Words can have consequences

Israeli society's embrace of democratic values, the rule of law and the fair treatment of those who are different, has suffered a worrying depreciation.

This has manifested itself in a variety of ways. It is evident in the assault waged against the High Court of Justice and the Israeli media, and in the deteriorating moral norms. These norms have been very much on display as right-wing politicians rallied behind Elor Azaria, who allegedly killed a Palestinian terrorist in Hebron after he no longer posed a threat and tried to make his trial go away. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to call Azaria's father was also improper.

Having said all that, Maj. Gen. Yair Golan's speech on Wednesday, in which he drew parallels between Israel and Nazi Germany, was over the top. Netanyahu was right to express his misgivings about the speech before Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon. For all the evil and malice in our rough-and-tumble political discourse, our conduct pales in comparison to Nazi Germany in the 1930s. The Israel Defense Forces realized that Golan had misspoken, but it issued a confusing clarification that claimed that Golan never said what he actually said.

You can't compare the two eras. Israel is a democracy and the High Court of Justice is an independent branch of government; it can take on the government and make it furious without any inhibitions, and the Israeli media is diverse. How can you compare this to Germany in 1930s, when the regime murdered political dissidents and had Jews fired from their workplace just because of their ethnicity?

Sure, we should be concerned, because there are troubling signs here in Israel and violent discourse is on the rise. But when it comes to substance, Israel and the Weimar Republic are worlds apart. Golan is like an orthopedic surgeon who amputates a patient's leg from the knee down just because of an abscess in the heel.

There is no need to compare ourselves to Nazis in order to sound the alarm on the unfolding reality here. Such behavior should be left to Israel-bashers who want to trivialize the Holocaust as if it was just another grievance in the history of nations. Some 55 years ago the most important debate took place in Canada, between Dr. Yaakov Herzog and the renowned British historian Arnold Toynbee, who made a shocking claim that during the 1948 War of Independence, Israel treated the Arabs the way the Nazis treated the Jews. Unfortunately, Golan sided with Toynbee's malicious claim on Wednesday, albeit unintentionally.

Golan's comments were a far cry from Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot's speech on the need to uphold the Israel Defense Forces' purity of arms or his defense of the military prosecution, which has come under attack by right-wing inciters who want to obstruct Azaria's trial.

Golan should not have made those comments, because such comments should not be uttered by people in uniform.

Just imagine how people would react if some officer used free speech to promote the right-wing messianic ideas in the book, "The King's Torah" and its apparent sanctioning of violence toward non-Jews?

IDF major generals would be well served to steer clear of Nazism when they take the podium. Unlike other militaries, which require their top brass to clear their remarks ahead of time, Israeli officers can speak freely.

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue" [Proverbs 18:21]

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