A few months ago I met with Meir Brettler, one of the leaders of the hilltop youth, the right-wing activists whose central activity is erecting illegal outposts outside existing settlements. It was he who approached me, accompanied by a small group of friends, to complain that I had described hilltop youth as hooligans and outlaws. True, that type exists, he said, but he and his friends are law-abiding and play by the rules. He asked me to consult him in advance next time I chose to write about him and his companions. On Tuesday I telephoned Brettler, but there was no answer. Had he been detained by police for questioning? Had he holed himself up in a Christian site near Jericho? The echoes of our conversation at a north Tel Aviv cafe faded into the ether. On Tuesday, everyone lined up to condemn the rioting against IDF soldiers. Some did so wholeheartedly and others out of compulsion. Some people said they had never seen burning hatred for IDF soldiers like that in the eyes of the rioters. Others lost no opportunity to find fault with the government or certain ministers that might justify the criminal acts of infiltrating an army base or the demilitarized zone between Israel and Jordan. Such lofty words and moralizing are apt, but they pale in comparison with the need to act decisively. Those who broke through fences, threw stones at IDF soldiers and tried to obstruct the work of police must be punished. The punishment must be harsh and immediate. No ifs, ands or buts. And definitely no nods or winks. It's clear that Brettler and his friends, who crossed into the no-man's-land near Jordan on Tuesday, did not act out of the blue. For several months now, their would-be representatives have been inciting against the media, against freedom of expression and against the Supreme Court. This behavior did not constitute borderline incitement. It's incitement pure and simple. Right-wing politicians influence the Hilltop Youth, who now feel they have license to turn Israeli life into chaos. The hilltop youth are not the only extremists in Israel who do as they please: "Whatevr we feel like," as they say. There are others as well. But the fact that the phenomenon is spreading does not give Brettler and his friends a carte blanche. And if my settler brothers and sisters want to claim that the hilltop youth have nothing to do with them, here is the opportunity to draw a line and demonstrate the differences. Our sages have wisely said: "Pray for the welfare of the government, for without fear of it, people would swallow each other alive" (Ethics of the Fathers 3:2). What Israel needs now is to restore the "fear of government" to public life. Without it, our entire country will resemble a no-man's land. With it, we might just educate the hooligans and restore our public order.
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