It seems that every few years, as the domestic scene becomes too intense, the government seeks to deflect the national agenda elsewhere, and who better than the chareidim and/or settlers to gain momentum and turn the national agenda away from the failures of the current administration.
Once again, the ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet) Jewish Division has announced its “grave concerns” over another Jewish Underground that is building in the “West Bank” (Yehuda and Shomron), explaining is carefully worded leaks to the media that it appears the sporadic attacks against Arabs as part of Operation Price Tag are shifting to a well-organized effort, yet another Jewish Underground. It is alleged that agents of this newest underground are busing themselves with monitoring activities in Arab villages as well as studying the movements of prominent Israelis leftists towards perpetrating attacks against them.
Right-wing political and religious leaders last week were quite audible in their disdain for those who targeted an IDF base near Beit El. Settlement Council leader Danny Danon called their actions “criminal”, demanding that the hooligans responsible for the incident be brought to justice and leveling the full weight of the law against them. This was the overwhelming response to such acts, but the delegitimization continues nonetheless. In reality, the other attacks against leftists, as distasteful as they were, they involved minor vandalism, graffiti and paint. In a number of incidents, mosques were vandalized, also met with harsh condemnatory statements from settlement leaders and rabbonim.
The actions of a small number of fanatics, misguided youths by most accounts, do not in any way represent a sizable number of the residents of Yehuda and Shomron. The Yosh community by-and-large views these youths as outcasts, but whatever the case, the reality is a far cry from the latest threat of a growing underground that plans major attacks.
Unfortunately, the national collective memory is a very short one, permitting the use of the same tactics over and over again, seeking to place the religious and right-wing on the defensive, as chareidim are regularly portrayed as “parasites” and “leeches” who take without giving to society, those who don’t pay taxes or pull their weight, a national burden according to many. Opposition leader Tzipi Livni regularly relies on her freedom of chareidi bashing towards revitalizing her failed political career.
Amazingly, if similar words were uttered against Arabs or any other minority in the country, those responsible would be incarcerated for incitement before the ink on the report would dry, but in modern day Israel, the chareidim and settlers are fair game to air one’s wrath, the national punching bag.
Many are still waiting to hear from The National Child Welfare Council, headed by Dr. Yitzchak Kadmon following the destruction of three homes in Migron, which left 12 children homeless. These families were ousted under the cover of darkness, without warning, literally thrown into the streets and given minimal time to pack up their belongings, compelled to watch as their homes were razed. The YouTube videos serve as testimony to police brutality against children, yet the silence is deafening.
Similar tactics have been used in the past, as was the case during the time period prior to the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin in 1995, and only after that tragic incident was it learned that Avishai Raviv, AKA Champagne, the code name used by his Shin Bet handler, was put into place to discredit and incite impressionable youths such as those likely to be responsible for the Price Tag attacks. Similar efforts to discredit ‘settlers’ were seen ahead of the Disengagement in 2005, and once again today as we prepare to usher in Rosh Hashanah 5772.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
One Response
In all fairness, as “secret police” go, the Shin Bet are really quite friendly and benevolent (compared to the KGB or the SS), so don’t complain. After all, the goal of zionism was to be a nation like all the other nations – and they got what they were asking for.