There is greatness in courage (J-Post Op-Ed)

JohnLocke

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Sat Jan-31-04 05:41 PM
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There is greatness in courage (J-Post Op-Ed)

There is greatness in courage
By Stewart Weiss - Jerusalem Post
Saturday, January 31, 2003

This is a column I never thought I'd need to write, on an issue I never thought I'd need to address.
In a society so desperate for genuine heroes I had always believed we would rally around our troops and unanimously applaud the brave soldiers of the IDF. These courageous men and women – kids, really, forced to grow up too quickly – represent the best this country has to offer.
Looking for commitment, dedication, selflessness? Looking for the "great equalizer" that successfully melds every national origin and ethnic background into a single unit? You'll find it all underneath a khaki-green uniform.
And yet, for all the love this country so rightly showers on our servicemen and women, the IDF sure takes a lot of abuse. From both sides of the national divide.
The Left too often brands our soldiers as "trigger-happy cowboys" who are unconcerned about the rights of the Palestinians, who act abusively at border crossings and on patrol in the territories. If the far Left has heroes, they are are tiny, holier-than-thou band of officers and non-coms who flout army discipline by refusing to serve beyond the Green Line.
And on the Right? Too many taunts of "traitor" and even "Nazi" are spewed at soldiers who follow orders to take down illegal settlements or break up unauthorized demonstrations. Too much blame is heaped upon the army for duly implementing the decisions made in the cabinet or Knesset.
Most disturbing to me is the posture taken by some elements of the religious public toward our soldiers. Much of the yeshiva world regards the IDF as a non-entity, refusing to acknowledge days of tribute to fallen soldiers, showing little or no appreciation for those who help make it possible for thousands of young people to study Torah in peace and security. Countless synagogues around the world refuse to pray for the welfare of Israeli soldiers.
(...)
LET'S SPELL out the truth so there is no confusion: Israel has the purest, most civilized, moral and conscientious armed force in the world. We respect the enemy's rights even in times of war; we struggle mightily to limit civilian casualties; we maintain our humanity even under excruciatingly difficult battlefield conditions.
We fight hard and we are damn good soldiers, but we also know how to show compassion.
(...)
I remember when our late son, Ari, discovered a hidden cache of weapons in the false wall of an Arab home in Nablus. He also found a wad of $100 bills, totaling $10,000. He looked at the money – thought for a while – then placed the cash back in the wall, confiscating only the weapons.
This is not to say that the IDF is perfect. Like in any national institution, there are bound to be cases of negligence, malfeasance, and abuse of power.
But who is immune to that? We have all witnessed politicians on the take, and more than one rabbi has been found guilty of corruption or molestation. In any large orchard there will always be a few bad apples.
But the IDF's overall level of tohar ha'neshek – purity of arms – remains strong and stable. We can and should be very proud of the defenders of our land.

Read the rest here.