The IDF is all of us, whether we actively serve or not

There never seems to be a shortage of obnoxious anti-Israel chants, such as “Free, free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Add to those, the latest, “Death, death to the IDF,” first heard by rapper Bob Vylan during a recent performance at the Glastonbury music festival in England. The same chant was repeated at a pro-Palestinian demonstration outside of the Welsh Parliament less than a month later.

But this catchy little phrase, joining the others in a chorus of resistance, is not one that can be ignored or trivialized. Because, despite the blatant threat of murder to those who serve in the military, it’s really directed at all Israelis.

The IDF is composed of our sons, daughters, granddaughters, grandsons, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts, fathers, and even grandfathers. In short, the IDF is all of us. Whether we actively serve or not, it is our family, our flesh and blood, and the people of Israel who are protecting each one of us.

But it’s much deeper than that, because when there are serious accusations of war crimes, as well as claims of genocide, to the point that soldiers are in danger of arrest, when traveling abroad, then it becomes a question of who we are as a people.

Those who wear the uniform of the IDF were raised with the typical Jewish values of love of family, reverence for God and His creation, helping the poor and disenfranchised, meting out justice and fair dealings, as well as loyalty to one’s country.

To suggest that the more than half a million men and women who serve in Israel’s military are either turning a blind eye to starving Gazans or involved in a systematic campaign to wipe out its population, is to unequivocally proclaim that not one soldier has a moral compass, a working conscience, or a tender heart.

Because for the defamatory charges that have come forth against the IDF to be true, it would also demand a willing conspiracy of every soldier to cover up, fail to disclose, and be a party to evils being committed that have been defined as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

While there have been a few misguided groups of individuals who have complained about policy or the way operations are conducted, they remain a tiny minority of the Israeli military that, overall, sees the importance of defending their nation, especially after a brutal massacre on the land that is their beloved home. Willing to give up their lives for the families they love, many serve well beyond the time that they are required. Often physically and emotionally tired, they leave behind young children to fulfill an obligation they see as a vital charge.

It is the reason that we respect them so much and look upon them as some of the greatest heroes to ever walk the planet. The level of commitment displayed by these men and women is something that ignorant and lazy protesters are incapable of offering, because, to begin with, they lack the empathy and regard for others.

It is only through raising their voices corporately that these protesters lead others to believe that they, too, possess moral clarity and the selflessness which they, in fact, don’t. These are components sorely missing from a generation that has confused ideals, such as self-defense and true justice, by hailing terrorists as freedom fighters who are righting the wrongs that were done to them.

Sadly, the lack of ethics and values that eluded them, during their inferior politically-driven indoctrination parading as education, has now come into its fullness, as we watch the fruit of their convoluted logic.

Family, democracy, laws, gender roles, and most everything that society has held sacred has been challenged and redefined to be whatever others need them to be. Boundaries and lines of respect have all been blurred or removed in order to accommodate the Woke, the progressives, and the anarchists whose answer is to burn it all down.

That is why the military is especially held with contempt and scorn – because it are committed to the time-tested standards and reverential upholding of what has kept mankind together, even through dark periods that saw the worst dictators and regimes try to hijack freedom and liberty. The bondage and enslavement that they sought to enact was always defeated, but it came at the price of those who laid down their lives to do so.

Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the Islamic Republic of Iran are all modern-day extensions of those same evil agents, whose dream was to ruthlessly seize power, embitter the lives of all, and rule with the iron fist of dominance, demanding full allegiance to their demonic credo.

Such subservience to wicked men and their twisted ideals is a surrender to the life that we were meant to live, as God’s creation, under the banner of freedom, and that is why our military exists. They are the guardians of humanity, holding the enemies at bay, keeping them from the destruction that they wish to carry out as they attempt to “burn it all down.”

Knowing that this would happen is why we raised our sons and daughters with the best and most righteous values – those that come directly from the scriptures, a required academic subject in Israeli schools. From those laws and precepts, our children know the difference between right from wrong.

There is no confusion, conflating of values or mixed-up questions of morality. There is clear thinking, the ability to differentiate good from evil, and the divine imperative to fight for what is our inheritance and birthright. Those are not up for grabs nor will they ever be.

Yet, in that battle, we adhere to the respect for others and the humane regard that our faith commands us to extend to every living person. This is part of our DNA and the makeup of each IDF conscript. It is the reason that our reputation has always been above reproach, until now, when part of the enemy’s strategy has been to burn down our good name, along with everything else.

That cannot be accomplished, because we are all the IDF, embodying the godly attributes that we have learned. And although we may not be perfect, we are still the only ones chosen to be a light to the nations.

This article originally appeared on the Jerusalem Post and is reposted with permission.