BS”D
There was a time when a year in EY was the beginning of tshuva. Nowadays, I know far more kids who go OTD after time spent in EY than become frum. My friend spends days and nights with these kids and tries to bring them back or at least keep them away from Kikar Tzion and the like.
And yes, I believe that if we had gotten access to EY without the medine, that we would be able to experience the true kedusha of EY and that we would all be better off. For whatever reason, that is not what happened.
Justifying the murder of Yaakov deHaan HYD is totally beyond comprehension. DeHaan was acting only to try to prevent further defilement of the Land and conflicts with the Arabs. The plan he had may have been impractical, but it was hardly a threat to anyone. The Zionists, knowing deep down that they were wrong, just as the Mafia knows full well that it is an immoral organization, just wanted to show their power and rid themselves of any threat.
How dare you compare deHaan HYD and by extension Rav Zonnenfeld ZYA to an armed robber? The armed robbers were the Zionists, with their silly paramilitary forces, who brought danger upon the old Yishuv by bringing about tension with the Arabs and the British.