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Systems, Society, Snipers and Soldiers(50:51)
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First, VOI’s Dov Lipman shares his thoughts on burning issues in Israel. He explains why he is against the government decision to leave conversion in the hands of the national rabbinate, arguing that it will lead to an intermarriage crisis. He expresses hope that a future government will change this policy and make conversion more accessible to immigrants from the former Soviet Union. He also condemns the minister of religious services for saying he does not view members of the Reform movement as Jews. Dov clarifies that this is not the position of the state or of most Israeli citizens. And he applauds the Supreme Court for its suggestion that the prime minister cannot serve as head of other ministries.
Then, Dov is joined by Israel Democracy Institute president and former MK Yochanan Plesner, who claims that a mere 50 days into the new government, “Israelis are unhappy with both the government and the opposition.” Plesner says that the system makes it impossible for anything to get done, asserting that it has to change. He also reveals poll results on the gas controversy and the issue of the government not funding cultural events based on ideological disagreements. A former officer of an elite commando unit, Plesner explains why he is against a bill proposing the death penalty for terrorists, calling it “un-Jewish.”
Then, Dov is joined by Aviv Spialter, an IDF sniper who was wounded in Gaza during Operation Protective Edge. Aviv talks about this experience in the war, including the destroying of terror tunnels and the caution he and his men took to make sure that civilians were not harmed.”We did not shoot a terror suspect because he was holding an innocent woman in front of him,” he recalls.
Finally, Dov is joined by Matan Katzman, one of the founders of “My truth,” a new organization made up of IDF soldiers who travel the world to tell the truth about the morality of the Israeli army — to combat the lies being spread about it. Matan describes how his unit treated a Palestinian who had a heart attack, in spite of this being something that placed the soldiers in danger.