Opinion: The punch to the face that IDF soldier gave the left-wing activist in West Bank city says a lot more about the Israeli political and social sphere than a busted lip or swollen eye ever could

Every Israeli Jew, regardless of political affiliations, should feel the impact of the punch a Givati Brigade soldier directed at the head of a left-wing activist on Friday in Hebron.

It’s not just the physical weight of the assault, but a mental anguish that comes with what that punch symbolizes about the way Israelis of opposing political wings are treating each other.

"שמאלנים אני אשבור לכם את הצורה" - תיעוד: חייל צה''ל תוקף את העיתונאי אלי ביתאן
Soldier assaults civilian in Hebron (Photo: Twitter)

 

Not even the electoral triumph of the Right in the November 1 ballot can possibly justify the violence of IDF soldiers toward a group of Israelis whose political views are not aligned with their own.

Being a mere pawn in a much larger political paradigm, I don’t lay the blame at the feet of the soldier himself. He’ll wake up in a cold sweat one day, long after his military service has concluded, and realize the ugliness of his actions.

Hebron, the eternal city of our fathers, has become a representation of everything that is twisted, obscene and wrong about the occupation. As unlikely as it may seem now, a certain realization will eventually trickle down to that soldier as well. The realization that occupation has a price and that unbeknownst to him, he’s paying it.

He will also understand how blindly following someone like Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has never served in the military himself for associating with Jewish groups labeled as terrorist organizations, is not a sound long-term strategy.

A Palestinian woman takes cover behind an Israeli soldier holding up his riot shield during clashes in the West Bank city of Hebron
A Palestinian woman takes cover behind an Israeli soldier holding up his riot shield during clashes in the West Bank city of Hebron (Photo: AFP)

 

The soldier in the video said he hates “leftists.” That’s fine. He’s free to hate anyone he wants. But whether he’s aware of it or not, some of the people he serves with, and puts his life into the hands of in armed conflict, share the same leftist views he despises so intensely.

It was never much fun to serve in Hebron. It was the scene of a massacre in summer of 1929, in which over 70 Jews were murdered by their Arab neighbors, and that intense hatred still lingers.

Bizarrely, it’s considered a stronghold for both Hamas and Jewish right-wing extremists like Ben-Gvir – and that is what makes this city so combustible.

Palestinian demonstrators loyal to the Islamic movement of Hamas march during a protest in the West Bank city of Hebron
Palestinian demonstrators loyal to the Islamic movement of Hamas march during a protest in the West Bank city of Hebron (Photo: EPA/ABED AL HASHLAMOUN)

 

A substantial part of my own military service was in Hebron. I was even wounded there during a firefight with Hamas gunmen, and was treated by Dr. Baruch Goldstein who later massacred Muslim worshippers at the Cave of the Patriarchs.

Years later I returned to Hebron, this time in my capacity as a Palestinian affairs correspondent, and the first thing that I noticed was how nothing has changed. The hatred, resentment and bloodshed were all still present and accounted for.

The soldiers still fulfill their duty, dealing not just with militant Palestinians but also left-wing and right-wing agitators. It’s exhausting and thankless work, and it grinds you down.

עימותים ליד חברון
Security forces in altercation with Palestinian protesters in Hebron (Photo: Reuters)

 

The Jewish and Palestinian populations live in close proximity. Conflicts are endless and the soldiers always have to be the first to respond.

That said, it is still incumbent upon IDF commanders and specifically the Givati Brigade commander, Col. Eliad Maor-Muati (I served with him during conscription and reserve duty), to instill in the young soldiers an ever-present awareness that hurting civilians, be them Jews or Palestinians, is never the object of their service.

It’s about defending Israel against external threats, not against those who don’t share your political outlook.

As reported by Ynetnews