The leftist elite, shrinking into fake purity and laughable self-righteousness, has gone astray in its approach to the country. Its spokespeople no longer draw a distinction between opposition to the government and opposition to the state. In a democracy, it is important to criticize the government, but the Left's hatred of the elected leadership and contempt for the growing right-wing voter base are no reason to attack the state, its international standing or its most vital interests.
The Left's process of disengagement began in 1977, when the lights of the Left went out as the Likud party under Menachem Begin took power for the first time. If the Left is not in power, it places no importance on the institutions of government. Given this, one can understand how one of the most prominent left-wing writers in the country took part in a commemorative ceremony for Israelis and Palestinians, as if it were some kind of honor for Palestinian Righteous Among the Nations; the thwarting of attempts to remove illegal migrants who embitter the lives of the residents of south Tel Aviv; the bizarre claims by senior members of the Meretz party that IDF officers incite their soldiers to kill innocent civilians; and especially the attempt to portray the IDF as a terrorist, occupying army.
The attacks on the IDF reached a delusional peak in Yedioth Ahronoth's enormous headline on Tuesday about the footage of IDF snipers reacting to the shooting of a Palestinian, which read: "The soldiers shot a Palestinian and celebrated. … Wow, what a video. Yes!'" It's very difficult to understand the anticipatory delight of the paper's editors. Even before the incident could be investigated, they set out to slander the IDF, as if it were an immoral army whose soldiers are thirsty for blood. The headline came too soon and served the interests of Israel's worst enemies. It was a headline that attacked the citizens of Israel whose safety the IDF protects day and night. Within 24 hours, an IDF probe revealed that the sniper had acted justifiably and under clear orders, and the headline became ridiculous and harmful.
The Israel Defense Forces is absolutely a moral army. This morality has withstood tough tests in wars and operations. Human dignity, like basic humanity, is inculcated deeply in IDF soldiers, with all the difficulties they face in confronting despicable terrorists who use civilians as shields for their own murderousness. In some operations, officers have paid with their lives for being unwilling to harm women who were concealing terrorists.
Unfortunately, Israeli society includes some left-wing elements – in politics and the media – that are constantly trying to tarnish the IDF's image and moral standing. These attacks have the potential to weaken the army, stain the State of Israel and exhaust the fighting spirit of soldiers and commanders.
Both junior and high-ranking officers complain about the need to be on the defensive while serving on the borders, as if they were at some wild party in the Old Tel Aviv Port. A battlefield is not a sterile environment and IDF officers are not supposed to have to walk on eggshells through a coop of leftist chickens that won't stop their clucking.
As the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day approaches, and threats to Israel's security loom, I suggest that left-wing activists and their representatives in the media let up on the IDF, for the sake of all our lives.
