Vicious

When I was a kid, we played a "word association game." Someone would read off a list of words and the others would write the very first word to come to their mind. Sometimes the results were startling and funny.

If we were to play that game right now and say "Amona" I think that most people would say "vicious" or some synonym, like "violent" or "police brutality."

Last night on the TV news, there was a long report about the Knesset Committee to Investigate the Violence at Amona. I can only describe the newscast as "vicious," especially in the way that the "news anchors" attacked MK's Effie Eitam and Dr. Arye Eldad, who were both injured at Amona by police who knew exactly who they were. Yes, both men were well-known to the police, and not because they are criminals, the opposite. Neither are they anonymous back-benchers in parliament. One can see from the videos and photos that they were unarmed and just trying to talk to the police, to calm things down, when they were attacked by the police.

And last night when they were being "interviewed," or should I say "interrogated" by the "news team," they weren't allowed to finish their sentences. Dr. Eldad, whose arm is still in a cast, was treated like a dangerous criminal. He's a internationally well-known medical doctor, who specializes in innovative techniques for skin transplants for burn and accident victims.

The hearings won't really help solve the mystery, as the "defense authorities" have decided that it is "too dangerous" for the actual police commanders to appear and testify. Instead Shaul Mofaz, Minister of Defense, and Internal Security Minister, Gideon Ezra, defended their underlings. That's very noble, expcet that neither were present at Amona, and the pictures and other witnesses all testify and prove that they've lied. The reality at Amona was very different from the ministers' stories.

Just start with the reality--see the pictures--that to "control" the young, unarmed demonstrators, "state of the art" mounted police and "riot control, special forces" were brought with their batons, shields and modern armor.

According to some, they expected to terrify the demonstrators just by their appearance. But they failed. They didn't know how to cope with the demonstrators, young and old, walking up to them and innocently asking: "Why are you here?" "Why do you want to hurt us?" "We're all brothers." "We're all Jews."

For some peculiar, perverse reason, the police reacted viciously, and the results are well-known. There are too many pictures and first-person testimonies to claim that they were doctored.

It's very noble that the ministers in charge of defense and the police are trying to protect their underlings, but their real job is to protect innocent civilians from all sorts of dangers, and in this they have failed.

G-d willing, "nahafoch hu," there will be a "grand reversal." It is the Jewish month of Adar. "Mi shenichnas Adar, marbim b'simcha." "When Adar begins, joy will be increased."