The Supreme Value of Human Life

The Israel Defense Forces, or Tzahal as it is known in Hebrew, was founded in 1948 with the establishment of the State of Israel. The relationship between the army and its citizens is based on give and take; one day you come and defend your country and the following day your country defends you. The IDF was created in order to "defend the existence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state of Israel" and "to protect the inhabitants of Israel and to combat all forms of terrorism which threaten daily life." Born into a hostile environment, Israel, in acknowledgment of the political, financial and demographic factors surrounding its birth, decided on mandatory military service rather than a professional army. It is this fact that leads us to where we are today.

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When I decided to write about the recent war between Israel and the Hezbollah, a war that left behind it collateral damage and loss of life on both sides of the border, many ideas intertwined in my mind. As I sat and pondered what affected students on the Israeli side of the conflict, many subjects arose: cancelled exams, living in bomb shelters and the general fear surrounding the war. And yet ultimately another thought crossed my mind. It seems in the rush to end this war, the reason behind its beginnings has been forgotten, and they must not be forgotten.

One of the most powerful motivating factors for soldiers in a country with an obligatory military service is the claim that they will never be left behind. Whether alive or dead, the State of Israel has sworn to its sons and daughters, because that is exactly what they are—our sons and daughters—that they will always return home. This is a fact of life for soldiers in their active duty, as well as for reserve soldiers. It is important to note that almost 80% of the Israeli military is based on its reserve forces; they are the driving force ensuring our security.

On July 12th, two reserve soldiers were captured by Hezbollah forces. Ehud Goldwasser aged 31, a Master’s student at the Technion in Haifa and Eldad Regev, aged 26, who studied law at Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv. Not two months ago, these two students were most likely frantically studying for exams and writing papers when the day that changed their lives rolled around and they were called up for reserve duty. It could have been any one of us, but it wasn’t.

It’s been 37 days since their capture and slowly they seem to be disappearing from our collective consciousness. 34 days of falling Katyushas and wailing sirens in the north can help to haze anyone’s memory, but that does not justify this forgetting. Along with their disappearance from the local collective memory, it seems their position on the global scene is also one of a fading memory.

In a clear rush to end the bloodshed, a resolution was written up meant to solve all of our problems. This unfortunately is far from the truth. UN Security Council Resolution 1701 is as close to a farce as you can get. It calls for a cessation of violence on both sides, but there is no mention of the disarmament of Hezbollah, a group designated as a terrorist organization by such countries as the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. More importantly, the call to return our captured soldiers remains unanswered. Other than a short mention in the preamble of the resolution, the release of the captured soldiers is not detailed nor demanded.

Perhaps, as it seems from here, Israel has not quite found the right strategy with regards to returning its soldiers home. Israel has been fighting a war on two fronts, and it seems the fighting has been in vain. 116 Israeli mothers and fathers eulogized their children during the difficult days of violence which began with the kidnapping of two soldiers during a time of cease-fire, from sovereign Israeli territory with no proof of life having been provided on either of them. A war which began surrounding these soldiers lives, has ended with barely a trace of them.

Lost in the discussion about the ceasefire, Ehud and Eldad have been in the dark for 37 days. For them, sitting in unfamiliar surroundings, these 37 days must be longer than those we have experienced. When we entered this war, we promised to bring the boys home, and despite the talk of truce and cease-fire and putting to an end the loss of innocent lives, we have broken the most important promise of all, the promise of home.

If this was our goal, then indeed Hezbollah is correct in saying that we have lost this war.