Rosh Hashana's official liturgical name is "Yom Hazikaron," Remembrance Day, so it's quite appropriate to reflect on our recent history this week. The last time we celebrated Rosh Hashana of a sh'mita year, it wasn't a particularly good time for the Jewish people. Yasser Arafat launched a new and much deadlier intifada while most of us were reciting Untaneh Tokef, and we entered 5761 truly wondering "Who will live and who will die?" This was especially true for those of us in the army, as I was.
Well, it seems that the Israel Defense Forces has been thinking about that day as well, because they have finally requested a tape recorded at Gaza's Netzarim Junction on 1 Tishrei, 5761 (30 September, 2000). Trust me, you've seen part of this tape: the edited section that television network France 2 aired and then distributed to the world, the one which supposedly shows 12-year-old Palestinian Muhammad al-Dura being shot dead by IDF gunfire. However, that's less than one (aggregated) minute out of 27; the IDF wants the uncut version. It's a great idea, seven years too late.
You see, in the meantime, our Defense, Justice and Foreign Ministries have allowed this tape to be seen all over the globe unchallenged. It's lone wolves like independent journalist Philippe Karsenty who have been doing the heavy lifting, challenging the tape as it was presented by France-2's Charles Enderlin (who happens to be Jewish and Israeli), arguing that it was staged by cameraman Talal abu-Rahma. Based on the Israeli soldiers' position, it would have been impossible for them to hit the boy. Nevertheless, Karsenty was sued for libel by Enderlin and France-2 and lost, the court noting that "no Israeli authority, neither the army - which is nonetheless most affected, nor the Justice [Ministry] has ever accorded the slightest credit to [Karsenty's] allegations."
Karsenty is now appealing, and he's demanded that the IDF respond. Col. Shlomi Am-Shalom is now maintaining that the IDF was always on Karsenty's side, despite the fact that his previous boss, Brig. Gen. Miri Regev, who did such a fantastic job of ignoring the foreign press in the midst of last summer's war, stated in June of last year that "I cannot determine whether the IDF is or is not responsible for the killing of al-Dura." I guess it must be a relief for all of Israel's fighters to know that if they are ever globally defamed, the Spokesman's Office will do its utmost to defend everyone over the rank of major.
This Shabbat, on Yom Kippur, we will ask God to silence our prosecutors; it takes a certain amount of chutzpah to do that when, as a nation, it takes a lawsuit to force us to defend those who fight on our behalf. Maybe next sh'mita...
Click here for the Jerusalem Post article.
RSS Feed