The media here in Israel is reporting on a new Islamic ruling by a leading Bedouin cleric, in response to rumours of a Rabbinical ruling stating that residents of evacuated communities can shoot at Bedouin soldiers during evacuation.
Ynet have reported that the ruling allows Bedouin IDF soldiers to kill anyone who attempts to harm them during “disengagement”.
A leading Bedouin cleric has issued a religious edict allowing Bedouin soldiers to kill anyone who attempts to harm them in the process of settlement evacuation, Channel 2 reported Wednesday.“Whoever attempts to harm Bedouin soldiers shouldn’t think they would just stand there and do nothing,” said Sheikh Kamal Abu Nadi, whose rulings are respected by families whose sons serve in the IDF.—-The edict comes in the wake of unconfirmed reports that rabbis have issued an edict allowing far right activists to shoot at non-Jewish soldiers during settlement evacuation.The police are currently looking into the reports.
Ha’aretz, predictably, deal with the ruling in more euphemistic fashion.
A Bedouin Sheikh issued Wednesday an Islamic ruling under which Beduoin soldiers who take part in the evacuation of settlements were allowed to protect themselves even at the price of hurting settlers.
Both of these articles make it sound like the reports of a Rabbinical ruling have truth to them. However, Arutz Sheva reports:
Officials from the Police, Shabak (General Security Service) and the Minister of Public Security have all admitted that rumors of such a rabbinic ruling are unfounded and have only come to their attention via the press.
Needless to say, there is almost no way that the Rabbinical ruling exists. For a start, if such a ruling had been made, we would surely know more details, such as the Rabbi who made it. I say this as a member of the Orthodox Jewish community. Rabbinical rulings are simply not spread via the rumor mill, but rather made authoritatively. Furthermore, Jewish law forbids the spilling of blood unless your life is in danger, which is not the case if soldiers come to evacuate your community. Hence, I cannot fathom that a Rabbi would make such a hideous ruling, which goes against the basic principles of Judaism.
There is no doubt in my mind that this “rumor” was started as part of the campaign to demonize the right-wing in Israel. The question is who is behind it. Knesset Member Arieh Eldad believes it is the police.
He also said that reports that non-Jewish soldiers, such as the Druze, might come under fire by settlers during the disengagement was a provocation invented by police.“Do you see how low our enemy has gone, he said. “No one has issued a Jewish law calling to fire at a non-Jewish soldier.”
I won’t be bold enough to accuse any specific group of inventing this rumor, although Ha’aretz has a particularly interesting paragraph in its report.
He said that since the rumor on the existence of a Jewish ruling has spread since Sunday’s cabinet meeting, he has received strong reactions from Bedouin soldiers and citizens.
Whether or not the government is behind it may be the subject of speculation. What is not speculation is the fact that the government is using this unfounded rumor to demonize the residents of the communities to be evacuated.
A Druze soldier from the village of Julis asked whether is was true that a Jewish law permitted the shooting of Druze soldiers at the time of evacuation.The soldier directed the question at Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni who were touring Gaza to meet with soldiers ahead of the planned Gaza disengagement.“What does that mean?,” the soldier asked. “When there is no disengagement we are considered good soldiers, and when there’s evacuation we can be shot at?”Livni responded by saying such queries prompted them to come and speak with soldiers.“We will not allow words to be turned into tools of incitement,” she said.“We are dealing with Israel’s image, and we will not permit anyone to incite or rebel.” She said.
What about reaffirming the fact that the ruling is just an unsubstantiated rumor? Why did Livni find it fit to accept the rumor as fact, and then speak of incitement?
I am, quite frankly, disgusted and appalled.
