Soldiers and Civilians
Wednesday, 07 January 2009
Rabbi Dow Marmur was born in Poland and spent the years of World War II in the Soviet Union before returning to Poland in 1946. He emigrated to Sweden and later moved London to study for the rabbinate at Leo Baeck College. Before moving to Canada he served as rabbi at two synagogues; Alyth in North West London and SWESRS in Essex. He now lives in Israel.
Researchers say that, unlike others, Israelis are much more upset about the deaths of its soldiers than about civilian casualties. Perhaps the many traffic accidents have de-sensitized the population. In 2008 some 450 citizens perished on the roads and several thousand were injured. Since the establishment of the state the number of road casualties has been much greater than the number of war casualties.
A more obvious reason may be the fact that the vast majority of Jewish families in Israel have a soldier either as a young conscript or as a reservist. The safety of children and grandchildren serving their country is a continuous concern of most of us.
Gilad Shalit, the soldier held captive by Hamas, has remained in the headlines; his release is likely to be a condition for the ceasefire when it comes. There have even been those who’ve said that, for the sake of his safety, Israel shouldn’t have gone to war, despite the civilian casualties caused by the rocket attacks on towns and settlements.
This is also the reason why politicians who’ve not served in the armed forces are suspect in the eyes of Israelis. Shimon Peres is a case in point. From the beginning of the state and many years thereafter he has done more for Israel’s military than any other individual. Arms procurements when the state was established and making the atomic reactor in Dimona possible are two of many instances. Yet, he never served in uniform and some Israelis still hold it against him, perhaps even now when he’s over 80 and is arguably the best president Israel has ever had.
Concern for soldiers more than for civilians may also have been why Israel waited so long before launching its current military campaign against Hamas. Politicians seem to have coped better with the largely civilian casualties of the rocket attacks than with young people dying in battle.
A consequence of this mindset may be the apparent rise in the popularity of the Labor Party since the beginning of the war. The electors remember that its leader Ehud Barak as a civilian wasn’t a good prime minister and has been a less than adequate party leader, but they know him a successful former Chief of Staff and Israel’s most decorated soldier. They appreciate him now again as a wartime defense minister. Though his party will never get enough seats to make him prime minister again, success in the polls may assure him a place in the next government.
But will the elections to form that government really take place on February 10 as scheduled? Voices are being raised in favor of postponement on the grounds that this isn’t a time to engage in party politics. Indeed, the campaign has been suspended for the time being. Those now in power, however, want to go ahead because they know that the sooner the vote the more likely that they’ll do relatively well, especially if the military casualties remain low. Remarkably, so far the Likud opposition, which stands to do less well than predicted if the elections are held on schedule, hasn’t called for postponement.
Concern for soldiers and their families has once again united Israelis in ways not normally seen, neither on the roads nor in politics. Though the overwhelming majority supports the government in its conduct of the war, it also continues to pray fervently that it soon be over so that the soldiers can return to the relative safety of daily life. Nobody here really wants this war even if most of us think that it has been inevitable.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
