The events of the last several days have reawakened thoughts about my father – sad memories of long ago.

I loved my father but it wasn’t always easy.  He served as a navigator on a B-24 bomber in the South Pacific during World War Two.  He survived two crashes and witnessed atrocities committed against American and Australian soldiers which he never fully processed.  He came home with what we now know was a severe case of PTSD; afflicting him until his death more than 40 years later.  I never knew the boy who went off to war, only the man who returned.

He was a man who held  great anger towards the Japanese.  He would not sanction or buy anything made in Japan.  He recognized that it was not rational – but coming in contact with these products brought back the memories he could never sever nor ever share.  A man of internal contradictions – he was a victim of time and events he could not control.  As his son, all I could do was love him unreservedly – and have compassion for his ability to raise a family.  He was, and still is, a hero to me.

All of these memories lead me to the front page story detailing the destruction of Christian iconography by soldiers of the IDF. Of course, the events themselves are deeply troubling. Clearly it was wrong, contradicting the ethics and policies governing the actions of the Israeli Defense Forces  but only by a transparent investigation which identifies all guilty parties can we hope to eradicate this type of behavior.

But, equally troubling are the responses to this incident. There is a lack of context which must also temper our response.  The communal condemnation has been too simplistic.

This war is ongoing and shows no signs of abatement.  Much like my pwn father and the young people he represented, an entire generation has witnessed atrocities and been forced into conflict that will remain with them and their loved ones for decades to come, perhaps even for a lifetime.  Yes, there are what some are calling “bad apples” fighting in Lebanon and Gaza – but they are also teenagers and young men with families subjected to the stresses and pressures we (who are living in safety) cannot fully appreciate.

Condemn the actions, but have compassion for them as they battle the  insane conditions they live in.

There is an old Hasidic tale of a man who goes to his rebbe and asks for advice:  “Rebbe, my son has become a non-observant Jew – how should I deal with him?”

The Rebbe asked, “Did you love him before?”

“Of course,” said the father.

“Then,” the Rebbe said, “Love him more now.”

I believe that the efforts of the IDF and our community will not be in vain.  But our future comes at the expense of this entire generation.

All of this brings to mind the quote attributed to Golda Meir “We can forgive the Arabs for killing our sons. But we cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their sons”.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)