The soldier is not a murderer.
**
Have we lost our minds?
We are at war, a war against brutal terrorism.
Perhaps the soldier made a mistake, perhaps he did not.
Perhaps he believed that the terrorist had an explosive device and might use it at any moment and by shooting him it would save lives and prevent another attack.
Everything has to be examined by the highest levels as the most moral army in the world routinely does.
Judgment is not done by those sitting in their living room watching a B'Tselem YouTube video just seconds after a terrorist attack.
**
So why, for God's sake, did politicians and the media jump to conclusions so quickly?
Why would they be in such a hurry to condemn the soldier right after the video?
**
Having the back of our IDF fighters is not something we do with words.
Supporting them does not mean congratulating them after a successful operation.
As a commander and as a soldier I learned what support really means.
The wisdom of leadership is to give your support when it is the hard thing to do.
And the minimum we can do is to wait for a thorough and fair investigation before we seal someone’s fate.
**
We must investigate the incident in its entirety, but we must investigate it as an event that took place as part of a dangerous ground operation.
**
And above all -
Keep in mind that currently there are thousands of soldiers that are looking at us.
Soldiers who will have to save civilians after the next terrorist attack and they might even give their lives for it.
Soldiers, we are with you.
Always.