Israel Matzav: It's not just irrational, it's cruel

It's not just irrational, it's cruel

In an interview with Army Radio, Rabbi Eli Sadan, the dean of the pre-military academy in Eli, argues that forcing IDF troops to expel Jews from Judea and Samaria is irrational.

In an interview with Army Radio, Sadan said that sending troops to evacuate Israeli settlements "would be inconsiderate on the army's part and could create a contradiction between [observing] halacha and following a military order."

Sadan went on to explain that in terms of Jewish law, "the soldier himself is not prohibited from evacuating [settlements] - because it is the government and not the soldier who is carrying out the evacuation."

The rabbi stressed that despite the fact that halacha does not prohibit the soldiers themselves from following evacuation orders, it was irrational to give such tasks to the army.

"In the same way that no-one would think to send the Beduin trackers to demolish illegal houses in Beduin towns in the Negev - I think the same should be done here. When you take a man who is devoted to settling the Land of Israel and opposite him is sitting his best friend who lives in Gush Katif - that is irrational."

It's not just irrational. Anyone with an ounce of sensitivity in his body can understand that it's cruel. How many Bedouin trackers have been sent to demolish illegal Bedouin homes in the Negev during the course of their IDF service? I'll bet I know precisely how many: None.

So why does the IDF send combat soldiers who live in Judea and Samaria to expel Jews from their homes there? Rabbi Sadan can't say it, but I can. Those behind those orders are trying to send a message to the young soldiers: We can make you follow orders. We can make you do things that go against your conscience. We control you.

It's sickening, isn't it? And it's cruel.

Israel Matzav: It's not just irrational, it's cruel