6-11-2014 A Coup? Nonsense! – Uri Avnery Gush Shalom

http://zope.gu-shalom.org/home/en/channels/avnery/1402670626

 

THE EXISTENCE of the army in a truly democratic state represents a paradox….

…The state of Israel was born in the middle of a long and brutal war. From day 1, its existence depended on the moral and material strength of its army. The army is the center of national life, the darling of its Jewish citizens. It is by far the most popular institution in today's Israel….

 

This is not the same army I swore allegiance to on the day it was founded. At the time, many officers were Kibbutz members, brought up in the spirit of socialism and solidarity. After 57 years of occupation, the army has become brutalized, many officers are settlers, many wear nationalist-religious knitted kippahs. The extreme right-wing religious parties make a deliberate effort to infiltrate the officers corps and succeed on a large scale.

 


Posted by Judith Ferster, AIME member

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