prohibits soldiers from firing indiscriminately at an enemy when he/she does not endanger life.  We have no right to question or doubt IDF decisions on this issue. We have every right to support the IDF in carrying out its duty to protect Israel’s citizens from Palestinian terror. We have no right to support the soldier’s shooting a Palestinian terrorist, who has been rendered harmless by the IDF. The right wing politicians in the Israeli Coalition Government and even some rabbis have behaved irresponsibly in a case that is sub judice, in praising the soldier for carrying out an “act of heroism” which, according to the Betzelem film clip, does not appear to be the case.  Shooting a terrorist or murderous criminal who is unarmed and rendered harmless because of a whim whatever that may be is criminal.

Polls have been taken using samples of the Israeli electorate which show an overwhelming support for the soldier’s act. This is rather disappointing and is really indicative of the public’s support of vigilante actions against a Palestinian terrorist who is lying in a prone position on the ground.

One thing is certain and that is the Palestinian terrorist was no danger to anybody’s life when he was fatally shot by a soldier who was not authorized to do so. This is how the Betzelem film portrayed the situation. Betzelem had performed a positive service in this case in order that justice is done.

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Culture and Art - The Monopoly of the Right?

David Grossman, Edit from a image from flickr, see below en wikipedia: David Grossman he wikipedia: דויד גרוסמן (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Amos Oz (b. 1939), Jewish writer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Over the last few weeks, the right wing Government has been labelling various left wing-oriented NGOs (Breaking the Silence, B'tzelem, Peace Now and New Israel Fund) as moles (traitors), who are accused of spreading falsehoods against Israel and doing much damage to Israel's image and working for the interests of Israel's enemies. 

This phenomena has know spread to culture in Israel. It all began with the Minister of Culture and Sport threatening to withhold state subsidies to cultural activities such as theatre productions that do not tow the "patriotic" line of thought and are viewed as hostile to Israel's existence in the widest possible interpretation. This is one stage before censoring theatre productions that do not tow the ruling right wing coalition line. This is happening in the education system under the auspices of the Minister of Education, Naftali Bennett, who has an agenda of dovetailing education to suit his right wing views on religious National Zionism and the settler movements encouraging settlement in the occupied territories. The civics textbook "To be a Citizen of Israel" that is in draft form and will become the "Bible" of civics education of pupils is apparently full of inaccuracies tailored to suit the world view of Naftali Bennett.  This is the trend that one finds in dictatorship ruled countries and not in democracies. 

Some Artists Blacklisted by Im Tirtzu

In dictatorships, culture and education is dovetailed to suit the ruling political party outlook. They change history, ideology as well as educational values in order to prolong their power by brainwashing with party propaganda. Culture and education become political and the property of the dictatorship in power. Some examples of this in history were in Communist and Fascist States. It is hoped that Israel's democracy will not change towards soft-serve totalitarianism and witch-hunt techniques as was in the US under the influence of McCarthyism. Education must be truthful and not be influenced by politics of ruling parties. The same must be applicable to culture. The right to criticise is part and parcel of democracy. Diversity in vibrant culture patterns, even avant garde ideas should be encouraged provided that they are not racist or insulting to the kaleidoscope of cultures existing in Israel. Society is always evolving and not static. This should apply to education and culture as well.

A worrisome trend is the ideology of an extremist right wing organisation or NGO, Im Tirtzu, that is obsessed with the idea of "moles" undermining Israel in the left wing NGO's and is encouraging hatred of those who do not hold their extremist, fascist, nationalistic world view. They have now attacked Israeli artists, who are the backbone of Israel's artistic talent in writing and theatre. Im Tirtzu accuses them of being "left wing moles" working against Israel. They published a Blacklist of Israeli artists and intellectuals.

                                       Im Tirtzu is what Netanyahu supports

Miri Regev and Naftali Bennett have both opened the Pandora's Box and Im Tirtzu, the pseudo-fascist organisation, jumped out, spewing their hate and paranoia towards those that do not hold their world view in Israel's cultural world. Amos Oz, David Grossman (whose son was killed in the last Lebanese war), A.B. Yehoshua are viewed by this organization as traitors. In the theatrical world, Gila Almagor, Rivka Michaeli and a host of others, who are the backbone of Israel's culture, have been accused of being traitors.The root of this shocking organization comes from the ruling right wing Israeli government. This organization became an embarrassment to the "Netanyahu - Bennett - Regev Triumvirate" that they condemned Im Tirtzu.  This is perhaps to their credit. The most outspoken statement against this nefarious organisation came from the Likud Member of Knesset, Benny Begin. These Israeli artists are a credit to Israel, and have worldwide recognition for their contributions to culture. Israel would have been poorer culturally if not for these Israeli artists whose love and concern for Israel is unquestionable.

Who is Im Tirtzu? A miserable, hateful, pseudo-fascist, racist organisation that does much damage to Israel. The sooner they disappear from Israel the better for Israel and its citizens.Their tactics of hate for those, who do not hold their McCarthyite world view, has exploded in their faces, even more so because of condemnation from those right wingers in the Knesset, who are also responsible for their creation. This shocking organisation is no credit to Israel or to the Jewish People.  

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Is Israel Slipping into McCarthyism?

Nobody denies that Israel is going through a tough time internationally. The UN passed many resolutions against Israel that are unjustified. The amount of time devoted to condemning Israel at every Security Council or General Assembly meeting is ludicrous. At the same time, the slaughter of innocent people in the Middle East and in many parts of the world by Radical Islamist groups is not even discussed, let alone an international military coalition being built to eradicate this cancer. Israel is constantly bashed for human rights abuses. The UN is an impotent useless organization with many members having double standards with selective agendas when it comes to overlooking human rights abuses and Radical Islamist terrorist groups.

This clip is in Hebrew

Having said this, we must make the differentiation between the Israel bashing and its credibility which all reasonable people should view as contemptible and unjust. Israeli citizens’ have the democratic right not to agree with the ruling right wing Government Coalition, which is the most right wing coalition in Israel’s history.

Israel’s true strength is its democracy and with that the right for us, as Israeli citizens to criticize the government when it shows a 

tendency to erode our right to criticize when we feel that it is necessary.  

The right wing in Israel - the Bibi-Bennett Cartel, ruling the country (as is the common habit of right wing rulers all over the world to seek enemies within the country that they rule and do not share their world view) goes on a witch hunt. They accuse those of different viewpoints, especially those who are sensitive to human rights abuses in the IDF of innocent Palestinian civilians (many of those who are supporters of “Breaking the Silence” have held senior positions in the IDF as well as in the Shin Bet, are being accused of treason and working for the enemy). The IDF is a citizen force composed of soldiers of different viewpoints ranging from right to left.

The IDF is not the "Holy Cow" as one wishes to believe. There are soldiers, who do not always carry out orders according to IDF Protocol and tend to abuse their positions of authority. This does NOT mean that all soldiers do that. In totalitarian-ruled countries, those criticizing the army or government are viewed as traitors. It is a wonderful tactic used for instilling fear into the electorate for gaining power, so much so, that even the President of Israel is viewed as being treacherous. Why? He shared a platform with the NGO “Breaking     the Silence” at Haaretz Q Conference in New York. In a democratic country, transparency is important provided security issues are not. President Ruby Rivlin is a Revisionist of the old Ze’ev Jabotinsky School and opposes the Two-State Solution. At the same time, he is a democrat and is prepared to share a platform with all people in the political spectrum, irrespective of their political views. He views himself as President of all Israel’s citizens irrespective of their race, color, creed or political views and correctly so. This is not acceptable to Im Tirtzu and their allies in the right wing government. They went on a campaign of besmirching him with a hate campaign, tainting him with the treacherous brush.

                   
Reservists and Israelis, who served in the IDF, are coming out in the open admitting their experiences, which in no way compromises on Israel’s security. They are dehumanized and singled out as “traitors” and “implants” (shtulim) serving Israel’s enemies. They even brought out a video clip dehumanizing them. An Israeli NGO that cares about Israel and criticizes human rights abuses DOES NOT mean that it is working for the enemies of Israel, BDS is not influenced by “Breaking the Silence”, the latter are on record of condemning BDS. Attacking me and saying that I am having a "chronic lefty relapse" is not helpful. It is a gut reaction because of my non-political attitude and sensitivity to human rights abuses and cover-ups of those abuses of innocent people. If Israel's enemies see that there is transparency and those responsible for human rights abuses are brought to justice, it only strengthens Israel's credibility and does not weaken it as self-righteous supporters of the Bibi-Bennett cartel believe. There is nothing left or right wing about that. The Bibi-Bennett Coalition attitude of attacking those who do not share their worldview and fear-mongering is similar to the notorious McCarthy era in the US. Hopefully we are not sliding into a similar era. So what if these right wing maligned NGOs get funded by overseas. Im Tirtzu is also getting money from oversea sources such as Christian Evangelists and Sheldon Adelson. The latter also moneybags the Israel Hayom news rag that is Bibi's mouthpiece.

It is irrelevant as from where the overseas donations come. The right wing rulers always need enemies in order to survive. If they cannot find them then they create them and these “enemies” are subjected to witch hunts and imprisonment without trial in extreme cases. In our case the imagined traitors and enemies are banned from addressing schools, which are today under the auspices of a very right wing Education Department, and the IDF in case, “God Forbid”, questions on human rights of innocent civilians are raised.

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