Wanton murder and terrorism are terrible crimes that are
committed by the lowest of creatures. Men who murder people
living peacefully in their homes or driving to their jobs are
among the lowest creatures that there are, behaving in a
despicable manner. They must be stopped and punished. No
victim shares the blame of a cold-blooded murderer. That is
the right and wrong of the matter.
Notwithstanding their being right and blameless, there is a
kind of behavior among the Jewish residents of Chevron and
vicinity that should be changed.
Last week there was a terrible attack on two innocent
teachers on their way to work in Chevron. Boruch Hashem there
was no loss of life. Their rescue was no doubt a Divine
miracle, but very human hishtadlus could certainly
have helped.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has made an armored car
available for travel such as that. The residents of Chevron
refuse to use it for ideological reasons.
The residents insist that it is the responsibility of the IDF
to ensure that the areas under its control are safe for
normal life. They maintain that armored vehicles are the
government's attempt to cover up the shortcomings of the
disengagement agreement reached in Chevron with the
Palestinian Authority.
"Until the Minister of Defense realizes that the problem is
not putting Jews into armored vehicles but putting the
terrorists into the autonomous areas -- nothing will be
solved." This was the response of Noam Arnon, one of the
official spokesmen of the Chevron community to the suggestion
that they travel in protected vehicles.
The issue is not a new one and does not lack for more serious
instances. Several months ago Rav Shlomo Ra'anan,
Hy'd, was murdered in his home in Tel Rumeida, a small
Jewish neighborhood completely surrounded by thousands of
hostile Arabs. There were not even bars on the windows of Rav
Ra'anan's home.
A senior IDF official who visited the area not long before
the murder tried to convince the residents of Tel Rumeida to
take steps to protect themselves. "We tried to tell them that
it is pikuach nefesh, but that was also like talking
to the wall. We have no budgetary limitations when it comes
to protecting the lives of the residents of Chevron, all they
have to do is consent," said the senior IDF official.
The courage and mesiras nefesh of those who live in
Chevron is impressive but not admirable. The settlers in
those areas want to make a political point by their living
address, but there is no justification for their traveling in
unprotected vehicles just to that they can attack the IDF for
its failure to prevent a successful attack, Rachmono
litzlan.
Throughout the cities, people are exposed to threats to their
property, yet everyone does what he can to guard his home and
does not rely solely on the police who are responsible for
preserving public safety. How much more should this be true
with regard to matters of life and death.
The issue of right and wrong is not what matters here. These
are precious Jews and a way must be found to keep them
alive.
