Shuval Bin Nathan was killed in Lebanon the other day. I bow my head and send condolences to his family.
But Shoval in his life has been a bitter adversary of mine and of anyone interested in any hope for this country.
A year ago (almost exactly) Shoval went out with his father and brother on Saturday on a scare spree from the Rachelim settlement where they live in the direction of the olive groves of the nearby village of Sawiya. Shuval spotted Palestinians smoking olives, raised his weapon and shot dead Bilal Salah, a forty-year-old fellow who was masking olives with his family. Shoval claimed in his defence that he felt in danger as stones were thrown at him, however videos of the incident clearly show he was lying. There was no violence on the part of the Palestinians. As someone who knows the family and the village and occasionally harvests olives there, I testify that the possibility of such violence being perpetrated while harvesting is far-fetched.
Shoval was a regular soldier and was interrogated by the military, and about a week later he was released without prosecution and without trial and returned to his unit. The Palestinians who were at the event were not interrogated, the videos captured by them were not taken. Anyone who thinks that only the civilian police allows crimes and allows the blood of Arabs is mistaken, the military police, namely the IDF, also support criminals.
Politicians from the right rallied to his defense, particularly the head of the Samaria Regional Council. “He was attacked by Hamasniks” lied and incited Dagan who repeated the incitement in a eulogy yesterday. Together with them, the leaders of the Hills youth experienced in the investigation rushed to Rachel that Saturday, with the permission of their rabbis, to brief Shuval on how to answer the investigators' questions. But there was no need to make an effort. The investigators were in favor of him. A Jew who kills an Arab, what's wrong?
Shuval's father, his uncle Ben Nathan, who was with him at the time of the murder, is the head of the “Fruit of the Land” yeshiva in Halim. “Yeshiva Katana” (yeshiva of youths) related to the Hasidic branch of Rabbi Ginzburg Mitzhar, the spiritual father of the “youth of the hills” who also gave her his blessing.
6 years ago, on the evening of Saturday October 9, 2018 (again October...) A banquet was held at the yeshiva that obviously included Hasidic enthusiasm. Those who walk around the West Bank know that the Sabbath commandment in the settlements includes desecration of pogroms and violence. So after the feast, the guys took a leisurely walk and came to the hill that dominates Route 60. On Shabbat it is also great to throw stones at cars on the main road because it is clear that everyone who travels in them is Palestinian, and if they're Jewish - a traitor who does not observe Shabbat.
One hurled rock, weighing two kilograms, hit a passing car and killed Aisha A. Ravi, a mother of eight from Bidya.
Even then there was a general mobilization of leaders for the protection of the criminals, led by the current Minister of Justice. Even then on Saturday, with a permit, Hills youth leaders were alerted to brief the offenders ahead of the investigation. Yeshiva rabbis (including most likely Rabbi Dodo Ben Nathan) testified falsely that the boys were with them at the time of the murder. But that partly helped, the police and the SHB back then were a little different, it was allowed to beat up and riot, but killing did not pass quietly. All were released except for a Zvi Neriya Lev who was then 16 years old, whose DNA was found on the killing stone. He was sentenced to detention which was subsequently converted to house arrest. Based on his name, I am guessing that he is descended from or named after Rabbi Neriya, the founder of the Kfar HaRoa Yeshiva and the chief rabbis of Gush Emunim. Let us understand that these are not Weeds. (He was admittedly then a minor but his name was published by his father in the press).
Going back to Shoval, at his funeral many things brought by the press were borne, but one quote, that of his brother, was censored. He opened the eulogy with cries and cries of “revenge, revenge” and then said “You went into Gaza to take revenge as much as possible, against women and children, in everything you saw, that's what you wanted. And on this day, a year after Simchat Torah, when we thought we had already slaughtered the enemy, slaughtered them all, expelled them from the land, we are here at your funeral.”
His mother said “a child of strength and truth and firmness of a soldier of King David.”
For all issues on the level the slogans of unity and the slogan of folly “Together we will win” - it's time to choose. Israel or Judah.
