IDF threatens to dismiss 'disgraceful' pro-settler troops
Group of Kfir Brigade soldiers waved anti-disengagement placards during graduation march in Jerusalem.
By Reuters Tags: Israel settlements Israel news IDFA group of Israel Defense Forces conscripts who disrupted their swearing-in ceremony by calling for continued settlement in the West Bank were threatened on Friday with dismissal.
Although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in no rush to remove settlements from occupied land where Palestinians seek statehood, Thursday's protest gave voice to nationalists' fears that he will eventually cave in to U.S. peacemaking pressure.
According to Army Radio, several members of the Kfir [Lioncub] infantry brigade waved placards with slogans such as "We did not enlist in order to evacuate Jews" as they paraded in Jerusalem to mark the end of basic training.
That the incident took place at the Western Wall prayer plaza, where generations of troops have sworn their allegiance to Israel, sharpened the infraction.
"This was a disgraceful disciplinary aberration that will be addressed," a military spokesman said in a statement. "The Kfir commander will, furthermore, consider whether these soldiers will continue to serve in the brigade."
The U.S. administration said on Thursday that Israel had shown "willingness to curtail settlement activity", though Netanyahu has resisted calls for a total freeze on construction.
Israeli officials appear instead to be focussed on dismantling outposts erected by settlers without government approval. Some of the outposts are meagre lean-tos, others full-fledged annexes to established settlements. Israel pledged to crack down on them in 2003. Implementation has been fitful.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has made a resumption of peace negotiations with Israel conditional on a construction freeze in settlements in the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem, which Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War.
The World Court calls the settlements illegal and Palestinians say the enclaves could deny them a viable state.
The IDF helped police the 2005 removal of settlements from the Gaza Strip, a controversial move that some soldiers opposed. One platoon catering to religious Jewish servicemen was disbanded for refusing evacuation orders.
Kfir was set up to battle Palestinian guerrillas in the West Bank. Such duties have diminished amid a law-and-order drive by Abbas's U.S.-backed administration, which wants to project power in the face of the rival Hamas Islamists now ruling Gaza.
"It became clear to all the soldiers that they would be going to Judea and Samaria, where there are not a lot of combat missions," an unnamed brother of one of the Kfir protesters said, using biblical terms for the West Bank.
"Instead, they know they are going to take on the settlers. And everyone knows what the damage of that is, both on the personal and the ideological levels," he told Army Radio.
Kfir has been under military investigation for several high-profile cases where Palestinian civilians complained of abuse by the brigade. Its former commander was reprimanded for sanctioning use of force during questioning of suspects.
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Hello. I am a Lutheran and firmly believe that God's chosen people are Israel, and that their land is Israel. Barry Zornberg and Jodi Neufeld are absolutely correct. The Land must never be given up!
Roger, it is more than just people losing their homes. They are losing the land. This is the land that G-D promised us, and we are giving it away. To make things worse, we are giving it up for what? These "settlements" are homes built in the middle of nowhere.. There were no homes there, no civilizations there, no settlements, no displaced others.... nothing. They turn the desert into an oasis through sweat and tears, all because they believe that it is their duty. Then, because some politician wants to make nice with people who neither understand nor care about the area, they are forcibly removed and told to give up everything.....
Go Jodi and Barry. Barry Zornberg's original blog cannot be stated any better. We cannot and should not force Jews to violate their faith by removing their own people from G-d's chosen land. Barry and Jodi, you keep telling it like it is!
Hello. I am a minister in China. I absolutely agree with Barry Zornberg (original post) and Jodi Neufeld (comment). As Barry Zornberg put it, the conduct of the Israeli government to use its own people to remove more of its people from God's chosen land which was given to His chosen people is against the word of the Lord and contrary to his desires. I pray that this does not continue to happen! Amen
I absolutely agree with Barry Zornberg. Israel was given to the Jews by G-D. How can man take it away? That is why Jews are being asked to remove Jews. That is deplorable. It is an abomination.
Barry Zornberg is absolutely correct! Our people have fought for thousands of years to protect the land which G-D gave us. How can we order our soldiers to remove them from it now? Have we learned nothing? Do we really believe that a "good Jew" is someone who retreats? No, according to the world, a Good Jew is a dead one. We must be Good Jews in the eyes of G-D. We must stand firm for what is right! Barry Zornberg, you keep blogging!
I absolutely agree with Barry Zornberg. How can you draft someone into the army and then order him to violate his faith by removing fellow Jews from the Land which G-D gave to us? This is incomprehensible!
This was one unit in one group of Kfir: Kfir/Shimshone/Hesder. My son was a participant in the ceremony from another unit and I can assure you that neither he nor his colleagues in Kfir supported this demonstration of disloyalty in any way. Fighting units are built on the concept of loyalty, mutual help and responsibility. What happened at the ceremony was outrageous and demands discipline for the soldiers and an apology by and investigation of the yeshiva from which these soldiers came. They do not deserve to wear the emblem of Kfir or the IDF.
I read that if the settlements would be removed in creating the two-state solution, the cost of dimantling could be $100 billion. Soldiers resisting orders..that's bad..and it will get worse...
is following an "illegal order". carrying out national policy is NOT!
Whatever your political stripes these soldiers committed an act of mutiny and declared a political position making them potential coupsters. Severe punishment would be the ordinary course of action in a professional army but since this is the IDF we can't gurantee that will happen. At the very least these soldiers should be removed from the combat unit, sent to training to be jobniks as drivers or kit maintenance in the rear and forbidden from carrying weapons. In an ideal world they would all serve a short prison term and then be dishonorably discharged.
No soldier should follow illegal orders
A nice idea Chaim. But politics dictated that retired Generals would dominate politics.
We see it, read about it, it's on the nightly news and in dozens of reports Jackie, even though in Florida should get it. Palestinian families shoved off their land to make way for settlers, military 'training areas' and Nahals for embryonic settlement construction, plus evictions in E J'sem and Jordan Valley which conveniently pave the way for more settlements. The world is neither blind nor stupid. You appear to be rather in denial about the obvious facts on the ground.
Have you seen Arabs driven out of their homes? I haven't I have seen their huge mansions in many cities in Judea and Samaria, as well as in Haifa, Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, etc. I have seen as many mosques in Jerusalem as synagogues. The people driven out of Gush Kativ by Sharon's policies are still homeless. Israel absorbed most of the 900,000 Jews driven from Arab contries in 1948-52. Why haven't Arab countries absorbed the Muslims who fled to their borders so their aarmies could drive Jews into the sea in 1948? Answer those questions before asking Barry about the "Pals" living in Israel.
"when done by `right` it`s disgraceful. the same action by `left` is heroic." Have you heard of any 'left' soldiers demonstrating during a military ceremony? And if so, was it called heroic? And if not, aren't you just a rightist cry baby?
Well, Chaim, the settlers live in a military district, so they're subject to military law.
Settlers are among the most devoted and patriotic citizens of the Jewish state, and their children command IDF fighting units out of proportion to their numbers. Unlike their most vocal detractors, many of whom regard the land as inconsequential plots of real estate, the settler community not only sees the land as sacred ? as indeed it is ? but inculcates its children with a profound commitment to the Jewish people. As to legitimacy and the rights of the settlers : http://xrl.us/bj5ng
it's already reported that over one third of the military's officers and soldiers will can be expected to disobey orders if they were to be used for settler evacuations... which suggests that their loyalty is LESS to israel, than it is to the settlements.
...is Israeli politicians who wage war against their own citizens simply because they insist on living in accordance with the 4000 year old principles of our faith, and don't tremble in fear of the Gentiles as the politicians do.
There is a Samaritan community in Israel and one in Nablus. But Sumerians live in Sumer, in Iraq. Don't you think Samaritans should have a say about Samaria?
If HaShem (or whatever name you give, Yahweh?) hasn't pushed the arabs out of the West Bank himself, what makes you think he wants them out? You are a very small country that's going to stay that way. If you want to keep trying to annex more land, then stop crying about the violence being subjected to your people. It comes with the territory of imperialism.
In the Army nobody "is paid for" his opinion (or promoted). If an order is out, it has to be understood and obeyed. Sorry, you "wear the coat" or not. And there realy has to be discipline at festive occasions. But I want to say, I never understood, why Defense Ministers in "civilised" countries needed, instead of coming from the Army, needed to be "genuine politicians" - who, in reality, take this post only as a waiting step for a better office. I am grateful, that it is not the case in Israel.
Being a soldier in an army does not have to mean that you should stop thinking for yourself. That is why it is perfectly appropriate for soldiers to carry out manifestly illegal orders (like killing innocent civilians during the Massacre of Kafr Qassem in 1956). In this case however the order to evacuate illegal outposts, the presence of which constitute a violation of international law is perfectly legal. The army is not an institution, where individual soldiers can make decisions for themselves and as long as the orders given are legal they need to be carried out. These Kfir soldiers need to be taught a lesson, otherwise I would not discount the possibility of Israel with its rampant militarism and Jewish chauvinism ending up one day as a military dictatorship.
Benny Morris' book, 1948, makes for good reading. The Arab, including Palastinain, goal was to eliminate the great majority of Jews from Israel. That they didn't succeed was not for lack of trying. Had they succeeded, that would have meant hundreds of thousands of people losing their homes to the extent that they didn't also lose their lives. Would you say that was tragic? Would Palastinians?
... it would be a supreme service for the benefit of Israel...
Given the recent series of worrying incidents amongst it ranks, the higher levels of the IDF would be wise to take a good hard look at what is going on in the Kfir Brigade. Kfir needs to be brought in line with the army's other infantry brigades.
"First, it is tragic for people losing their homes". Would you say that about Pals?
This should have happened twenty years ago. The settlers have been abusive to Palestinians under the watchful eyes of the IDF and with the help of Israeli government subsidies. It is time to repair the damage. It is time to stop settlement construction. It is time for Israel to invest in the Palestinian people and help them develop a prosperous economy. The zealots have severely damaged the Israeli nation, the Palestinian people and our values.
... and can be weeded out ... ... the far greater danger is having them perpetrate their dangerous intentions on-the-sly ...
one needs to wonder if the existing government is legitamate. it appears that the true israeli's are attempting to liberate the country from the goverments grasp and deliver real israel back to the people. a strugle for all people who want to be free of tyranny.
If the IDF starts expelling "nationalist" Jews from its rank, it is very obvious that there will be no one to fight for the land of Israel. Ok, you get some Tel Aviv solders to expel Jews, but are they ready to fight real enemies?
Obey values,not orders. Way to demonstrate "Rosh Gadol."
The army is under civilian control, not vice versa, and it is the civilian government that defines the mission. Parts of the army don't get to make independent foreign policy. If it's necessary to do the moral equivalent of sinking the Atelena again, then the sooner the better.
Iran has not signed the Addional Protocol, so it is in its right not to abide with that. By a similar logic, Israel has not signed the NPT, so they are allowed to have nuclear weapons. You can't have it both ways. If Israel is not bound by treaties it did not sign, neither is Iran.
...for there is utterly no hope that Israel will ever seek a fair and just peace without international intervention. Israel is far more dangerous and pressing a problem than the imaginary threat posed by Iran will ever be.
"possibility for an uprising within the IDF" I doubt that, dan. IDF officers know that there are lucrative post-service careers ahead in business and politics. They won't throw away the money.
With occurences such as this, there is a real possibility for an uprising within the IDF motivated by ideologists.
For the government to force Jewish soldiers to evacuate Jewish settlers against their wills is a double travesty. First, it is tragic for people losing their homes. Second, it creates permanent mental scars on the soldiers, who forever will feel the guilt of lifting their hands against their own people. Soldiers with a moral or religious objection should be excused from this obligation. Barry Zornberg
Progressive Jewish thought embodied in Secular-Zionism, which includes the suppression of Jewish prophecy and surrender of ancient Jewish land, does not have history on its side. Progressive movements will inevitably exhibit sadistic behavior such as we saw during the disengagement and oppression of the Jewish settlers on the West Bank, until it is replaced by another bright idea, or disappears although as we saw in the Soviet Union.
Not even the unequal laws are applied evenly in the West Bank, thanks to the collusion between settlers and sympathetic IDF.
...and to the brigade's commander!
when done by 'right' it's disgraceful. the same action by 'left' is heroic.
ARE WE SUPPOSED TO FORGET WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GUSH KATIF SETTLERS????????
I always thought soldiers were supposed to protect the lives of their countrymen against those who wanted to kill them. Has the IDF's policy changed. Is it now a soldier's duty to evict his fellow citizens from their homes? Seems crazy to me.
An army's Mission is to fight the enemies of the State. By forcing soliders to facilitate political actions against other citizens of the State, the government is politicizing the army. This is not without cost and consequences! Let the police deal with enforcing the laws against citizens. If there are not enough police, then the government has a real problem.