I wonder if he is on Facebook too – I'll have to tag him in the photo

"I wonder if he is on Facebook too – I'll have to tag him in the photo.”

The picture above was posted on Facebook by a female member of the Israeli Defense Force. It is a Palestinian prisoner, blindfolded and tied and the caption read, “IDF – the best time of my life”

When a fellow friend on Facebook commented on her post, “..That looks really sexy for you, Eden Abergil, the IDF soldier replied, “I wonder if he is on Facebook too – I’ll have to tag him in the photo.

While the world was outraged; how could Israel, a light among the nations let something like this happen? …Ms. Eden Abergil replied with this comment, “There's nothing wrong with the picture I uploaded to Facebook depicting handcuffed Palestinian detainees.”

I find it odd and quite hypocritical of American Jews, some of them who even supported and voted for the Bush/Cheney regime, who defended the Abu Gahrib prison photos to now look at Israel with a different lens. Humans, especially those accustomed to being powerless and who are now in the position of occupier, are inclined to behave badly.

Yes, they are both wrong, but aggression and war is inherently wrong. A military does things that are ugly, they kill, they force people do leave their homes, they destroy cultures. American Jews sometimes forget that a nation of Jews can act no differently than a nation of Americans, Muslims, or Russians. If you demonize and denigrate a group of people, you will have pictures like this one. And the response will be the same. Some will be outraged, some will secretly smile, and others will just turn the page and go on to the next unsolvable conflict.

My closing words to Ms. Eden Abergil, you’ve come a long way baby from being counted in a minyan.

Have a peaceful week

Nate Klarfeld