A former Israeli soldier has been found guilty of the manslaughter of a Briton

Zombrex

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4625355.stm

BBC wrote:

A former Israeli soldier has been found guilty of the manslaughter of a Briton shot in the Gaza Strip in 2003.

Some justice finally for the Hurndall family. But, as the report says, this is the exception rather than the rule to how the Israeli army deal with their trigger happy members. Hopefully this will send a message that they can't just shoot at anything that moves in Palestine, including children and peace activists. :mad:

Hobbes

That was pretty sad when I heard it first. Israel have stopped this from happening by making foreign people sign a waver before being allowed enter the Gaza strip. Basically makes them legally immune to killing them by *accident*

.. What is really sad from this is if the person wasn't British absolutly nothing would of happened.

Sand

.. What is really sad from this is if the person wasn't British absolutly nothing would of happened.

And British wrath wouldnt have counted for anything if IDF wasnt a military force with a system of standards and justice.

Zombrex

Sand wrote:

And British wrath wouldnt have counted for anything if IDF wasnt a military force with a system of standards and justice.

Not quite sure what point you are trying to make, but the IDF is notorious for not persuing cases of innocents being "accidently" shot ... of the numerous forigen and palestinians innocents killed by the IDF, this case (were something was actually done) is the exception rather than the rule

Sand

Not quite sure what point you are trying to make, but the IDF is notorious for not persuing cases of innocents being "accidently" shot ... of the numerous forigen and palestinians innocents killed by the IDF, this case (were something was actually done) is the exception rather than the rule

I've no doubt theyre notorious for a lot of things. When youre fighting a lobby group that can turn this into this, youre never going to come out the other side in the running for beatification.

I just thought Id highlight that the IDF has investigated and punished the crime that occured, something thats often lost in the rush to demonise the IDF as having some unspoken policy of assassinating camera men, aid workers, and so on.

Some might view this case as proving the IDF carries out murders. Others might view it as proving the IDF punishes murders. Depends on your perspective.

Zombrex

Sand wrote:

I've no doubt theyre notorious for a lot of things. When youre fighting a lobby group that can turn this into this, youre never going to come out the other side in the running for beatification.

Well I think crushing her to death with a bulldozer probably did a bit more hurt to the IDF image than any Palestinian spin :rolleyes:

Sand wrote:

I just thought Id highlight that the IDF has investigated and punished the crime that occured, something thats often lost in the rush to demonise the IDF as having some unspoken policy of assassinating camera men, aid workers, and so on.

Actually I pointed taht out by posting the article, while at the same time pointing out that the IDF is continuing to ingore the mass of other cases like this one.

Sand wrote:

Some might view this case as proving the IDF carries out murders. Others might view it as proving the IDF punishes murders. Depends on your perspective.

And others, like myself might view it as "about time, now if they could punish the rest of them, and stop doing it in the first place"

Do you think we should be all standing back going "well done" to the IDF for doing what they should have done years ago in this case, and continue to ignore in other cases?

Sand

Well I think crushing her to death with a bulldozer probably did a bit more hurt to the IDF image than any Palestinian spin

Well it certainly had a lot to do with turning a....complicated person... into a martyr with full blown angelic pose. I mean seriously - a play?!? What the **** next? A movie deal, with Claire Danes in the lead role, being tossed in front of the bulldozer by the cackling IDF commander whilst she reminds the audience of the need for the international proletariate to unite against the neo imperialist policies of the G8, and to become vegan?

Her coffin must have looked like a formula one car with all the fecking exploitation of her after her death.

Actually I pointed taht out by posting the article, while at the same time pointing out that the IDF is continuing to ingore the mass of other cases like this one.

It kinda got lost in your claiming the IDF are trigger happy psychos gunning for aid workers and activists. So lost in fact you didnt recognise the point I was making by commenting that the IDF had tried and punished the crime. Despite now claiming you were making the same point all along.

And in any case, the comment you objected to was in response to Hobbes post in which Hobbes implied that the IDF had a deliberate if unofficial policy of assassinating media and aid workers.

Do you think we should be all standing back going "well done" to the IDF for doing what they should have done years ago in this case, and continue to ignore in other cases?

No but we should recognise that the IDF is a lawful, regulated army of a democratic and lawful state, and that the demonisation of it is merely a tool in a political conflict.

One other interesting thing that hasnt been commented on is that the solider in question was an Arab, living in Israel, participating in its society and serving in its armed forces. That says a lot to me about the IDF and Israel in general, certainly a lot more than simplistic analysis of the IDF as some sort of Jewish Gestapo.