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?