Israel's Army Moral or Not?

What a surprise that the world media is catching on to the reports a local paper about supposed IDF atrocities in Gaza. Any smell of something that can be used to deligitimise Israel is grist for the mill of so many of today's journalists.

There is absolutely no confirmation of these "stories" and certainly no context. They do not tell us that the head of the pre-military academy whom they quote has a long history of conscientious objection in a country where military service has been existentially necessary throughout the 60 years of its existence.

They do not tell us that the old woman was approaching the soldiers after being warned not to. She was probably innocent, but could have been a suicide bomber. Moreover it is not clear that she was shot; it may simply have been the case th at there was an argument over whether to shoot someone who was approaching soldiers in a suspicious way. Plus the fact that other soldiers are now refuting these claims totally, but that does not fit "the agenda".

In the context of the woman and two children who were reportedly shot by a sniper after soldiers ordered them from their house, they do not tell us that civilians have been frequently used as suicide bombers.

And neither do they report that further investigation by Israeli media suggests both incidents may not even have happened: The soldier who reported both alleged events did not even witness them - he heard them as a rumour.

Regarding claims of immoral conduct on the military's part, a Givati Brigade soldier, said soldiers were given specific orders to open fire only at armed terrorists or people who posed a threat. "There were no incidents of vandalism at any of the buildings we occupied. We did only what was justified and acted out of necessity. No one shot at civilians. People walked by us freely," he recounted. A Paratroopers Brigade soldier who participated in the war called the claims "nonsense." "There are always a few idiots who act inappropriately, but the vast majority of the soldiers represented Israel honorably and with a high degree of morality."

Some NGO's have reported on the attrocities comitted by Hamas but stated that they could get no response from Hamas to these claims. Now isn't that a surprise!!