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Meanwhile, in Gaza…

January 13, 2009

….the IDF continues to do its utmost to prevent civilian casualties, according to this LiveLeak video.

YouTube version:

As I’ve said before, I’m amazed at how much capability the IDF is prepared to reveal as part of its PR campaign.  Hizbollah in Lebanon and the mullahs in Iran will be studying each of these videos in minute detail, and planning their counter-measures accordingly. This must be unprecedented in the history of warfare.

Posted in The political | Tagged , |

5 comments

  1. Meantime in Gaza:
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/13/gaza-israel-war-crimes

    The UN’s senior human rights body approved a resolution yesterday condemning the Israeli offensive for “massive violations of human rights”. A senior UN source said the body’s humanitarian agencies were compiling evidence of war crimes and passing it on to the “highest levels” to be used as seen fit.

    Some human rights activists allege that the Israeli leadership gave an order to keep military casualties low no matter what cost to civilians. That strategy has directly contributed to one of the bloodiest Israeli assaults on the Palestinian territories, they say.

    John Ging, head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency in Gaza, said: “It’s about accountability [over] the issue of the appropriateness of the force used, the proportionality of the force used and the whole issue of duty of care of civilians….

    The Israeli military are accused of:

    • Using powerful shells in civilian areas which the army knew would cause large numbers of innocent casualties;

    • Using banned weapons such as phosphorus bombs;

    • Holding Palestinian families as human shields;

    • Attacking medical facilities, including the killing of 12 ambulance men in marked vehicles;

    • Killing large numbers of police who had no military role.

    Israeli military actions prompted an unusual public rebuke from the International Red Cross after the army moved a Palestinian family into a building and shelled it, killing 30. The surviving children clung to the bodies of their dead mothers for four days while the army blocked rescuers from reaching the wounded….

    Israel’s most prominent human rights organisation, B’Tselem, has written to the attorney general in Jerusalem, Meni Mazuz, asking him to investigate suspected crimes including how the military selects its targets and the killing of scores of policemen at a passing out parade.

         by Peter Kemp January 13, 2009 at 5:41 pm

  2. Meantime in Israel:
    http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1054867.html

    The Central Elections Committee (CEC) yesterday banned the Arab parties United Arab List-Ta’al and Balad from running in next month’s parliamentary elections amid accusations of racism from Arab MKs. Both parties intend to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court.

    Members of the CEC conceded yesterday that the chance of the Supreme Court’s upholding the ban on both parties was slim.

    But trying to ban them. What does that say about Israeli democracy?

         by Peter Kemp January 13, 2009 at 6:20 pm

  3. Peter, that Guardian article is just the typical boilerplate we’ve been seeing for years from this source. At least you didn’t cite CommentIsFree (meaning, as far as The Guardian is concerned,’worth nothing’). If you dissect it, it’s just more of the same old, same old. As for the UNHRC, well, there’s an impartial body for you.

    As for your other citation:

    “The CEC voted overwhelmingly in favor of the motions, accusing the country’s Arab parties of incitement, supporting terrorist groups and refusing to recognize Israel’s right to exist.”

    I can understand that. Why should these parties be represented in the Knesset if they refuse to accept its legitimacy or that of the country of which people whom it represents? That said, let’s await the verdict of the Israeli Supreme Court.

         by Rob January 13, 2009 at 6:46 pm

  4. Oh Rob, you sound like such an innocent sometimes. As if these images could not be designed for the viewing pleasure of the IDF’s opponents. It is always what is not shown that is the kicker.

         by dylwah January 13, 2009 at 7:02 pm

  5. You mean it’s disinformation?

    It’s true that had not occurred to me.

         by Rob January 13, 2009 at 7:21 pm

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