Newsletter:
Vol. 14, Iss. 1
May 2015
An Occupying Regime is Neither
Democratic nor Jewish
Yehuda Shaul
Sheldon Adelson recently implied that Israel does not need to be a democracy,
pointing out that there is no mention of the term in the Bible and that "God
did not talk about Israel remaining democratic."
While democracy is not an imperative feature of Israel for Adelson, Judaism
is. To understand his vision of the Jewish state's character, there is no
need to activate one's imagination or search in far away places. It is enough
to visit Hebron. The importance of the city in Jewish history is undeniable.
It is where, according to belief, the patriarchs are buried; where Abraham
settled when he reached the Land of Israel, and where King David was crowned.
For that reason, Hebron is the place where Israel's character as a Jewish
state should be examined, specifically where the meaning of Israel's Jewish
identity manifests daily.
Two weeks ago, we read the Chayei Sarah Torah portion, which describes Abraham's
purchase of the Tomb of the Patriarchs. In the last few decades, this Sabbath
has attracted hundreds of Jewish citizens to visit the settlements and pray
at the Tomb. On these days of religious significance, Israeli presence in
Hebron - both settlers and soldiers - increases.
This is not to say that their presence is minimal the rest of the year. Around
850 settlers live in the area of Hebron that is under full Israeli military
control (h2). They are Israeli citizens living among tens of thousands of
Palestinian residents of the city who are not citizens. In the last two decades,
the area, once a busy urban center that spans the Tomb of the Patriarchs,
the Old City and what was once a bustling market, has become a ghost town.
This change is the direct result of consistent military presence in the area,
a routine of settler violence against Palestinians, and probably more than
anything else, the strict policy of segregation enforced by the IDF in areas
under its control. This policy, that includes restrictions on freedom of movement
on certain streets for Palestinians both on foot and by car, began as a result
of the massacre of 29 Palestinians executed by Baruch Goldstein in February,
1994 in the Tomb of the Patriarchs. This situation has led 77 percent of businesses
to shut down, and about half of the Palestinian population of downtown Hebron
has left.
On days like Shabbat Chayei Sarah, the routine violations of Palestinian freedoms
and security in Hebron are intensified. During the first years of the Second
Intifada, when I was a soldier and commander in Hebron, we would impose a
curfew on the Palestinians - which meant they were prohibited from leaving
their homes and walking the streets; and more IDF patrols were deployed in
the Old City. Patrols are a daily occurrence in Hebron: Groups of soldiers
scanning the city, going into private homes of innocent people (chosen at
random) at any time, day and night, and randomly stopping people to "check"
them.
The IDF employs these patrols to make its presence known, to show the local
population who is in charge and create the feeling that they are constantly
persecuted. A feeling that there is no place where they are free of the watchful
eye and strong arm of the military. The soldiers currently serving in Hebron
act similarly: They also observe the religious days by increasing their presence
in the Old City.
Currently Hebron, maybe more than any other place, begs the question: What
does it mean to be Jewish in 2014? The city reflects not only Israel's deteriorating
democratic ideals, but also the character and substance we ascribe to Judaism.
There, and throughout the entire occupied territories, millions of Palestinians
are living under military control that they did not choose and in which they
have no say.
Their basic rights are being stripped in the name of Judaism in Hebron. People
are not free to walk in their own city on the streets on which they live,
in the name of Judaism. IDF warrants have closed down shops whose doors have
Stars of David along with racist hate speech often sprayed on them, in the
name of Judaism. Soldiers enter people's homes in the middle of the night
in the name of Judaism. Adelson's vision of Israel as a Jewish and undemocratic
state is being realized every single day in Hebron.
Some may argue that the reality in Hebron exposes the tension between the
state's Jewish and democratic features. I think this reality exposes a different
question: What is Jewish about imposing a military regime on a defenseless
civilian population? Does an occupying repressive regime deserve to be called
Jewish at all?
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What
is Jewish about imposing a military regime on a defenseless civilian population?
Does an occupying repressive regime deserve to be called Jewish?