The “Orthodox Anarchist” Dan writes about the arrest of his friend Laila by IDF troops:
There’s just one problem with this. Laila (like the majority of people who were engaged in the Budrus demonstration) is Israeli, born and raised in Haifa, and Jewish. And that is an all-the-more important statement, because it demonstrates that it is not just the international community (represented by the ISM) which opposes the occupation, and is willing to stand up and fight against it, but there are also many Israelis themselves — Jewish Israelis (I met Laila at a Shabbat dinner at my house) — who recognize the injustice of the situation, and who are therefore willing to put themselves in the line of fire to stand up for what they believe is right.While Israelis and Jews are being demonized for being blind and indifferent to the suffering of the Palestinian people, it is important to know that there are many who care, and who are willing to do more than just pay lip service, but to actually act.
Dan also has pictures of Laila in the way of an IDF troop.
I have this to say to Dan:
As someone who lives in Israel and depends on the IDF, as well as the security fence, for protection against terror attacks, I am glad Laila was arrested. Anyone who goes into a military zone and tries to interfere with army operations designed to protect innocent civilians deserves no less.
Furthermore, I am curious as to why you see standing up for PLO Arab rights as more important than the Israeli right to live in security. Quite frankly, I am more concerned with the security of my wife and two young daughters, than whether PLO Arabs have to pass through a security fence in order to enter Israel. Don’t you realize that the security fence, checkpoints, and IDF operations are all needed as long as the PA do not fight their own terrorists, in accordance with obligations they supposedly undertook?
Also, while there is no doubt that PLO Arabs, for the most part, live in dire conditions, laying the blame at Israel’s feet is disingenuous. If the PLO Arab people had unanimously condemned terror as their tactic of choice, and had not elected as leader a corrupt terrorist who siphoned away most of their money, then their predicament would be much better.
Now I know you think that I have something personal against you – you pretty much ruled out going to the Israeli blogger bash because I would be there (in addition to having an ear infection). But this is not the case. You seem like someone who genuinely seeks truth, as well as a peaceful resolution to the conflict. It is precisely because I feel that you do have good intentions that I feel the need to respond to your post.
Please educate yourself more as to the Middle East conflict, for I fear you are slowly going to find yourself on the wrong side of history.
And good luck with your Yeshiva learning.
