We were dismayed by the seeming rush to judgment on the part of Israeli officials in the matter of the IDF soldier who shot a Palestinian terrorist lying motionless on a Hebron street. The Palestinian was one of two terrorists shot following a knife attack against other soldiers. One terrorist was immediately confirmed dead but his partner was seen twitching on the ground before being shot in the head.
The condemnations of the soldier came pouring in from the government and the military before any investigation could determine the precise circumstances – or whether the soldier might have reasonably feared the possibility that the wounded terrorist had explosives strapped to his person.
Surely there had been no time to fully explore the information, made available by Magen David Adom, to the effect that rescue personnel were instructed to distance themselves from the terrorist until bomb demolition technicians could determine whether there was any threat of the detonation of an explosive device.
Yet instead of a public response along the lines of “If the allegations against the soldier are found to be true, there was a breach of IDF rules of engagement,” we saw and heard Israelis from the prime minister on down bemoaning the event as a descent into savagery.
Israel’s defense minister, Moshe Ya’alon, said the soldier’s action “completely contradicts IDF values and its battle ethics; even in a moment of great anger we must not permit such unbridled and uncontrollable behavior…. [Israel will continue to use an] “iron hand against terrorists and those who send them…. [But] woe to us if we act contrary to our conscience and our moral values.”
Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, an army spokesman, said “The IDF views this incident as a grave breach of IDF values, conduct, and standards of military operations…. There was no apparent threat from the Palestinian who was incapacitated.”
Naftali Bennett, leader of the Jewish Home Party, spoke for a large segment of the Israeli public that resented the haste with which the young soldier was being judged and convicted by government and military figures:
“Have we lost our minds?” asked Bennett. “We are at war. War against vicious terrorism.”
Indeed, it is unfortunate that the frenetic apologetics by defensive Israeli officials have served to obscure the fact that this was yet another instance of Palestinians attacking Israelis. All the agonizing over the fate of a terrorist who came to murder Jews is misplaced. Certainly the IDF has rules of protocol and engagement that must be followed by individual soldiers. But nothing good can come from rushing to condemn a young soldier who was on duty to protect Jewish lives.
The terrorist knew he likely would forfeit his life by attacking Jews but he did so anyway. Israel can ill afford to put itself in the position of caring more for terrorists than the terrorists care for themselves.