On Israel - the Grand Scale and the Individual

An Israeli rabbinic colleague of mine in America posted on Facebook about the two Israel-related discussions filling up his feed. His American friends, he wrote, were all processing the recent UN resolution on settlement construction and John Kerry’s recent speech on Israel’s relationship with the Palestinians. Meanwhile his Israeli friends were all engaged in the case of Sgt Elor Azaria - the Israeli soldier who shot Abdul Fatah al-Sharif, a Palestinian terrorist while the latter was handcuffed and prostrate on a Hebron street. You are unlikely to have come across the story of Sgt Azaria unless you read the Israeli press (in which case you would have drowned in comment) though this from the New York Times is good. See also this from IDF Code of Ethics author, Professor Asa Kasher.

Aside from the substantial - and there are very substantial - issues at stake, my friend observed how those most geographically close to the struggles of Israel obsessed on the fate of the individual, while those more distant looked to the bigger picture. For me, the grand scale and the microcosm simply reflect a singular issue. It’s a very religious perspective - religious Jews engage in the most tiny matters of detail because we believe that it is only in detail that our true beliefs and values are reflected. Stepping too far back, gazing from too far a distance, allows and even impels, generalisations and stereotyping. The Azaria case is appalling; appalling because of the original terrorist attack, because of Azaria’s response, because of the political pressures brought to bear on the military courts but, most of all, because none of this should have happened.

The Jewish presence in Hebron is inflammatory and, I believe, unjustifiable. I agree with the response of the New Israel Fund to the incident, posted here. The NIF noted that the murder victim was indeed a terrorist, noted also the clear culpability of the soldier, but also suggested Sgt Azaria was ‘a victim of circumstance’ - forced by an occupation into a role for he, a 19 year old, was unable to perform.

There will, of course, be others in this community who will take other perspectives. Indeed our love for Israel can only be accurately reflected in a breadth of views. I won’t be addressing this issue over Shabbat, but it is important for us to speak more about Israel, a country at the centre of our religious identity in so many ways. In fact, we will be dedicating time to so doing next Shabbat - 14^th January. Indeed I am hoping we will be joined by a guest speaker who can share a particularly deep understanding of the political issues. I will be able to share more next week.

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Jeremy