A Visit to the Reserve Soldiers’ Protest in the Rose Garden …

This author visited the reservists protest site at the Rose Garden on Sunday afternoon. The visit was both discouraging and disheartening at best.

After visiting the Quality in Government table and signing their petition calling for a state committee of investigation, they were asked how many people have signed the petition. The response; around 50,000 signers. About 100 meters further were the tables where reservists were sitting. One table was at street level and another was up, in the garden, along one of it’s paths.

At the reservists tables, this author signed their petition as well. It called for the resignations of Olmert, Peretz and Halutz. When asked how many have signed their petition, they responded that there were around 50,000 signers, just as the Quality in Government table had responded previously.

The reservist’s petition spelled out 3 points;

  • A call for the government to take responsibility for it’s leadership and conduct of the war and it’s consequences. They call for the resignations of the Prime Minister, Defense Minister and the Chief of Staff “who, by their position, are held responsible for the failure in the military confrontation and in the treatment of the civilian rear.”
  • Rectification of the numerous malfunctions revealed in the conflict. They express “concern about the strength of Israeli society and the professional standard of the IDF.” They demand, in addition to the resignations of the above leaders, formation of a state investigation committee to include professional sub-committees to “investigate all ranks from top to bottom, as well as the political and military failures and ill-treatment of the civilian rear.”
  • “Immediate return of the 3 kidnapped soldiers — because soldiers are never abandoned in the fields.”

They expressed committment to continue the protest until all 3 demands are met. They indicate that only upon fulfillment of these demands will they be able to return to their homes and their regular lives.

During an hours stay at the site, no more than a mere handful of people came to visit, talk and identify with the reservists. When asked how many visitors they had on a regular basis, the soldiers they indicated that between 1,000 to 1,300 people visit daily.

When asked if there are reservists there at all times — 24/7. they indicated that this was the case. For Shabbos, people donate meals and other reservist families prepare so that the protesters have Shabbos meals.

When one reservist was asked whether there is a connection between the expulsion in Gush Katif last summer and the enboldenment of Hezbollah, Hamas and the Arab enemy, he could not make the connection between the expulsion and the war with Hezbollah. He could not see the connection, that Israel fled from South Lebanon, from Gush Katif and the 4 Shomron towns which enboldened Hezbollah to think that a continuous blitz and barrages of Katushyas would terrorize the North forcing Israel into additional concessions, withdrawals, expulsions.

He could not absorb the lessons regarding smuggling of arms, missiles, missile launchers which would surely occur when Jewish land is handed over. He can’t perceive that expulsion, that unilateral withdrawals feed the Arab, Islamic conviction that Israel is ripe for the picking and the Islamic propaganda fed by Hezbollywood that Israel is illegitimate.

The reservist still looked upon his country, when in possession of Gaza, as an occupier, therefore immoral. The impression is left that this reservist’s mindset is indicative of whatever movement there is.

It’s easy, therefore, to understand Moshe Feiglin’s point in his recent article; “The Final Barricade.”

It is also easy to have this nagging knot in the stomach, that somehow the troika — Olmert, Peretz and Halutz, Livni, etc. could succeed in evading their responsibility to the nation. It’s easy to imagine that expulsion could grow another ugly head by way of meetings, so-called “negotiations,” false agreement resulting in an additional useless piece of paper mandating another forced eviction of Jews.

And is Yesha Council, who failed so abysmally last year, capable of putting a massive education and public relations program together to permanently alter the Israeli mindset and eradicate the leftist inculcation of Israel, “the occupier?” Will they be capable of exposing and combatting the deceit of an Olmert or subsequent government’s “alternative plans [i.e. expulsion by “Road Map”], not realignment?”

It is easy to see all of this because the reservists don’t appear have a concrete program, they have not promoted their protest, they have not brought out even sufficient numbers of their own ranks and there are among them those who look with disdain, at their fellow Orange, Religious reserve soldiers as if illegitimate. MB

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