An apology: I purposefully didn’t spell out the name of my refusenik from yesterday’s post. This was very rude. I’m not even sure why I did it. It’s been bothering me and I wish to make amends. Yishay Mor. There.

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Fact: Young soldiers often behave cruelly and inhumanely at checkpoints. Proffered solution: Cancel checkpoints.

If our front door proves ineffective in stopping burglars (and it’s ugly, as well), do we decide to remove it altogether? Or do we take steps to improve its effectiveness (and give it a new coat of paint)?

Checkpoints are bad, but right now they are necessary for the security of Israeli citizens. Until the day comes when they can safely be cancelled, they must be improved. How? By teaching the nineteen year olds that man them to behave more humanely. By utilizing conscientious, mature army commanders like Yishay Mor to be there with them as guides. Not hysterical, screeching, hostile peace activists, but people they can relate to and respect, fighters like themselves, with military authority, sent by the army for this specific role (I know military, hierarchic organizations well enough to understand that this has to come from inside, and from above, with a lot of emphasis put on educating officers and commanders that are not officers to ensure that they understand and support the move).

And this could work in other missions, not only at checkpoints - during searches in people’s homes, for example.

I can well understand the exhaustion of people like Yishay, but if they really care, how can they give up? How can they step aside? There are things they can do. We need them. Here, not addressing young people in Dublin.