Sometime the Israeli Right is just unlucky. Just at a time when most of the Israeli public is awakening from the illusions of a false peace and beginning to internalize that the Arabs who call themselves Palestinian desire Israel's destruction, a group of irresponsible young people gets together to take up arms against IDF soldiers and the rule of law in Israel.

The rightist government in Israel, which desperately needs the world's sympathy and broad support from Israeli citizens, is forced to deal with the damage caused by a marginal group of youths, endangering the massive and important project of settling the Land of Israel. For violating the good reputation of the settlers and damaging the vision of a "Greater Israel," there is no forgiveness.

There is no rational explanation for their shameful behavior. Years of efforts to earn broad public legitimacy for the settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria have been quickly interrupted by the "price-tag" attacks and the hilltop youth, assuming, of course, that they are the people guilty of infiltrating an IDF base and injuring officers and soldiers.

Get the Israel Hayom newsletter sent to your mailbox!

The entirety of the Land of Israel belongs to the people of Israel, but as our sages have taught us, the land is acquired through tribulations instead of violence, and unity instead of separation. The Second Temple was destroyed due to the prevalence of baseless hatred, and we can't rule out, even though it causes pain and sorrow, that the Third Temple, which began with the establishment of the state of Israel, is likely to suffer greatly as a result of this serious criminal activity that could lead to a civil war. Jewish history has taught us that civil war among Jews is a great threat and we need to avoid it like the plague.

These young and restless youths are not people of faith, despite their external religious appearance. They seek to impose their mistaken assumption that they know what God actually wants. They proudly carry the flag of a religious mission, so to speak, but their actions really give more expression to a severe form of epicurean heresy. It is easy to be a fanatic when others will ultimately be the ones paying the price for the fanaticism.

The days of Hanukkah are approaching, during which we praise the actions of Matityahu the Hasmonean in the face of the Greek empire. But one must also remember that the story is about a miracle, and that miracles happen in their own time; one can't run a society or a country by relying on miracles. My heart breaks when I am reminded of the sad and difficult days of the expulsion from Gush Katif, when important leaders of the settler movement tried to ensure that Israel would not go through with the disengagement. What can be done, however, against the will of God, if He thinks otherwise? We humbly accept His decrees and we can't impose ourselves as the architects of history.

Our ability to hold on to this country, to build and be rebuilt, depends on Israeli soldiers. In the Israel Defense Forces, including the units that serve in Judea and Samaria, there are not a few soldiers who oppose the settlements. The IDF is an army of the people; all the different views and opinions that characterize Israeli society are represented there. When right-wing extremists attack soldiers, the soldiers have no choice but to turn into one side of the political debate. At the end of the day, this is a disaster for the state of Israel. Only people with a minimal understanding of the history of Israel and Jewish settlement in this region can be attracted to such severe activities.

With drug offenses, there is a general rule that says: Go after the money. I have no doubt that if we review the financial sources for this gang that attacked the Israeli soldiers, we would be shocked and surprised. I can't imagine any right-wing supporter who is actually interested in funding activities that damage both the Right and the settlement of the Land of Israel.

We can only hope that the police will act quickly to pinpoint these dangerous terrorists. It is quite possible that catching them will then lead the police to their leadership and funding sources. It is important to drain the swamp where weeds such as these grow wild, and it should have been done a long time ago.

Like our newsletter? 'Like' our Facebook page!