IDF chief is right, but misleading
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot served Israeli high school students a half-baked verbal meal earlier this week, by offering a misguided interpretation of the Talmudic proverb "If a man comes to kill you, rise early and kill him first." He dismissed this saying outright without giving it much thought. Reserve officers were quick to offer their laconic support.
The Israel Defense Forces must adopt this Jewish principle, which encapsulates the very essence of self-defense. Had he recalled the saying that "the end deed emerges from the first thought" he would have articulated his message like this:
"This Jewish dictum ["If a man comes to kill you, rise early and kill him first"] should be the principle IDF soldiers follow when facing Palestinian terrorism," he said. "There is no doubt that anyone who lunges toward an Israeli soldier while wielding a knife or some other metal object -- even if it turns out to be scissors -- must be shot on the spot. The first shots should be directed at his legs, and that is what the IDF does. Having said that, despite the IDF's sincere efforts to minimize Palestinian casualties, the rules of engagement are clear and leave no room for doubt. A soldier who feels an immediate threat to his life should do what it takes to save himself, rather than stand still and ponder, at a most critical moment, what a knife-wielding Palestinian's true intentions may be."
This rule is at the very heart of the IDF's actions. Of course, it should be followed only if the circumstances merit action, and the soldier must apply proper judgment, namely, he or she should withhold fire if there is no real, life-threatening danger. For Eizenkot, this means that a well-armed soldier should not target a vulnerable young girl, just as the IDF should spare the life of a terrorist who surrenders, lies down, or is otherwise incapacitated or injured.
Eizenkot wanted to instill good values in young Israelis. Such a message is important, not just when it is communicated to future soldiers but also to others in the West, where terrorism is gradually making inroads. Essentially, what Eizenkot was saying was that people should continue to apply self-restraint. He wanted to cement the existing norms rather than set a new standard. In other words, he wanted to reinforce the moral standards that have already taken hold. He did not seek to reinvent the wheel.
However, Eizenkot was quoted as saying this standard should be followed -- very good advice indeed -- rather than making an observation that it was already being followed. As a result, it came off as if he was backing the foolish rhetoric of Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom. Some evil people will try to seize on his comments. They will try to cherry-pick his comments and focus on what he failed to mention, even though every soldier knows full well what he meant.
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon's show of support for Eizenkot should also include some footnotes to make his views clear.
טעינו? נתקן! אם מצאתם טעות בכתבה, נשמח שתשתפו אותנו