Kent State Lesson

It's been 36 years since Kent State.

Here's one recollection/retrospection piece.

Yes, even in a democracy, a democracy much better practiced than in Israel, a burst of "civil war" can take place when civioians protest and the regime infrastructure oppresses, even unto death.

I've just quickly reviewed COS Dan Halutz's Independence Day interviews (here and here) and I can write with all confidence that he doesn't know the proper inter-relationship between the army and the civilian leadership of the country.

And the "handshake incident"? Read on:-

Hananel Dayan, the soldier who refused to shake hands with Chief of Staff Dan Halutz during a ceremony to distribute awards for excelling, was ejected from the Barak division, and will apparently no longer be able to hold a position of authority.

The decision was taken late on Thursday evening by the commander of the Barak division, Colonel Moshe Sheetrit, after he spoke with the soldier and with the battalion commander.

The decision to eject the solder was taken due to his behavior at the ceremony and the fact that he was unwilling to apologize to the chief of staff at a later stage. The IDF says it sees such behavior as a political protest which has no place among soldiers

.


But Halutz himself got political [in Hebrew] when he criticised the disengagement protestors for using the slogan "we will not forget nor forgive", saying it was taken for the Holocaust when it was the Rabin slogan after the assassination and was criticized [in Hebrew].


We've got a problem, a real problem here with this Army officer.

Remember Kent State!