IDI President Yohanan Plesner: 'Against Rally for Soldier Who Shot Neautralized Terrorist'

IDI President Yohanan Plesner today came out against the decision to hold a rally on April 19 in support of the IDF soldier who shot dead a disarmed Palestinian attacker in Hebron last month.

IDI President Yohanan Plesner today came out against the decision to hold a rally on April 19 in support of the IDF soldier who shot dead a disarmed Palestinian attacker in Hebron last month.

Plesner said: "We should strengthen the army's ability to continue to be strong and ethical. According to the last Democracy Index, the IDF is the most-trusted Israeli body (93.4%) among the Jewish public – and justifiably so. The officers and soldiers of the IDF have earned their reputation. Our soldiers are faced daily with complex situations and in the majority of cases they succeed in responding in a way that is consistent with proper ethical norms.

"Holding a support rally for a soldier that shot a neutralized terrorist harms the strength of the IDF because it erodes the very values on which the army stands. Legally, this soldier must receive the rights he deserves, he must be able to explain his own claims, and have those claims properly represented. But making claims against the Chief of Staff and the IDF in general is dangerous.

"We must understand that the root of the legitimacy of the IDF to fight terror comes from its operational and ethical considerations. Unlike terror organizations, the IDF has no instructions to execute. We must support the officers and the legal system even when they are dealing with complex situations and allow them to do their work professionally."