Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Who is the boss

I don't always agree with Shlomo Avineri, but in this case I do:

[A]fter the establishment of the state, David Ben-Gurion's ruthless determination ensured that the nation would have only one army, the Israel Defense Forces. His decision on the Altalena affair, a decision that can justly be criticized in some respects, passed the test: The IDF achieved a monopoly on the legitimate use of force. Similarly, his decision to dismantle the separate command of the Palmach, which was also controversial, ensured that the IDF's commanders would get their orders from the defense minister and not seek authorization for their actions from their mentor on Kibbutz Ein Harod. These were tough decisions, but they ensured that the State of Israel would have only one army and not a cluster of armed militias. Ireland is an example of what happens when such decisions are not made.

The pain and distress of those who support settlements throughout the historical Land Of Israel is understandable. But expressions of pain, however genuine, cannot be a substitute for acknowledging that in the Jewish state only one legitimate body is authorized to enforce political decisions. Failing to acknowledge this is to undermine Zionism's historic achievement, and the alternative is another Lebanon.

I also cannot imagine many Israelis disagreeing with him.

1 Comments:

At 6:42 AM EST, Blogger SnoopyTheGoon said...

"I also cannot imagine many Israelis disagreeing with him."

Imagine that. Quite a few leading rabbis these days entreat their students to give their loyalty to the Torah (meaning their interpretation of it, of course) first and to the nation second (if at all).

Too bad.

 

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