Defending Those Who Defend Us

December 14, 2006 - 8:58 AM by

Even if certain generals and commanders did screw up during the Lebanon War, argues columnist Yair Lapid, they deserve better treatment than the rush to judgement and public shaming they are receiving, and he wishes everyone would just shut up until the findings of the committees investigating what happened during the war are in:

I am all for criticism but that is not what is happening now. It’s not criticism, it’s madness.

I don’t know if Halutz should resign. I have interviewed him; we had a preliminary chat first. I read everything published about the subject and a few things that weren’t. I spoke with senior officials in the investigating committees. My sources are pretty good in the army and outside of it.

And after all that, I still don’t know because that’s not really my job. The testimonies are still being taken, the investigation is continuing. It’s not just me. No Israeli journalist knows, and if someone claims otherwise he’s a liar or unreliable, just like taxi drivers, weather people, corporals in the reserves and the couple who were yelling in my living room on Friday. Facts cannot be replaced by opinion. We simply don’t know yet so how is it we already have an opinion?

And even after the hearing it is decided that Gal Hirsch has to leave the military, and even if the public debate compels Halutz to resign – isn’t it appropriate to enable them to leave honorably, with quiet dignity, without our shoe prints embedded on their backsides?

Aren’t their past achievements worth something? Is there no value to the fact that these are people who did the best they could under impossible conditions, with intentions that were no less than noble?

And when they do leave the stage for the last time don’t they deserve to be saluted?

Tags: • Category: A New Reality 

Comments

One Comment on Defending Those Who Defend Us

  1. Terah on Wed, Dec 20th 2006 7:20 PM

    2. I think the biggest problem with this ‘war’ and the one in Iraq is the prevalance of photo-jounalism and video cameras. While I’m all for human rights, sometimes there should be the opportunity to get rid of the cameras and indulge in a little ass kicking.

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