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Rabbis led by former MK Haim Druckman presented a letter to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon.
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| By Ellis Shuman September 8, 2004 |
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A group of right-wing rabbis, including heads of West Bank yeshivot and members of the Yesha Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip, called on the government to wage a tougher war on terror, even if Palestinian civilians get hurt in the process.
The rabbis, led by former MK and Chairman of the popular Bnei Akiva youth movement Haim Druckman (National Religious Party), presented a letter to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon.
The rabbis' letter came one day after a pinpoint IAF air strike killed 15 Hamas terrorists at a Hamas training camp. The IDF frequently calls off planned attacks if there is a possibility that Palestinian civilians would be harmed.
"In a time of war as in today, we cannot differentiate between [civilian] population to an Army," the letter read. "We cannot continue to use what is known as 'Christian morality,' which prefers the life of our enemies over our own," the letter continued.
"Should the IDF fight the enemy, if civilians [on the other side] will be killed, or should the IDF refrain from fighting, and thus endanger our civilians?" the rabbis asked in their letter. In response to the rhetorical question, the rabbis quoted the sage Rabbi Akiva who said that "Our lives come first."
"Christians preaching 'turn the other cheek' will not cause us to panic, and we will not view favorably those who prefer the lives of our enemies over our own lives," the letter said.
Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar told Channel One television that he backs the right-wing rabbis. "We are forced to fight them for as long as they refuse to accept the path of peace," Amar said. "We fight, but our hand must always be ready to offer peace. It is not just a mitzvah, but a duty, to save one's life," Amar said.
"According to Christian law, one must turn the other cheek; but according to Jewish law, we must first and foremost protect ourselves. If 10 civilians are killed so that we can save the life of one IDF soldier - so be it," said Yesha Rabbis' Council secretary Yishai Ba'abad.
The rabbis' letter found backing among right-wing Knesset members. "We cannot tie up the hands of our soldiers," said MK Yehiel Hazan (Likud). "If we don't strike at terrorists wherever they may be found, our innocent civilians will be harmed," he said.
Left-wing politicians, however, rejected any possible suggestion of intentionally harming innocent civilians. MK Yossi Sarid (Yahad) said that there was little difference between the right-wing rabbis and the ayatollahs of Iran.
MK Roman Bronfman (Yahad) urged Attorney-General Menachem (Meni) Mazuz to "immediately open investigation" against the rabbis who had signed the letter. "They are inciting the murder of innocent civilians," he said.
Groups of right-wing rabbis have previously called on IDF soldiers to refuse any possible orders they receive calling to dismantle Jewish communities, and they have also said it was forbidden for Gaza settlers to accept compensation in exchange for leaving their homes.
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