by Michael Puah, Director-General of the Jewish Leadership movement, translated by Hillel Fendel.
The massacre of Oct. 7th should have taught us a basic
lesson: Our enemy is not the settlers, those who work the land, or those
building small new Jewish farms in Judea and Samaria (Yesha). The actual enemy
is Palestinian terrorism, the goal of which is to banish Jews from their land –
not just parts of it, but all of it, including Tel Aviv and elsewhere – and to
destabilize the very existence of the State of Israel.
But it seems that despite the so-heavy price that we paid then,
some members of our security apparatus are still caught in the old and
dangerous conceptions. Instead of seeing those who build the farms as a pioneering
force that buttresses the Israeli hold on our only homeland and strengthens our
security, they all too frequently treat them as if they were the enemy. Large
IDF and police forces are deployed to evacuate the outposts, clash with young
Jewish pioneers, and destroy their structures, while not far away our real
enemies are engaged in terrorist activity, agricultural theft, illegal
takeovers of lands, and violent riots.
The message that this gives over to the Palestinians is
destructive. When they see the IDF investing such efforts against the Jewish
settlement enterprise, it fills them with motivation. They feel that the State
of Israel itself is unsure about Jewish rights to live in and settle their
land. Instead of deterring their terrorism, this policy encourages the Arabs to
believe that their pressure and violence and hatred are working!
It's not only unfair to the settlers, it is also a very grave
security miscalculation. The farms and outposts in Yesha have proven time and
again their importance in the campaign to safeguard state lands, to prevent
hostile take-overs, and to create an Israeli presence in strategic areas. Many
of those involved in building the outposts and farms serve in the IDF reserves,
in stints of weeks and months at a time. When they are treated as if they
don't have basic human rights, let alone civilian rights, this impairs not only
their dignity, but also the basic trust between the public they represent and
the state institutions.
Whoever reads the news know that this also brings to the fore a
basic contradiction: For long months we have been hearing from the IDF and the
media of the grave shortage of IDF manpower, and that all the hareidim must be
drafted in order to ease the load on the reservists – yet behold, when there is
a "need" to destroy a farm or settlers' hilltop shacks, we suddenly see
that dozens and sometimes even hundreds of fighters and Border Guardsmen and
women are recruited for the mission.
If there really is a manpower shortage in the army, these forces
should be deployed not to destroy Jewish settlement points, but to protect the
roads from rock-throwers and worse, thwart terrorism, confiscate arms, and
arrest hostile elements busy building more and more illegal Arab houses. The
answer must be demanded: Is there a manpower shortage, or not?
The problem is not only operational, but also conceptual. For
years, the settlers and Yesha residents have warned of the erosion of
anti-terrorism deterrence. But instead of listening to them, the opposite was
done: extensive efforts were invested in monitoring, restricting, and arresting
them. The Simchat Torah slaughter showed in the most brutal way what happens
when those who identify dangers and warn against them are treated as the
enemies themselves.
The responsibility is not only upon the commanders in the field,
for they are instruments of the policies and instructions they receive from
above. The responsibility lies, first and foremost, with the top IDF echelons,
which determine the order of priorities. They have clearly decided that the
pioneer settlers are not acting in consonance with the conceptions in which
many of our civil and military leadership is trapped.
The destruction of settlement points is very reminiscent of what
happened prior to Oct. 7th, when the radio equipment that was used
to learn of and transmit reports of Hamas movements was confiscated. It can
also be likened to when civilian patrol and defense units in the Gaza envelope
were dismantled.
But even above this level of command stands our government.
Defense Minister Yisrael Katz may not simply suffice with receiving reports
retroactively. He must constantly examine whether the policies applied "on
the ground" serve Israel's security needs – or harm them. When IDF troops
are allocated to face off against Jewish pioneers instead of to fight
terrorism, it is his duty to intervene and demand a change.
This is the clear responsibility of the Israeli government, led by
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. The nationalist public voted for a
government that pledged to strengthen and secure the 550,000-strong Jewish
population in Yesha, and change failed military policies – and not to target
those who work tirelessly to support them and enhance their growth.
The State of Israel has to wake up and clearly distinguish between
its enemies and those who love and support it. The IDF must concentrate its
efforts on fighting terrorism, protecting Israeli citizens, and supporting our grasp
on the Land. The Prime Minister and Defense Minister must make absolutely sure
that the policies being carried out match the lessons learned so dearly since
October '23.
We call for an end to confusion: Targeting and destroying the new
farms and farmers encourages the hopes of those who wish to throw us out of our
Land!