An obligation and a moral imperative

A cloud of dust enveloped the SUV as we drove through Quarry Sil’it Adumim. Responding to a phone call from a local “head man”, we were driving towards a wadi in which a group of Jewish settlers were heading. Kayed ka’abneh, the head man of a small Bedouin village in the Judean Desert, below Jerusalem, who we had picked up on our way, was worried the settlers were going to steal or kill the village sheep, which were grazing in the wadi.

Our driver, Matan, a Rabbis for Human Rights fieldworker, navigated his way through the quarry, past gigantic earth moving machines and up onto a ledge overlooking the Wadi.

I turned to see another SUV, this one military, pursuing us at close quarters. I could just make out the markings: Mishmar HaGvul-Border Police. They had been alerted to the fracas, by whom, it was not clear. Having driven as far as possible, we exited the vehicles, the dust still settling, falling like snow onto our clothing. I walked across to the Border policeman, in his distinctive dark uniform, his rifle slung low over his back.

“Who are you?” he asked in Hebrew. I explained we were accompanying the Rabbis for Human Rights. We established I was from Australia. His response to this, to be expected, was “why am I engaging in something that was none of my business?”

There was much I could have said in my response. I have defended Israel against those who delegitimize it. I am committed to speaking out when Israel’s enemies demonize it and our connection to it. But I cannot remain silent when the actions of some of Israel’s politicians and certain extremist groups run counter to our values and Israel’s founding ideals.