Enforce justice

Recently I recounted that a right wing mob got away with a vicious assault on a peaceful group of progressive Jews in Ra’anana who had committed the sin of attempting reconciliation with their Arab neighbors.  No investigation, let alone prosecutions of this lynch mob occurred.

Now we have violent settlers in the West Bank more intensely and  frequently harassing Arab farmers who are doing nothing more than attempting to harvest their olive crops.  Even peaceful Israelis and other Jews are attacked by settlers or cleared away by the Army from newly declared so called safe zones.   Or the peacemakers in the case of one young American rabbi, are arrested by Israeli authorities and deported.  Again, the perpetrators of violence have to this point received immunity from any consequences for their misdeeds.

Then there are now the spate of attacks report in the Times of Israel by Haredi and others on Arab bus drivers. It reported that Arab bus drivers face unfettered violence in Jerusalem, with 12 attacks in a week.  Bus drivers have been spat on, assailants shattered pepper-sprayed and beat been beaten by mainly Haredi assailants with drivers as well as fare inspectors and passengers, landing in the hospital.

Again, as with the Arab farmers, the progressive reconciliation seekers, the bus drivers have as yet received little or no support from Israeli law enforcement.

Judaism’s watchword is Justice, Justice shall you pursue.  The failures of the authorities to enforce justice mock this credo.  These defalcations also undermine the Zionist ideal in our   Declaration of Independence of Israel as a Jewish and Democratic state respecting the rights of all inhabitants..  They also mock the biblical command that we Jews are to be a light unto the Nations.  Mob rule in Israel is intolerable darkness.

It is also incredibly stupid.  We are under enough pressure over the Gaza War. Lawlessness and the mockery of justice strengthens our enemies when we need support from friends.

Finally, the Prime Minister has spoken out against settler violence.  He has said the rule of law must be sustained. We can hope that the Government does actually act to curb these excesses.  But nothing appears to have been done yet.  Words are not enough

The Government also needs to protect bus drivers and peaceful assemblies of Israelis, both Jewish and Arab, who seek reconciliation.  The Likud members in particular who have sustained the Government must act to preserve the state by supporting law enforcement.  No state, let alone our beautiful Israel, can countenance mob violence perpetrated by factions running rampant.

Israeli devotion to law derived from our thousands of years of history should win out.  But we must push history in the right direction.