The Tzaddik from Sodom

Israeli Police succeeded today in arresting the Kirya Arba resident who used extremely insensitive and caustic language at the Border Policemen who destroyed the Federmen's home this past Saturday night. 

The police have not arrested (nor even investigated) any of those from the Akko mob who screamed "Itbach Al Yahud" (Slaughter the Jews) this past Yom Kippur time.

Amidst all this, the single "tzaddik from sodom" (righteous person from sodom) is Yariv Mohar -- a social activist who engages in PR activity for organizations committed to social change and human rights.

This lone human-right activist's voice was heard on YNET today, in a scathing critique of the Israeli police's terror tactics in evicting the Federmans and destroying their home in Kiryat Arba. 

Israeli human rights groups must condemn the manner in which Border Guard forces evacuated the Federman Farm in Hebron. According to reports, the evacuators arrived at the family home late at night and raided it while breaking windows, as children slept inside. The family says that after it was forcefully evacuated, its belongings were buried under the ruins of the home. We need to examine whether this aggressive modus operandi undermines human rights principles.

Particularly, it would be appropriate to check whether it was possible to carry out the evacuation in a manner that does not traumatize children. In this respect, the evacuation seems to contradict the spirit of the children’s rights convention signed by Israel in 1990.

In addition, we need to examine whether the situation was handled using civilian standards, rather than military standards, in order to safeguard the right of due process and promote the application of civilian rather than military law in the territories.

He hits the nail on the head by lambasting the leftist organizations that routinely ignore any and all human right's abuses against Jewish Israelies, living in the settlements.

We must not ignore the cliché about human rights groups defending only Arabs and leftists. This cliché must be disproven by emphasizing the types of actions and positions adopted by those groups whenever anyone’s rights are being violated. We must make clear that human rights are universal and cannot be taken away from a person because of his views or actions, regardless of how despicable and terrible those are.

Violence and the violation of rights on the part of law enforcers is not part of the democratic package.

The big test of human rights groups in Israel is their ability to systematically and principally protect the human rights of those shunned by the masses, even when dealing with those shunned by the leftist masses. Those familiar with Israeli movements know that this principle is applied in most cases. However, it needs to be prominently highlighted by those groups.

Unfortunately, he is a lone voice, and a rather naive one as well. There is so much settler-hatred among the leftist and anarchist groups that demonstrate on behalf of Palestinians, that human rights for settlers is simply not on their agenda.

Such campaign could shed new light on human rights groups among the Israeli media and public; it would connect the importance of defending human rights with a sense of potential danger threatening any Israeli citizen and resident, thereby creating growing consensus.

Yes, it could create a consensus. Unfortunately, the month of November in Israel is the last time anyone on the left is looking for consensus or reconciliation.

hat-tip: Walid's Scrabble friend from Elazar.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד