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del.icio.us Digg It!  new Between genuine and false threats By Haaretz Editorial Tags: settlement, IDF, Israel Last week, security officials told the government that violence by right-wing activists during future evacuations in the West Bank may be greater than that during the evacuation of the Amona outpost last year. Such threats are based mostly on pamphlets issued by the extreme right in West Bank settlements. Often in the past, security officials have exaggerated extremists' threats to cover themselves from accusations of brutality against settlers if violence erupts during an evacuation. The reasons for such exaggerations run deep, and their consequences are disastrous. As the occupation and settlements continue, the link between settlers and the Israel Defense Forces becomes more symbiotic and twisted. Advertisement The army has grown accustomed to turning a blind eye toward blatant violations of law by settlers, as well as extreme physical and verbal violence by settlers against the Palestinians. Now it has submissively accepted similar behavior by rightists toward its own soldiers and officers. Therefore, soldiers wearing skullcaps are accused by rightists of treason, no less. Since the disengagement from the Gaza Strip, settler leaders believe that most of the public regards them not as pioneers but as a burden. They perceive the struggle against the evacuation of Gush Katif in 2005 as a sectarian struggle. As a result, they decided to step up their threats and spread panic, however they would not have succeeded had the IDF top brass and other security leaders not relented so easily. While the Shin Bet security service reported no unusual activity in the settlements, the IDF insisted on warning the government. For almost 40 years, successive governments have allowed a handful of fanatics to dictate Israeli society's political and economic agenda and lead it toward apparent destruction. During this process, the army has lost its ability to distinguish between genuine and false threats, identifying with settlers as allies even when they sabotage its work. By passing on rightists' hallucinatory threats to the executive branch, the army further worsens its image as a political problem. Instead of defending the state's citizens from those trying to destroy democracy, they are playing along with the cynical games that rightists invent. No Israeli citizens who break the law or threaten to do so receive such protection as the settlers receive from the army - certainly not, say, a citizen living in the Israeli Arab town of Umm al-Fahm. The ball is now in the court of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who recently said Israel must allow the Palestinians to establish their own state. If he lets rightists continue to fool the army, even on the eve of U.S. President George W. Bush's visit to Israel, he will miss an opportunity that will not return. Settlement evacuations are part of the commitments undertaken by Israel at the Annapolis summit in November. Any backtracking will prove that Israeli policy is being held captive by its own extremists. Olmert can still choose to lay down red lines against violent lawbreakers among the rightists. Failure to so will strengthen those who issue threats, allow the army to tighten its bear hug with the settler movement and expedite the crash of the state's sovereignty. Bookmark to del.icio.us Christmas blues Gazan Christians keep low profile during Christmas after activist slain. Absent voice An Israeli think tank says Israeli Arabs should take part in negotiations with PA.

Today Online U.S. plans confidential appraisal of Israeli and PA peace moves Responses: 235 Reform head: U.S. Jews mustn't oppose compromise on J'lem Responses: 63 Israel expands plans for new homes in E. J'lem, W. Bank Responses: 76 Meron Benvenisti: Israeli Arabs must stop mourning Nakba Responses: 83 Security cabinet okays funding for 'Iron Dome' rocket defense system Responses: 54 More Headlines 02:34 PM mulls easing criteria for freeing prisoners 02:13 African refugees urge Israelis to 'help us help ourselves' 23:41 Security cabinet okays funding for 'Iron Dome' rocket defense system 00:23 Fayyad's police take over as Bethlehem becomes latest city in PA security drive 23:19 Immigration to Israel in 2007 down 6%, at its lowest since 1989 23:06 Panel postpones budget vote as gov't MKs balk at stipend cuts 21:19 Gaza's Christians keep low Christmas profile after activist slain 22:38 Lebanon's opposition threatens to boycott presidential vote 20:48 Report: German man jailed for teaching his dog to perform Nazi salute 19:05 Think tank: Israeli Arabs should take part in negotiations with PA Previous Editions Select Day 23 dec 21 dec 20 dec 19 dec 18 dec 17 dec 16 dec 14 dec 13 dec 12 dec 11 dec 10 dec

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