Pushback on Gaza. From the Washington Institute for Near East Policy:
So far, there have been only a few cases of alleged serious misconduct
involving the "cold-blooded" killing of civilians, and these are in
dispute.
involving the "cold-blooded" killing of civilians, and these are in
dispute.
Ethan Bronner does the heavy lifting for the New York Times.
“When we entered houses, we actually cleaned up the place,” said Yishai
Goldflam, 32, a religiously observant film student in Jerusalem whose
open letter to the Palestinian owners of the house he occupied for some
days was published in the newspaper Maariv. “There are always idiots
who do immoral things. But they don’t represent the majority. I
remember once when a soldier wanted to take a Coke from a store, and he
was stopped by his fellow soldiers because it was the wrong thing to
do.”
Goldflam, 32, a religiously observant film student in Jerusalem whose
open letter to the Palestinian owners of the house he occupied for some
days was published in the newspaper Maariv. “There are always idiots
who do immoral things. But they don’t represent the majority. I
remember once when a soldier wanted to take a Coke from a store, and he
was stopped by his fellow soldiers because it was the wrong thing to
do.”
Thanks to Abu Muqawama, who calls it "apologetics." Agreed.
Hasbara Central Alert!!!
Hasbara Central Alert!!!
We need to immediately stem the tide of fierce condemnation that our beloved IDF ("most moral army in the world") has faced since some loose-lipped soldiers reported about the heinous (business as usual) actions in Gaza. We don't want to go so far as to say that IDF soldiers actually helped Palestinians in any way, as that would be tantamount to feeding one cockroach as you stamp out the rest. We don't want to report any cases where IDF soldiers actually touched a Palestinian (yuck!! Do subhumanity and subjewmanity rub off?). We need more reports like the touching one by Yishai Goldflam, who tells of an IDF ("most moral army in the world") soldier who made the shining ethical decision to return a bottle of coke that he had stolen from a Palestinian store.
"There are always idiots who do immoral things. But they don’t represent the majority." said Goldflam. I can't help but wonder how a few idiots in the IDF could produce so much excrement. Maybe because they're full of it.
PM
Take the damn can of coke, but stop the occupation and stop the killing!
Also, though, this demonstrates that brainwashed people, while displaying utter lack of conscience in major matters like murder, will display exaggerated nicety of conscience in minor ones. the Freudian term for this is 'displacement'.
I say 'brainwashed', not 'hyponotised'. Hypnosis can be just as long-lasting as brainwashing, but its moral (and other) dynamics are different.
Marginalize, make sure the collective is still represented in an exceptionalist and victimized manner.
Hell, under Bronner's world, the IDF are just victims of a smear campaign. Of course, under the pro-Israeli universe, hate is a burden that the Israelis will have to burden. Hasbara away any evidence to the contrary.
as a matter of interest, can our hasbara people tell us what they consider to be the second most moral army in the world? or maybe a few tips about the top ten? and the criteria involved? it shouldn't be that difficult, should it?
Let me help out Hasbara. The second most moral army was the Aparthied South Africa's army.
"NYT reports: Israeli soldier returned Coca-Cola to store in Gaza after his mates told him it was wrong"
This was your headline? Funny.
"Abu Muqawama…calls it 'apologetics.' "
I call it bull****.
I vote for the Hutu Interhamwe as the second most moral army.
They only hacked off children's arms in self-defense!
There are always a few israeli jerks who massacre thousands of people, uproot thousands of olive trees, bulldoze tens of thousands of homes–often on top of the inhabitants, divert the waters of the region to serve only Jews, build roads across other people's land in order to serve only jews, construct an illegal Nazi wall to annex 10% of the West Bank, elect reincarnated Nazi freaks like Avigdor Leiberman, manufacture t-shirts for entire battalions that glorify murdering Arab children and pregnant women, round up Palestinians by the tens of thousands and torture them in dungeons, massacre children at three UN playgrounds by incinerating them with white phosphorus and do other things which are "not helpful" to the peace process.
I remember one classic example of this sort, in TNR by Peretz if I have it right, about an Israeli special forces team occupying an arab house and forcing the family out for a particular operation, leaving a small sum of money on the table as they left.
When he says apologetics, he's referring to the Washington Institute report. And he says he's using it in the Greek sense, i.e. a speaking in defense. It sounds like you're deliberately misrepresenting him. He put those posts up because he recognises the importance of providing different interpretations of events.
Anyone else wonder why the soldier didn't just buy the coke?
Yo – Dick Witty – you are one doddering old Zio Pensioner – call your nurse for some new meds – Please go back to sleep – you are incredibly boring when awake.
Dick Witty enumerates for us, the goyim, that there is not just one – but two (and counting?) forms of anti-semitism (defecating in choice places – like on school desks – drawers to surprise others). Remind us gentiles whose only form of speech consists of canards and blood libels (feces in her washing machine and dishwasher) that perhaps one of the two forms of anti-Semitism doesn’t after all have to be genetic (though that is yet to be determined) – that perhaps our dissent is well meaning after all – although you might judge from my cynicism that I likely fall into the hard wired category (you know – the type that Abe says is genetic). But what do I as a student of all this hand wringing over Jewish identity conclude ? You need to straighten out your grammar. Perhaps your Talmudic obfuscations would make more sense – even to yourself. (sorry about that last phrase – a bit presumptuous I suppose). Oh don’t cry – we accept you in any condition. Call it "punitive shooting": just open fire on whatever you like. – be sure to give them a facial after you drop them.
When Col. Bat Guano in Doctor Strangelove refused to shoot a Coca Cola machine so a phone call could be made that would stop a war, his comment was: "That's private property."
What's weird is how the propagandists would think we would now regard this as praiseworthy.
So far, there have been only a few cases of alleged serious misconduct involving the "cold-blooded" killing of civilians, and these are in dispute.
The killing of civilians or any other war crimes is always "in dispute."
To this day Japan is trying to cover up Unit 731
Calling yourself 'the most moral army in the world' is a bit like calling yourself 'the world's greatest lover': nobody's gonna take you seriously.
I might have fixed the permanent italics. I think Shirin left a tag open.
Have a Coke and a smile!
Just leave the white phosphorus at home.
"Calling yourself 'the most moral army in the world' is a bit like calling yourself 'the world's greatest lover': nobody's gonna take you seriously."
For G-d's sake, don't tell my wife!
On "the most moral army in the world":
It appears like the IDF officers tell this to their troops–just a blanket statement like "English food is the best in the world." The Israeli defense minister has recently said it again: "The IDF is the most moral army in the world" in response to critics of what the IDF did in Gaza. Don't the American officers tell their troops the same thing, just not in a sweeping simple abstract statement? That takes more chutzpah–the total absence of humility. I know that the German soldiers were also told, and believed, that they were
the best, most moral in the world. Wonder how far back the IDF conceit goes?
Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi has affirmed that he sees the IDF as “the most moral army in the world” despite recent allegations of human rights abuses in Gaza. Addressing new recruits this week, Ashkenazi said the army will investigate all claims of improper behavior, but that if there were such incidents “they were isolated.”
How vomit inducing can it get?
I can't wait until the NYT prints
IDF returns life to all the little innocents it burned/shot/bombed/beat to death
But the clincher will be when they print
IDF soldiers return to give toys and candy to all the little amputees/paraplegics/PTSD-Victims/Orphans/Future-Suicide-Bombers it just created
I didn't even read the comments.
Olmert said so too–again in response to facts coming out about the Gaza OP.
Speaking of Vomit . .
Anyone seen what the delightful Melanie Phillips, Racist-In-Residence at The Spectator wrote recently?
off switch
Aww, the Little Rascals. . .OR: Melamine Phillips and the Art of Projectile Vomiting . . .