Comments on: Mossad Number 2’s Daughter Refuses IDF Service

By: Rui

Rui — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:54:17 +0000

This is a copy of the letter sent to Omer, in prison.

To the officer reading this letter,

The content of this letter is not political or in anyway offensive to the Israeli position regarding its foreign politics or its security issues.
The main goal of the letter is to provide some personal comfort to someone that as been arrested to defend her ideas, without any physical harm to anyone or anyone’s property.
Considering the current (and past) situation to which Israeli people are imposed upon, with their lives and properties being targeted, I believe this an attitude worth of admiration.
I beg of you, Sir, to let these words come to her knowledge, in the hope that one day may pass a little bit easier to a 19 year old teenager locked in a prison, without causing anyone’s harm.

For that, I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Thanks

To Miss Omer Goldman

In the past 5th October (yesterday) a news article about you was written in a Portuguese Journal (http://jornal.publico.clix.pt/default.asp?url=%2Fmain2.asp%3Ffd%3DNEXT%26page%3D6%26dt%3D20081105%26c%3DC).
I cannot stop to say how impressed I was by reading your story.
Although it describes an inevitable situation, a personal deadlock in which you are (between what you believe and your personal comfort), it does so, with lightweight speech without the drama that is usually used in such statements (usually with commercial purposes). Still, the sadness reflected in this article is clear, … and comprehensive. As I felt touched by your words, I could not stop to think: “She is only 19”.
For someone of your age, to be ready to go through such an ordeal, in order to maintain your moral credibility, in a pacifist way, it is very impressive. In a landmine of hate and resented and unsatisfied people, it is so much easier to give in to hate, and use it. Yet you didn’t. You stand you ground, … and keep your integrity.!!! This attitude shows a maturity well over your age. And yet “She is only 19”.
I wouldn’t do it. I’m honest and straight forward: I wouldn’t do it!
I don’t consider myself someone who lets things by, just because everybody else does, but getting myself arrested, intentionally to prove a point, I believe to be out of my range of abilities. For that reason I can’t show anything else but admiration for those who do that.

As you may read above (hopefully) this letter is not about your political positions, nor whether they are right or wrong, nor it is about the legitimacy of the state of Israel. This letter is the result of the answer to the question:
If I were to know about someone in jail, for pacifist reasons, for purely altruist reasons, would I be willing to help that person go by another day?

The answer is yes!
I wouldn’t do it, for an ordinary criminal, selfish, carrying the burden of pain caused to someone else,… but I do it for you. … and for your colleges which share this burden in the same facilities as you.
To all of you that read this letter, I wish these words may help you, and comfort you enough, to help your ordeal… one more day.

(ש”ע) הצלחה, מזל, מזל טוב

Rui

By: Richard Silverstein

Richard Silverstein — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:14:26 +0000

@gene schulman: I didn’t mean to imply that you were being sexist. I only meant to comment on my own feelings when I first saw her image, which probably mirrored yours. It isn’t very common when an inner soul mirrors outward beauty, which apparently is the case with Omer.

By: gene schulman

gene schulman — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 05:10:05 +0000

Richard,

You missed my point about Omer’s beauty. I was not being sexist (I’m old enough to be her great-grandpa, for goodness sake. Were it otherwise.). The moral is that, in spite of her beauty, beneath the surface can be found an ethic, principles, and courage. It’s because of what she represents, not how she looks, that I choose her for my pin-up. May my, and other’s, blessings help her through her ordeal.

By: Richard Silverstein

Richard Silverstein — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:37:57 +0000

@Acai Berri: What happens if I step into a street this morning & get run over by a bus? Bad things happen. Do you want a guarantee that not a hair on the head of a single Israeli will get mussed after a peace agreement is signed? Won’t happen. But are you willing to accept the very slim possibility that there may be some odd acts of violence against Israelis if the entire set of hostilities bet. all warrning parties are resolved & the great preponderance on both sides accept peace?

The problem with the Israeli right is they want ironclad guarantees that all Arabs will sit up straight & sing Hatikvah to them if Israel signs a peace treaty. Won’t happen.

By: Acai Berri

Acai Berri — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:00:36 +0000

All of this is nice and good, but what happens if Israel withdraws to the 1967 borders, does not accept the right of return, and the Qassams keep coming, this time from the West Bank and E Jerusalem?

By: Daga1

Daga1 — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:44:07 +0000

@Eyal

I am amazed you are able to determind Omer’s motivation for being a refusenik. Your remarkable statement leads me to believe you a) know her intimately , are b) clairvoyant or c) a compulsive liar.
To act conscientious is never selfish,neither is it the easy way out. Ask Mordechai Vanunu or brigadier Yiftah Spector who wrote:

“These actions are illegal and immoral, and are a direct result of the ongoing occupation which is corrupting all of Israeli society. Perpetuation of the occupation is fatally harming the security of the state of Israel and its moral strength.

It is people like these two, and Richard here, Phillip Weiss, Uri Avnery,Noam Chomsky,Norman Finkelstein and many others–and yes, Omer Goldman that makes me believe that there is hope for a restoration of jews reputaion of being humanists of high moral and a peaceful solution in ME based on justixe, not military superiority.

Last,but not least: Your assertion that “Israel is a lighthouse among dark and corrupted countries.” was indeed “Pièce de résistance ” in your contribution.
Off the top of my head I cannot name a single political leader in Israel who has not been corrupt. That makes Israel more a cesspool than a lighthouse.

By: Richard Silverstein

Richard Silverstein — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 05:15:37 +0000

@Devil’s Advocate: THese are all vast, & largely empty generalizations. Do you think a member of the “pampered elite” would choose volutuntarily to submit herself to unlimited prison time for the sake of her principles? You’ve got it, & her all wrong, bud.

By: Peter D

Peter D — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:05:31 +0000

Eyal,
Richard is right: you don’t have a clue. It requires much more courage to be a refusenik in a country like Israel than to be a good boy or girl and serve like everybody (besides the exempt ones). To withstand the condemnation of almost the entire society and still hold your own - even if we forget about the prison term (myself spent only one week in the military prison, even that as an officer - still, no fun to realize you’re no longer a free man anymore). I am coming from the same place as you, also served more than 4 years in the more dangerous posts and I say: this girl - and other refuseniks like her - has more balls than I by far. I keep asking myself whether I would have the courage to refuse, understanding the things about occupation that I do now, and I want to hope that yes, at least refuse to serve in the territories, but it is easy for me to say not facing the real test; in reality the societal pressure and danger of ostracism may be to hard to bear.

By: Warren

Warren — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:56:57 +0000

I also appreciate and understand the irrelevance of her beauty to the topic and issue at hand, wherein she shows great courage and moral discernment. But hey, as a guy I have to profess she’s very pretty. She’s a beautiful noble dissident…

By: Devil's Advocate

Devil's Advocate — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:09:36 +0000

I think the phrase “child of the pampered elite” is very accurate. Look at Aviv Geffen, who is related to the late Moshe Dayan. You don’t see Mizrachi Jews behaving this way! Only the “elite” are allowed to throw tantrums.