Update - Federman Farm

There are many new developments on this situation, some of them quite disturbing and some downright horrifying.

By now we have all heard of the by-stander (Shmuel ben Ishay) who cursed the soldiers and police while they were committing this immoral and unjust act against the Federman's and Tor's. He said he hoped they would all be like Gilad Shalit (who is a captured IDF soldier being held by Hamas), and that they should be killed. It has of course been the talk of the government and the media - making Olmert and Barak crazy with anger and vengeance against the "wild settlers". I don't know whether the man who uttered these unfortunate words was simply overcome with anguish and anger in the heat of the moment (not difficult to understand), or whether he was a planted provocateur. The fact that no one seems to know this man looks mighty suspicious to me! The leaders in the national camp have all condemned these words as well they should. Isn't it interesting though, that the attention was on the wild words of one man and the government pogrom against two Jewish families was swept right under the rug.

The drumbeat is intensifying for "getting rid of the "settlers" in Judea and Samaria.

It was widely reported that ben Ishay directed his vendetta against the IDF. I wondered out loud why the IDF was involved in this attack against our own citizens. I am somewhat familiar with the soldiers in this area, and I couldn't imagine them being involved. It turns out neither could they, for they didn't know they were a part of a brutal attack against Jews. The army has now admitted that they lied to the soldiers and tricked them into protecting the site where the destruction was taking place. These young cream of the crop soldiers were told that a terrorist had been spotted and no one were allowed to enter the area (editorial note : especially reporters - see David Wilder's report) .


This brings me to the next horrifying point - and full circle from the gerush (expulsion from Gush Katif in 2005).

What kind of a government perpetrates such attacks against its own people, and what kind of a government would lie to and trick its top soldiers so that they would participate in those illegal and immoral acts? The charge to an IDF soldier is to protect the citizens of Israel against our enemies. In our short modern history the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has been the symbol of our courage and strength. And I say this not as a slight to the Almighty....not at all as a replacement for His Protection...but more, as G-d's way of providing that protection in the natural (as opposed to the supernatural - but in no means lacking many Divine miracles in their operations.). In Israel the IDF is referred to as TZAHAL, which is a Hebrew acronym for Tzva Hagana Le' Yisrael, meaning defense forces of Israel. It needs to be noted however, that the actual Hebrew word tzahal means "shout of joy". Truly, the IDF or TZAHAL, has been our "shout of joy!!"

So...if a government that has lost its way wanted to break the morale of the people, one way is to destroy the symbols that inspire them. Thus, we have corrupt leaders who are not only trying to destroy and undermine the strongest symbol of Zionism - the "settlers" who are willing to risk their lives to settle Eretz Yisrael, but also by trying to destroy the symbol of our courage - the IDF - whose task is to protect those "settlers" and the rest of our citizens. The leaders can attempt this by tactics of brain-washing and betrayal, sowing confusion amongst the bravest and best of its men and women. The expulsion of 1,667 families from Gush Katif was the beginning of this terrible agenda, executed only because of the now-admitted psychological conditioning of our precious soldiers and continued on through the devastating confrontation in Amona. Now begins the push for the rest of Judea and Samaria.

Today, regarding the Federman Farm in Kiryat Arba, parents of the soldiers who were lied to and tricked have written a letter to Chief of Staff Ashkenazi, demanding the name and firing of the men who gave the orders. Unfortunately, I am sure the order came right from the top echelons....

What kind of a government indeed?