Saturday, a couch and the weekend magazine

Haaretz Magazine arrives every Friday, in the morning. Each week I first read Family Affair, over my morning coffee or on the hopper. In either case, a ceramic instrument containing brown liquid is part of the ritual.

This week's cover feature is a profile of Yaakov Heruti, titled The Heruti Code.

This man has killed innocent civilians as a participant in clandestine paramilitary activity - before and after the founding of Israel. He's quick to exonerate himself of any terrorist activity. Heruti is a lawyer, so he's in the know.

He makes the claim that all of his actions are acts of a freedom fighter. Because civilians were not the targets of his operations, they were not acts of terrorism. That civilians were killed is the unfortunate side note to this reality.

But Heruti's pre-State activity led him to his post-State activity, acting outside the framework of the defense or security forces. This is in direct opposition to the democratic values of the country he worked to found.

So, it becomes incredibly problematic that Israel honors these pre-State Jewish/Zionist terrorist organizations. Both the Irgun and Stern Gang, in which Heruti was a member, have plaques and commemorating their actions and landmarks throughout the country.

An important point is made, however, that acts of violence targeting members of the defense establishment or state officials are not acts of terrorism. This holds true even for the Palestinian freedom fighters attacking Israeli soldiers. This is an act of war, not terror, Heruti says.