On the job, soldiers are never allowed to obey individual orders "to move" or "get moving," except if issued by their commanding officer, of course -- neither in sovereign Israeli territory nor in Judea and Samaria, which Israel has held since the Palestinians violated their commitment to stop all terrorist activity. It's not just Palestinians who aren't authorized to order soldiers around, but Israelis as well. On Tuesday, this moral regulation was violated at the military post set up by the IDF to defend the community of Yitzhar, when a group of Jewish riffraff neutralized Israeli soldiers and wreaked havoc on the grounds and army property. If the local commanding officer doesn't understand this regulation, then he should be dismissed. Or perhaps his superior officer, who failed to endow his junior officer and his subordinates with such a clear moral obligation. The soldiers had water hoses at their disposal. They also had the means to call for reinforcements. What they should have done is held back the intruders and made arrests of whoever necessary, without causing casualties. They should always strive for this method, even if the rioters are Palestinian -- preventing the use of live fire with lead bullets for as long as possible. But the dilemma facing soldiers in confrontations with Palestinians is more severe. Unlike a confrontation with Jews, soldiers feel as though a Palestinian's intention is to do them harm, and according to Jewish tradition, "if someone is trying to kill you, rise up to kill him first." While the distinction is profound, it is the only difference between Jewish and Palestinian violators of the law. The local commander must understand that in all other aspects it is his responsibility to prevent such hooligans from carrying out their schemes regardless of their religion, race or gender, ordering the use of the least lethal fire available him to restore order. This wasn't done in Yitzhar. Given the known problematic nature of the community, the IDF should have been better prepared. In fact, especially because of two recent violent incidents, the IDF should have already bolstered its preparedness, transferring command to a higher-ranked officer until an air of calm was restored. No doubt, somebody will come along and give the easy solution: The IDF should just get out of there. While that option exists, it's a pretty bad one. Israel wants to defend each and every citizen living in Yitzhar. Abandoning the IDF post there would put these citizens' lives in jeopardy. The IDF also has no intention of opening the floodgates to price-tag attacks targeting nearby Palestinian villages. So that option is no good. The IDF has to stay there and act according to expected standards, neither vacating its post nor shielding its face. It is unfortunate and somewhat alarming that the settler leadership is satisfied condemning such acts as minimally as possible. Kfar Sava's and Jerusalem's judges also don't seem understand the severity of the issue at hand, letting suspects off easy instead of holding them in detention until investigations have been exhausted. As long as they are treated forgivingly, Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch's promises to convict these criminals are just words. If Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz wake up and stick to their guns, then every Hebrew mother will know that her soldier son is fulfilling his role. And that is no miracle.
