בס”ד ה’ באייר ה’תשפ”ו

As we celebrate Israel’s Independence Day, we should pause and think about the responsibility that comes with speaking on behalf of the Jewish people. Recently, an article was published criticizing Israel after an incident in which a soldier broke a religious statue during operations. I deal with these kinds of issues regularly, and one thing needs to be said clearly: good intentions do not excuse serious mistakes in judgment.

The author of that critique wrote that if he had known the military had already dealt with the situation, he would have begun by praising them. But that is exactly the problem. Why publish before checking the facts? When you lead a community that relies on you for accurate information, it is not enough to say, “I didn’t know.”

A simple inquiry to the proper authorities would have made things clear. The matter had already been handled at the highest levels. Working in tandem with military and government oversight, the leadership ensured the situation was addressed with the gravity it deserved. The soldiers involved were immediately........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)