Skepticism needed
When will we learn to be skeptical about allegations of Israeli atrocities? The articles by Leslie Susser (“Soldiers’ stories of Gaza misconduct stir worldwide outrage,” March 27) and Rabbi Amy Eilberg (“Trying to make sense of a new, unethical Israeli army,” March 27) took as fact the stories of alleged misconduct in Gaza, stories that turned out to be nothing more than soldiers’ rumors.
The day after the j. articles appeared, the New York Times published a rebutting story. Regarding one case identified in the Susser and Eilberg articles, the Times said that Israeli Army investigations revealed “that those who spoke of the killing of the mother and her children did not witness it and that it almost certainly did not occur.” Regarding the other specific allegation, the Times wrote, “The second killing may also not have occurred.”
Sadly, as with the “Jenin massacre” and the Israeli “bombing” of a U.N. school, allegations against Israel often get heavy coverage, but subsequent evidence that the allegations are false is reported too late, and too poorly, to undo the damage.
Dan Fendel | Piedmont
In Eilberg’s defense
I am deeply dismayed by the opposition stirred in response to Rabbi Amy Eilberg’s op-ed. The rabbi’s initial op-ed expressed her concern that Israeli soldiers, who had themselves served in Gaza, believed that the IDF had not lived up to its own standards of ethics in the conduct of Operation Cast Lead. Her article expressed deep love for Israel, anguish for the dilemmas the state lives with, and belief in the soldiers who took the risk to come forward. Yet the outraged responses came fast and furious.
Rabbis for Human Rights and 10 other Israeli human rights organizations have called on Israel’s attorney general to open an independent investigation. An independent investigation is the only way to determine the truth of the concerns that have been raised, to demonstrate the vibrancy of Israeli democracy in the eyes of the world, and to restore Israelis’ own confidence that the IDF conducts itself according to the highest ethical standards.
I pray that the many questions that have been raised will soon be resolved. And I pray for a time when we may converse with one another about these deeply felt issues with respect and care.
Rabbi Camille Shira Angel | accountability and adherence to its own ethical standards.
Rabbi Brian Walt
Executive director, Rabbis for Human Rights–North America
West Tisbury, Mass.
No trust in IDF?
Amy Eilberg’s letter (April 3), while partially an apology, also tries to be an exoneration. J. wrote that the Israel army’s investigation that showed the specific charges of attacks on civilians to be completely false did not occur until after your deadline. But anyone carefully reading of the original charges in Ha’aretz would realize that they were all secondhand and unconfirmed. Many Web sites, such as Honest Reporting, immediately did point this out, but not j.
J. did not show trust in Israel’s soldiers but ran with the accusations, as if substantiated, especially in its headline for Amy Eilberg’s op-ed demeaning the Israel Defense Forces.
Arthur Cohn | Portola Valley
OK to disagree
The letters responding to my colleague Amy Eilberg’s op-ed remind me of every blanket defense of government, from totalitarian regimes in South America to the knee-jerk defenses of every indefensible Bush policy regarding torture, enemy combatants and secret prisons — defenses we soon came to regret as independent bodies concluded that violations of basic national and international law had in fact occurred.
It is clear that a body cannot investigate itself impartially — even with the best of intentions. It is quite clear that one shouldn’t take seriously the conclusions of an internal investigation started a month after the events and finished in less than a week.
Even as we stand in defense of Israel’s right to exist as a democratic Jewish state and of Israel’s right to defend itself under challenging circumstances from enemies that hide behind civilian populations, we must insist in our ability to speak openly and freely, to agree and disagree with each other without demonizing or tearing each other apart.
Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz
Temple Isaiah | Lafayette
Israelis only human
If the allegations are accurate, then we need to be honest and investigate the allegations fully. We must not shy away from the truth. However, in an effort to be honest we must also resist the temptation to be overly self-critical. If a soldier acted in a criminal way then there needs to be a criminal military investigation with all the facts.
Was the shooting intentional or accidental? Were the civilians moving in a combat zone? Were the soldiers malicious, negligent, or trying their best to stay alive and go after terrorists hiding among civilians?
We do want to be brutally honest, but we must neither be too quick to judge. Let’s get all the facts first. Let us also remember that no matter how loyal we are to Israel, perhaps the “normalization” of the Jewish people has perhaps been fulfilled: people are people, soldiers are soldiers, and when confronted with certain situations will react as soldiers do. We may want every Jew to be exemplary, but perhaps it is time we distinguish between the fantasy and the reality, and that Jews (and Israelis) are people too.
Alan Altmann | Palo Alto
Attacks unwarranted
The virulent opposition to Rabbi Amy Eilberg’s op-ed is deeply disturbing. At Pesach, we are called to see the narrow places entrapping us, even those in our minds, such as an intolerance of disagreement that becomes poisonous in its expression.
Rabbi Eilberg expressed concern that Israeli soldiers who had served in Gaza believed that the IDF had not lived up to its own ethical standards in the conduct of Operation Cast Lead. She acknowledged the conflicting feelings this evokes: love for Israel, anguish for its troubles, honor for the soldiers who risked coming forward. This nuanced, caring response does not warrant the vicious attacks that followed.
Rabbis for Human Rights and 10 other Israeli human rights organizations have called on Israel’s Attorney General to open an independent investigation into this matter. An independent investigation is the only way to determine the truth. It would demonstrate to the world the vitality of Israeli democracy and help to restore Israelis’ own confidence in the ethical conduct of their institutions.
May the many questions that have been raised soon be resolved. May the blessings of this season enable us to face one another, despite our differences, with dignity and respect.
Arlene Goldbard | Richmond
Assault from within
The success and survival of the Jewish people can be attributed in part to the relentless self-criticism to which we subject ourselves. Recognizing our failures and shortcomings is the first step in any effort at self-improvement. But taken to excess, self-criticism becomes self-defeating and we admit ourselves into a ward of pathology in a dimension of the absurd.
In Rabbi Amy Eilberg’s recent op-ed she tells of the horrific crimes presumably perpetrated by the Israeli military during its combat operations in Gaza. She lucidly perceives the horrors of these crimes through the workings of an imagination all too willing to embrace unsubstantiated rumors passed along by people who start with a desperate need to find fault — a need too impatient even to wait for the discovery of fact.
She disparages those who fight for Israel’s survival in a sadly twisted attempt to elevate spiritual self above the mundane. She abandons any responsibility for Israel’s defense and at the same time, feeds the hungry purveyors of anti-Semitism with salacious slanders.
For thousands of years, we Jews have survived the assaults and slanders of our enemies. Can we survive those from among ourselves?
Jay Koppelman | Pleasant Hill
Let’s tolerate debate
I am writing to express my dismay at the vicious responses to Rabbi Amy Eilberg’s op-ed. Rabbi Eilberg’s love and commitment to Israel are clear, as is her concern that the IDF live up to its own ethical standards of conduct during war. Rabbi Eilberg understands the dilemmas the State of Israel faces on a daily basis and has mustered the courage to raise the difficult questions that can only strengthen Israel’s democracy and its moral character.
These issues are freely discussed in Israel but it is painful to notice that certain sectors of our American Jewish community cannot tolerate a civilized debate and resort instead to venomous accusations and delegitimization.
At this time of Pesach, may we learn to move from narrowness to openness.
Rabbi J. Rolando Matalon | New York City
Congregation B’nai Jeshurun
Blame Hamas too
The op-ed by Rabbi Amy Eilberg and her subsequent “note” are a disaster. These are not criticisms, but rather demonizations of the IDF. She admitted the reported accusations were hearsay, but continued her accusations anyway.
There was a war going on in Gaza, and wars usually have some unfortunate casualties, especially against terrorists without uniforms and using human shields. It is suspicious that Rabbi Eilberg said nothing about Palestinians having fired thousands of rockets from Gaza into Israel, intent on killing, injuring, and terrorizing civilians.
It is bad enough to have such inaccurate and unfair reporting in any newspaper, but in j., which is a Jewish community newspaper?
Norman Licht | San Carlos
Outside inquiry needed
The recent exchange of letters regarding Rabbi Amy Eilberg’s expression of concern about alleged human rights abuses by Israeli soldiers has generated much heat. Rabbis for Human Rights is calling for an independent investigation of the conduct of Israeli forces during the Gaza incursion. It is in the interest of the Israeli Defense Forces to have such an independent investigation. For if it is shown that there were no such abuses, then the IDF will regain renewed credibility. If, indeed, there were abuses, the army will have to take steps to address what broke down.
For any investigation to have full credibility it has to be fully independent. Those of us who call for such an investigation do so not in order to demonize Israel. Rather, we do so out of a profound love for Israel and its people.
As importantly, there should be an investigation into the goals of the incursion. As of this writing, Hamas has not been toppled, rockets still are being fired occasionally into Israel and Gilad Shalit is still captive. Yet 1,300 people were killed. When will we learn that violence rarely solves difficult political conflicts?
Charles M. Feinberg
Board member, Rabbis for Human Rights–North America
Washington, D.C.
What do we know?
I am outraged and deeply saddened by Rabbi Amy Eilberg’s op-ed.
The rant against the IDF is based on nothing other than allegations. What do you or I know about fighting for your country in the midst of a terrorists’ haven? Why not wait for the results of the IDF investigations? What happened to “innocent until proven guilty?”
As for Rabbi Ascherman rending his shirt and fasting in protest, did he do that for the hundreds of innocent Israeli civilians killed by Palestinian terrorists? Did he do it for the children and families of Sderot who have lived in constant fear for the past several years?
When I host the “Friends of the Israel Defense Forces” enlistment party for about 20 young men and women leaving the Bay Area to join the IDF, these future soldiers and I will know they are not joining an unethical army. They are joining the IDF who dropped thousands of leaflets telling Palestinian civilians to leave the areas of terrorist outposts that were going to be attacked.
Francine Gani | Palo Alto
Supports ‘federating’
Since I was named as one of the East Bay rabbis who did not sign the recent letter urging the federating of the federations (“Time for a merger?,” March 27), I wanted to be clear that I don’t recall being invited to do so. But I wrote one several weeks ago which you were kind enough to publish, advocating the same action that the more recent letter did. As Rabbi Creditor said, there was “no hidden meaning to” the absence of my name.
I happily and enthusiastically support anything that will help any local federation achieve its goals more efficiently, effectively and inexpensively.
Rabbi Allen B. Bennett
Temple Israel | Alameda