Tuesday, September 18, 2012

What If Israeli Soldiers Refuse to Strike Iran?

Here is an interesting thought.  What if Israel is so divided about how to deal with their enemies that when Netanyahu orders a strike...certain soldiers and/or generals refuse to follow the orders?

Is Israeli society falling apart?

I’m generally an optimist. And yet, I’m sometimes overtaken, if only fleetingly, by a cloud of doom. I look at the newspaper and see that 400 Israelis, among them leading intellectuals, have signed a petition, urging Israeli fighter pilots to disobey orders if they are asked to attack Iranian nuclear installations.
    
This petition is the signal of a state and society that are falling apart.

To be a member of a people is to have the ability to overcome our egos, at least to some extent; it is the ability to work as part of a team, and, therefore, not always as the leader. Golda Meir once humorously complained that it’s difficult to lead a country of three million (now about seven million) prime ministers. We all think that we know best. We all think that we have a right to lead. Recall what Korach told Moses, in the Bible (I paraphrase): We’re all holy; after all, we’re a holy nation; so, why do you, Moses, laud yourself over us (Numbers 16:3)?

A healthy society holds its government to account with popular protests, an official parliamentary opposition, a free press, and, in extreme circumstances, civil disobedience. But, in normal situations, none of these jobs are for the army. I recognize that, under Israeli law, a soldier has an obligation to disobey an immoral order. But an order to attack Iran so as to stop it from destroying us is not an immoral order. At worst, it is just wrongheaded. We could judge it to be based upon faulty appraisals of Iranian behaviour and intentions. We could judge it to have consequences that are worse than any likely success. But are those judgements for the pilots to make? Isn’t that what the government is for? And, if the government is wrong, isn’t it our responsibility, rather than that of the pilots, to hold them to account?

Here;  http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/the-jewish-thinker/if-soldiers-shun-orders-to-strike-iran-israel-will-cease-to-be-a-state.premium-1.459493

One would think that since Israel is surrounded by millions of people who want to see them driven into the sea...that it would focus them all into a very similar place and worldview.  Obviously, that isn't the case.

Israel is full of liberals and conservatives just like America.  Yes, Obama may be the most unpopular U.S. President in all of Israel's history, but that doesn't mean they are all conservative hawks who are just chomping at the bit to attempt to blow up Iran.

It does seem concerning to me that leading intellectuals in Israel are passing around a petition telling their soldiers to disobey orders.

Sounds like Israel needs God to come to their rescue.

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