Part of the Moral Fibre

[eumelia]

It's late, so forgive me for what may be an incoherent entry on the subject that has been invading the consciousness of this nation for the past... well... little more than 24 hours.

Two dead men.
Both soldiers and civilians.
In my society there really is no difference.
None.
We are raised from the cradle to believe in the righteousness of the Army and our role, as citizens of this country and inhabitants of this land, to serve our country by serving in the Army.

In a BBC article talking about the high price Israel has paid - and it was, freeing a baby killer (and other combatants and bodies) for a couple of corpses is still obscene in my head, especially because Kuntar was a convicted murderer and not a convicted terrorist - his incarceration was equal in its politics and its criminality.

One of the things that struck me reading the short aforementioned article was this, and I quote:

"It is an essential part of our moral fibre, of our soul," [Col. Eisin] says.

"It is a promise we make to every Israeli mother that, when we send her son or daughter away to fight, we will bring them home whatever happens to them."

This soul is also spoken about:

Col Eisin acknowledges my suggestion that what Israelis see as their "soul" is regarded by their many enemies as a "flaw", a "weakness".

"That's just the way it is," she responds. "We won't change the way we are."

Maybe we need to.
Change, I mean.
Into what I don't know.
I've also mislaid my point somewhere along this post, again, apologies for the incoherence but I've got something I need to get out.

Which is this: There is an inherent problematization[sp?] with the conflation of civilian/solider and of service to nation/service to the military.

I had more points.
But I'm sleepy.
Do you have points?

Comments

Points?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_yggdrasil/]

Yeah: the FBI wouldn't trade their dead guys in exchange for letting free a mafia hitman. There's a reason you don't put dangerous people back on the street or set a precendent for doing so. I was pretty pissed hearing the news, especially once I read about who Kuntar is and what he did. Wtf?

Re: Points?

[hemlock-sholes.livejournal.com]

There is a very simple equation.

The Israeli army is a citizen's army.
Soldiers in the Israeli will do anything and everything to defend the country. This includes laying their life down for their country.
In return, the country will do anything and everything to help the soldiers do their duty and failing that, do anything and everything to bring the soldiers home for honorable burial.

Note the frequent use of "anything and everything" and the use of "honorable".

Note that the enemy is not part of the equation. They can do whatever they like. But they will NOT change Israel's basic creed.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/IDF_ethics.html

http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/about/doctrine/ethics.htm

I am not naively stating that the IDF is a paragon of virtue and that IDF soldiers do no wrong. Not all Israelis serve in the army and the army does not always behave properly towards it's soldiers.
BUT the honorable burial of those who have been loyal to the country "unto death" is one of the moral absolutes which make Israel what it is.

Notice that while Israel was mourning two of it's sons who died while doing their duty and defending the country, Lebanon was toasting baby-murderers. I know where I would prefer to live and whose values are _absolutely_ better.

Re: Points?

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's very simple, but yes what you say is true.

Notice that while Israel was mourning two of it's sons who died while doing their duty and defending the country, Lebanon was toasting baby-murderers. I know where I would prefer to live and whose values are _absolutely_ better.

If we were raised to consider every dead soldier a martyr then we'd be celebrating their return to. As for the baby killer - shame on them and on us for willing to barter him.

Re: Points?

[hemlock-sholes.livejournal.com]

They're not martyrs - they're soldiers.

That's why the equation is simple.

Soldiers fight unto death and countries respect their sacrifice.

Re: Points?

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

You ignored my point, but fine. Whatever.

Still, shame.

Re: Points?

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

I'm far more pissed off at us for agreeing to release Kuntar than anything else.

I mean, calling a baby killer a hero is a big shame on them, IMO, but it's just as a shame on us for releasing him.

As my Bro said in a comment, below, it's a complicated matter when it comes to Israeli soldiers/citizens.

I think it sucks, but that's reality >:(

[seilduksgata.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm not Israeli so I'm not sure how much my feelings about this are relevant, but on one hand I can see the danger of releasing Kuntar, and thats important. On the other, if it was my child, I think I would absolutely want the body returned for burial. Not to mark the death as 'honourable' in that rather sick, military way, but just because that was my child and the body is all that's left. I also think that changing basic principles because of how 'the enemy' is likely to react would be a bad plan - I think it shows more integrity and ultimately wins more respect to stick to your guns.