Israel’s Toleration of Small Scale Terrorist Attacks Must End

The Israeli government would never tolerate a nonchalant, less than maximum deterrence approach by other governments to Jewish communities the world over. Citizens of Israel should expect the same from our government here.

Ari Fuld ז"ל when serving in paratrooper reserves - the lives of every single Israeli should be worthy of the government's protection.

A few years ago, during reserve duty training, we received word that a soldier had been killed during a training accident and that all training maneuvers across the IDF would be halted until the next day. I was upset, and voiced my concern because as reservists, we don’t train that frequently and taking advantage of the time we have is crucial for being as prepared as possible in the event of war. Our deputy battalion commander explained that the IDF cannot accept the fact that a soldier dies during training and thus, as a rule, when a death occurs, all training is halted for the day. He contrasted this rule with the US Army who he said, unfortunately, calculate that there will be a few training deaths per year, and thus when it happens, training and maneuvers continue.

Yet, while the IDF may not be able to accept a training related death, it seems that the same standard doesn’t apply to Israelis being murdered by terrorists. Ari Fuld’s tragic murder was yet another needless death that should not be tolerated. Fuld was stabbed in the back, just like Itamar Ben Gal, who was stabbed in the back a few months earlier at the Ariel Junction. Terrorist attacks have also claimed the lives of Raziel Shevach, who was murdered while driving back to his house, and Adiel Kolman, stabbed and killed in the Old City, Yotam Ovadiah, stabbed while going to the grocery store, all since the beginning of 2018.

 

Top from left – Itamar Ben Gal and Raziel Shevach; Bottom from left – Adiel Kolman, and Yotam Ovadiah, blessed be their memories.

 

Some would say that in theory, five civilian deaths in nine months are not so bad. While we are saddened and heartbroken by the deaths, the temperature of tolerability still exists. The temperature hasn’t risen enough that our government feels a forceful response is needed or that something ‘needs to give.’

Tolerating a few terrorist attacks each year is not however, an isolated issue. It’s the outcome of a much broader policy or outlook that our political and military leaders have adopted. Manifestations of this policy also include the development of Iron dome and parts of the current IDF ethics code. The policy is a mix of hyper-morality, fear of the international community and inferiority. Or to sum it up: Israeli deaths due to terrorist attacks are something that is tolerable.

While Iron Dome is an amazing technological achievement by great Israeli minds, and it certainly plays a role in defending the country and should play a role in any defense doctrine, the problem is when the main goal is to ‘kick the can down the road’ and alleviate the need for politicians from having to make tough decisions about what needs to be done to properly defend the country. Because if a few rockets are fired and then shot down before doing any damage, all’s well, it’s as if rocket fire didn’t happen.

Aspects of the IDF ethics code are a hyper-moral abomination that indoctrinates soldiers to believe that enemy civilian lives exceed the worth of an Israeli soldier’s life. Thus, when planning an operation, we let the Palestinians know where the IDF will be attacking, we equivocate property damage of the enemy with the lives of our soldiers, and we force our soldiers to fight in various urban settings which place them in grave danger for the sole reason of avoiding Palestinian civilian casualties, while we bury our nation’s finest.

This devaluing of Jewish lives also manifests itself when we allow Sderot to be attacked by rockets on a regular basis over the course of twelve years, with minimal response. Because as long as it’s ‘only a few rockets here and there,’ not too many deaths, only trauma issues and damage to physical structures, it’s all tolerable and the needle on the thermometer of tolerability has not moved enough to generate a response.

Though a more severe response would certainly be welcome, what is really necessary is a change in policy, a new approach – a paradigm shift. Instead of fighting our enemies with themes like “sending them a message”, “quiet will be met with quiet”, “they killed one Jew, we destroy one house”, “they fired two rockets so we fire four” – our government should begin to fight against our enemies to win.

The goal of Israel against its enemies should be maximum deterrence, and if that fails, and war is necessary, then entering a war with only one goal: complete destruction of the soul of the enemy. This isn’t only relevant vis-à-vis the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, rather it should be relevant to all our enemies.

For far too long our wars and military operations have put our brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters in harm’s way for the sake of sending a message, hitting them hard and postponing the next major military operation for another two years. Consider how weak our deterrence against the Palestinians is today: a teenage Palestinian lingers outside a Jewish supermarket without a worry in the world, waiting to prey on the first person who turns his back for a few seconds. This Palestinian doesn’t worry about being questioned about what he is doing, he doesn’t worry what might happen to him after the attack, he doesn’t worry about what might happen to his family, nothing. He came from a culture where there are no worries as to the penalty of attacking a Jew, so much so that he didn’t even hide in the dark, he didn’t shoot with a rifle from a distance, he simply stood in a heavily populated Jewish area and just waited for the right moment.

The reports are that he wasn’t connected to a ‘terrorist organization’, rather it seemed that he just woke up in the morning, made a decision and acted on it – that easy! And if it’s that easy, are we just a group of zebras grazing in the Savannah, at the mercy of hungry lions and tigers. Should we be subject to such conditions – where a person has to be on 360 degree guard whenever he is not in his house? I remember when the stabbing attacks were at their height in 2014-2015, I wouldn’t let anyone get near me while waiting for a bus.

Sure, our government has made the necessary preparations, so that if we are attacked, the Jewish State won’t be destroyed, but what about the single Israeli life, what about the few Israeli lives here and there, do they fall by the wayside in the face of negative international press, frowns from Europe, or an inferiority complex?

We are living in a period of unprecedented support from the US, the world’s most powerful country. There can no longer be any excuses for our government not shifting its policy and outlook towards enemy countries and terrorists. Just as the Israeli government would never tolerate a nonchalant, less than maximum deterrence approach by other governments to Jewish communities within their borders, citizens of Israel should expect the same from our government here in Israel.

Ari Fuld was a black belt in karate, on his community’s armed civilian response team, nothing less than a super fighter. If this can happen to him, then it could certainly happen to any one of us. And if our government doesn’t change its outlook (or we the people don’t demand it) about the value of a Jewish/Israeli life or rid itself of its hyper-moral inferiority complex, then it’s just a matter of time until the next zebra gets picked off.

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Gideon Israel is the President of the Jerusalem Washington Center and can be contacted at Gisrael@jw-center.org

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4 comments on the article

  1. Gideon Israel writes what few have the courage to address. Israel is weak in its fiber and pays a price for that daily.

  2. From: Center For Near East Policy Research Ltd

    Sent: Monday, October 1, 2018,

    Block the account of Ari Fuld’s s killer, who should not get away with a prize for murder.

    The PA has offered a fee to the family of the murderer of Ari

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-envoy-abbas-pay-to-family-of-terrorist-who-killed-ari-fuld-is-unconcionable/

    Now is the time to organize an international effort to influence the US and Israeli governments to demand that the Israel Civil Administration garnish the bank account of the killer’s family

    The Israeli and the US government spokespeople have toid our news agency that they do not want to do so

    There is no reason to take “no” for an answer.

    in the spirit of Ari’s legacy,Let the US Embassy in Jerusalem and the Israel Foreign Ministry know that you demand that they block the account of Ari’s killer, who should not get away with a prize for murder.

    http://israelbehindthenews.com/garnishing-bank…/17743/

    What we need are hundreds of individually written demands, not a petition.

    In the words of my mentor, Eliezer Jaffe.

    A PROBLEM IS A PROBLEM WHEN SOMEONE MAKES IT INTO A PROBLEM

    Garnishing Bank Accounts of Killers: Beyond Home Demolition | Israel Beh…
    A 45-year-old American Israeli, Ari Fuld z”l came to my office 2 weeks ago, offering to contribute to our exposé…

  3. Yes you 100% my feelings and noliges reciprocates with yours…..ouer today rullers are not liders but politcion rullers whom focused in theyr political carrier and glories insted liding a contry and citicens in safty and in well being.. sure they the rullers are safe and their loved ones too. they privilaged of being keept garded and safe ..7 days 24 houers. those whom privilaged are safe and tranquil.. forgotening that their citicens deserves same too.. living in tranquility and saftines..and not surranded by barbarian murderers whom still alive and walke free as they please in ouer contry . and inocent people bicause of it are in their graves. same murderers terrorist from 70 decades and not being punished in no way but rewarded with land for them to build their luxus palaces payed for with inocent jews blood .with the freedom to live the contry and coming back in their luxus millions dollars Jets ..to travel to other Israel enemies contries to plot with them how to destroy jews and lot ouer jews contry ,,and ouer goverment unswer is that its ok because we are a democratic free contry …oh boy! thats wy we in deadly traped truble.. seames ouer rollers dont grasped yet that we are in war and those are ouer enemies .. insted of giving them dead penalty for their unstoped terror crimes..inocent citicens dont deserve to be surranded by psicopat terrorist barbarians including their terrorist liders ..neither ouer young hero soldiers deserve to put on such strugles of dangers giving them orders to dont defend their selfes..and to crush the enemies . just bicause anticemit goyems gaven two stand rulles ..only the enemy can murder us all. and wich ironik and inmoral ,,its that are obeiding it too. they rather sacrificing inocent jews lifes for the freedom of their political carrier and personal glory..in their dilucid yournings to have them as pease partners..even presing them to do so oh boy!!! vas the gisheft !!! same mistake as when runing to take off the security barriers ,,after two inocent hero police force boys where murdered with out any justifide reason ,,and the terrorist liders are still walking laghfing and free. and burning ouer land and buchering inocent people ..just to please the England invented English king of Jordan. wich gaven a green light to terrorist liders to go on with terror and destruccion.. and terror.. psico criminal fakistanian liders who chousened by fake fakistanians to make pease with .he ?? and leting them get away with..insted of giving them dead penalty. ….Ari murder could of been prevented if they would not take dawn the security army chek up in the entrance of the tawn …but taken it dawn to please some other anticemite goyems.. all the problem could be fixed if ouer rullers would do their jobes insted of political speaches in the UN who non of them care what was told …. also kahane murdering could of been prevented if would be careing and giving him extra security proteccion out of Israel ,,and i can go on and on. The Elite army should stay away from politics..they desatending their job ,,they got gready and all them whant to become pri ministers ?? or either runing for MK meantime terrorist are burning ouer land and trowing bombs and hand granades ..to ouer soldiers…and treating to send sarin gas too . Israel its jews and its given by Hashem to jews in a covent ,,and takened jews out from slavenes to freedom.. gaven us a safe haven to shomer it and trive in it. and not for to give any of ouer jews land to ouer blood spillers. just to please others … and its should be rulled as it ..with the laws of the Tora to consoult in it and to swear fidelity to ouer only Jews God whom gifted ouer safe haven to shomer it and to shoomer one another in unity .as we are a one family insted of bowing obeding rewording or becoming agaom the slaved fryerims of ouer enemies. but to defend ouer selfes..as ouer forthfathers did …and learne from ouer Tora when did not obeided its wisdom ,all turned caos for us jews. .
    the war rulles given and obeided are an enemy plot to destroy all jews..the rules of engagement are dobble standard ouer enemie can do wich and how they please telling us when the war starts and when to finish it or have a haf sacar ha la esh..so they can rearme. but meantime burning buchering ouer land and people. and the rulles for jews its not to defend them selfes as should. and ouer rulles have not yet grasped .there for all the lost of jews precious lifes . by taking for granted and hasitant living to others to decide for ouer fate. Israel its in war and requaeres action bravery and wisdom. UN speaches . had not worked bicause they are ouer enemies and part of the problems to solve . action .to chousen wich best for us not others whom wish us gone.. terrorist are not for pease the are publicly selfe confesed of their agendas and intenciones .toward us jews and ouer contry .they should be desposed. or deported all this been created indirectly by ouer rullers by giving them consetiones rewards and even obeiding them ..we are a ligal soberan jews contry. dont need their permition of any one . and as well to liberate ouer jews Kneset parlament wich taken hostes by arab Isralei terrorists to deport them too. we need unselfish mature honest fidel brave liders to take us and ouer contry in safty and well being in all regardes The now terrorist fat bloond girl became the popet of all enemy anticemites. whom patrocinated her trips to European contries to make propaganda against Israel asking the world to helpe to finish the ocupation and to give back their palestinan land whom jews stolened from them. oh boy!! she should be denayed entrance back to Israel. and her terrorist family deported too. So much hesitationes and waitings on part of ouer govement ,, are losing ones more the oportunities to fix the problem now that Trump it governes .its the chance to clean ouer contry from dirth and poisones snakes . with out fears or apologising with the same ones whom yourn us holocausted again and still ouer land. In ouer gifted Holy Tora sayes what to do for to defend ouer selfes from ouer enemies, haval a la sman haval ha la kesev by taking plane to travel to complain to the UN and human rights and animales rights about ouer enemies ,,knowing in advance that UN its same kind enemy, fix the problem ,,with out delate or hesitationes. taking advantige thanks to Hashem that now we got a friendly US president now ,,we ignore for how long ‘.and the clock its ticing . we should not be as the enemy is but the light in to the nationes..that mantra its not for us when we are in war.Thats in other page of ouer Tora .. we still in the page of war and enemies. first comes ouer home safty and wellbeing. we in war and in wars are just one rulle To win and destroy the enemy whom does not want peace . shame on the top army Elite whom aloweing hero army boys and girls. to be in life danger . with their stuped war engagements .being linched killed spited slamed and degraded by ouer enemies to provoqued them . and aloweing to being filmed.
    and with orders to dont defend their selfes. shame whom permites it such or take wonded terrorist to ouer jews hospitales to save their lifes and the jews inocent in to their graves . .they alowed to celebrate in ouer jews cafeterias the terror act with their fake flag ,,giving out sweet for the jews spilled blood those celebrating were arab Israelies.. ,just to show ouer enemies we have freedom and democracy thats inmoral dilucid and a sin ,,in Hashem eyes. The fat bloond terrorist girl its now the popet of Iran and invited worlwhile by all anticemit contries.. she its alowed to travel to spain to tell lies and asking them their helpe to helpe them with ocupation ,,to recover all the land of palestine whom jews stolened from them . same Abas its alowed to go and come freely , to Jordan where he keepes his luxus jet to fly to enemy contries to aske for helpe and let him back to ouer jews land. another sin of stupidities. all that pictures that jews and ouer rullers bicame their fryerims. and they should know that the only thing we own them its their dead penalty.for their crimes done for decades. he carries Jordan pasaport he murder dayly jews and he its still considered the pease partner ? ,,and the ones whom still burning ouer land and dumping hand granades and treading to send deadly sarin gass or biological ballones or devices ,,are not stoped yet as as does not fallow the war anticemite rules of war engagements.. dilucid minds. ofending Hashem and all whom moral lucid and kind. valiuble inocent people daying because the roung desitiones or no desitiones taken we need faithful jews liders whom brave and whom vowe to Baruh Hashem and consult the Tora ..as ouer forthfathers did . and when did not all came caos and sorrowes ..with the exaption of Moishe Rabeinu whom he achived his mission ,,bicause he bowed to Hashem and obeided his mandates . insted of consulting enemies the Tora told us all jews what to do regarding to ouer enemies eval .for ouer well beings and ouer only one safe haven gifted to all jews ,,to trive in it ,,in pease with out the torne of barbarian enemies in it ..

  4. Before all out war, Israel can still take extreme measures to alter “Palestinian” society. This will require stopping incitement at all levels: in their schools, television, mosques and political leaders. If official PA TV airs a children’s program which lauds terror, why is that television station still on the air, the next day? Shut it down! If a school teaches terror, close it. Shut down their internet, especially social media. It boggles the mind that Hamas can use Facebook to organize mass riots at the border! Israel can shut down Hamas’ internet in 30 minutes, I imagine. If changes start today, perhaps in a generation, things can be different. But Israel must start sometime.