Chief Rabbi of Tzfat writes that the Azaria verdict is not moral because it weakens the IDF while strengthening the terrorists.
Judge Maya Heller and her colleagues must console themselves by saying that they at least acted according to their consciousness and morality when they see the chaos they have brought to the IDF.
Well, you should know that their verdict is, first and foremost, immoral, even if the judge read it for two and a half hours.
There is no morality in having mercy on enemies who come to kill our soldiers. There is no morality in breaking the spirits of the soldiers who risk their lives to protect us. How is it moral to give strength to a cruel and merciless enemy when there is nothing between us and ISIS except the strength of the IDF alone?
The Sages of Israel, who were a little bit smarter than you, said about morality and the excesses of self-righteousness: 'The great humility of Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkolos destroyed our home, burned our Temple, and exiled us from our land. The great humility which a rabbinic authority took upon himself in the middle of a battle against a foreign enemy caused the destruction of the nation and an exile which lasted thousands of years, the crucifixion of hundreds of thousands of Jews by Rome and the rape of hundreds of thousands of women. The Jews became prey for other peoples, being killed and robbed, for generations. Our Sages were wise men and all raised their objections to Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkolos, asking him to see the big picture as one might expect from a man of his status.
On this matter is is possible to say to Judge Maya Heller that her morality has broken the spirit of the soldiers. The heads of our attackers have been raised and the spirit of our enemies has been strengthened. There is no morality in a judgment which gives impetus to those who send boys and girls with numbers and knives. There is no morality in strengthening the killers and terrorists. There is no morality or self-righteousness which rests on the backs of the soldiers. They is no morality in trying to beautify hate. In the eyes of Ra'ed Saleh and his followers we all bake matzot with the blood of Palestinian Arab children. All of us. Even you, Judge Heller.
What could console Mrs. Heller and her colleagues is the knowledge that in three to five years she will be appointed to serve as a Supreme Court Justice. Her friends on the left will take care to promote her to assume a position of great influence quietly and out of the spotlight, unless Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked will remain vigilant and put a stop to the promotion which apparently began when the Chief of Staff knew the "judgement" ahead of time in front of everybody. He decided to promote Judge Heller in order to achieve this verdict. (should that be called bribery?)
Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu is the Chief Rabbi of Tzfat and a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council.
