Orange Soldiers
*I am joining the IDF, and I wear orange. What gives? So have many asked, and answers are difficult. You may want to skip this paragraph if you are a Democrat with high-blood pressure (I am a registered Democrat [with low-blood pressure,] believe it or not!). I am firmly opposed, even without seeing the communities (though i hope to take a tour soon); in fact, Israel's territories have become the bastion for non-cynics, and it is a breath of fresh air (literally as well) to be outside the disheartened cities of Israel, where people are simultaneously encouraged by us Machalniks, and in turn encourage me never to make Aliyah, since it 'stinks here.' [[[Most of the people out there in the Gush Katif are not fanatics, just optomists, in an age where disdain is fashionable. Bona fide left-wingers (esp. dattiim) are in shorter supply than the Apathetic Morale Problems. In any event, I think bad things come of unilateral action, and we should give back Gush Katif only when inter-ethnic relations are good enough such that political withdrawal doesn't necessitate physically uprooting the community for its own safety. If they will get lynched because of who they are, then retreating will just bring the lynchers closer to your doorstep.
On the other side, things are not good either. We may very well be underpaying Palestinian laborers, both in construction, and in field work (though I've heard conflicting reports). Despite Jewish unemployment, we don't seem to be encouraging Jewish employment, so much as welfare. To a certain extent, we have put salt on a wound.]]] People ask me how I could join the army at a time like this. The logic is compelling: Saddam is not allowed to gas his people, just because he was the president and government of his country. And if removing civilians from their homes is a War Crime by the Geneva convention, then the Israeli government cannot employ her armed forces to remove civilians, Israeli or not. And if it is a war crime, then "orders" are meaningless, and the individual soldiers will be subject to international condemnation and indictment. Remember, there is no "just followed orders" excuse anymore in this post-Nuremburg era. Each and every soldier must develop a conscience. If that weren't enough, after a (historically doubtful, but nevertheless influential) massacre in the state's nascent existence, the 'Conscience Law' is on Israel's books as well. I do not know of any reply from the government except more volume blasting the soapboxes from the official speakerphones; e.g., legal settlements get called "illegal outposts" all the time, despite documentation of their legality. [And illegal outposts take advantage of that abuse, by hiding under the cover of the Doubt the slander of legal settlements has thrown into the air.]
Nevertheless, I counter thusly, as Devil's Advocate: most modern, democratic societies form their social contract with a proviso of Eminent Domain. That is, for the national interest (railroad lines, roads, government buildings, etc.), the government has the right to force the sale of a propery and duly confisacate it for its fair market value. If Israel feels that political lines must change, and her citizens must be forced off the land for the national interest, it can do so without violating the Geneva conventions, and police and soldiers are not allowed to refuse such an order, since exercizing the right of Eminenet Domain is a political action, and soldiers do not get involved in politics. However, this is based upon the idea that the government will responsibly purchase the properties in question. This would be very expensive, but if they are willing to pay, then it may very well be legal.**
Me? Personally, I should be two weeks into training by the time the disengagement is planned to begin, so I won't be involved in it; furthermore, I am warming up to the idea of serving in tanks, despite my initial disappointment at my near-inevitable avoidance of Infantry, thanks to my knee defect ("Er, God, I'd like a new one please, mine doesn't work right..." "Amitai, my son, how about I get you a very biiiig Gun to shoot, on a mobile tracked platform instead?" "Awww, shucks, I'm sure it'd be fine."). So even if the proposed plan gets postponed, I doubt Armored divisions will be involved; definitely not directly.
Still, for all that, I am still somewhat reluctant to wear Orange all over. I generally have a ribbon tied to my backpack, and leave it at that.
**[Let's say 8,ooo people are divided into 2,5oo families, each with a, say, $250,000 home (I'm averaging between the $100,000 homes, and the $500,000 homes [not to mention the every so often bigger one]). That's $625 million right there. Then add businesses that need to be replaced, roads and infrastructure that will have to be redone, and you have a cool 1 to 2 billion dollars in compensation that must be paid out. This site: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/compensation.html explains that "The average family will receive $450,000," which confirms my rough calculations. Farmers would be given around 80 dunames (= 20 acres) of land, and I know as much about dunams and farming as I do about elk mating habits, which is that it happens, so I don't know if that is much or not, but let's assume one can make a living on it. Workers who lose their jobs will get beefed up unemployment for 6 months. UPDATE: Netanyahu has been quoted in the Jpost as saying that the disengagement will cost Israel arournd $2 billion, which seems to fit my estimations.]
On the other side, things are not good either. We may very well be underpaying Palestinian laborers, both in construction, and in field work (though I've heard conflicting reports). Despite Jewish unemployment, we don't seem to be encouraging Jewish employment, so much as welfare. To a certain extent, we have put salt on a wound.]]] People ask me how I could join the army at a time like this. The logic is compelling: Saddam is not allowed to gas his people, just because he was the president and government of his country. And if removing civilians from their homes is a War Crime by the Geneva convention, then the Israeli government cannot employ her armed forces to remove civilians, Israeli or not. And if it is a war crime, then "orders" are meaningless, and the individual soldiers will be subject to international condemnation and indictment. Remember, there is no "just followed orders" excuse anymore in this post-Nuremburg era. Each and every soldier must develop a conscience. If that weren't enough, after a (historically doubtful, but nevertheless influential) massacre in the state's nascent existence, the 'Conscience Law' is on Israel's books as well. I do not know of any reply from the government except more volume blasting the soapboxes from the official speakerphones; e.g., legal settlements get called "illegal outposts" all the time, despite documentation of their legality. [And illegal outposts take advantage of that abuse, by hiding under the cover of the Doubt the slander of legal settlements has thrown into the air.]
Nevertheless, I counter thusly, as Devil's Advocate: most modern, democratic societies form their social contract with a proviso of Eminent Domain. That is, for the national interest (railroad lines, roads, government buildings, etc.), the government has the right to force the sale of a propery and duly confisacate it for its fair market value. If Israel feels that political lines must change, and her citizens must be forced off the land for the national interest, it can do so without violating the Geneva conventions, and police and soldiers are not allowed to refuse such an order, since exercizing the right of Eminenet Domain is a political action, and soldiers do not get involved in politics. However, this is based upon the idea that the government will responsibly purchase the properties in question. This would be very expensive, but if they are willing to pay, then it may very well be legal.**
Me? Personally, I should be two weeks into training by the time the disengagement is planned to begin, so I won't be involved in it; furthermore, I am warming up to the idea of serving in tanks, despite my initial disappointment at my near-inevitable avoidance of Infantry, thanks to my knee defect ("Er, God, I'd like a new one please, mine doesn't work right..." "Amitai, my son, how about I get you a very biiiig Gun to shoot, on a mobile tracked platform instead?" "Awww, shucks, I'm sure it'd be fine."). So even if the proposed plan gets postponed, I doubt Armored divisions will be involved; definitely not directly.
Still, for all that, I am still somewhat reluctant to wear Orange all over. I generally have a ribbon tied to my backpack, and leave it at that.
**[Let's say 8,ooo people are divided into 2,5oo families, each with a, say, $250,000 home (I'm averaging between the $100,000 homes, and the $500,000 homes [not to mention the every so often bigger one]). That's $625 million right there. Then add businesses that need to be replaced, roads and infrastructure that will have to be redone, and you have a cool 1 to 2 billion dollars in compensation that must be paid out. This site: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/compensation.html explains that "The average family will receive $450,000," which confirms my rough calculations. Farmers would be given around 80 dunames (= 20 acres) of land, and I know as much about dunams and farming as I do about elk mating habits, which is that it happens, so I don't know if that is much or not, but let's assume one can make a living on it. Workers who lose their jobs will get beefed up unemployment for 6 months. UPDATE: Netanyahu has been quoted in the Jpost as saying that the disengagement will cost Israel arournd $2 billion, which seems to fit my estimations.]
posted by Shlome at 5:16 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home