Gabbai Sasson raised a legitimate concern regarding the possible negative impact recent events might have upon the values of American modern orthodox students. Recent events in which religious youth have been accused of murder and security forces have been accused of torture may, according to him, have a detrimental effect upon the impressionable student.
On the other hand, based on personal knowledge of the educators in Israeli yeshivot, I see no real basis for such concern. Israeli educators, no less than their American counterparts, share Torah values that find murder and torture of innocent people to be a hideous crime.
I readily admit, that I am not familiar with all Israeli educators and institutions. Therefore, a parent sending a child to Israel should certainly verify that he trusts the Torah values of the individuals and institutions he has chosen to educate his son, as this is no less important than the level of Gemara that the student will be exposed to. However, to avoid sending a student to study in an Israeli yeshiva so that he shouldn't be exposed to spiritual dangers is to my mind, totally unreasonable.
bvracha,
R. Yair Kahn
