The most depressing thing I read yesterday

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Friday, March 20, 2009 - 4:58 PM Share

This article in Haaretz:

During Operation Cast Lead, Israeli forces killed Palestinian civilians under permissive rules of engagement and intentionally destroyed their property, say soldiers who fought in the offensive."

EXPLORE:MIDDLE EAST, ISRAEL/PALESTINE

(5)

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BILL KELLER

8:32 PM ET

March 20, 2009

Making murder palliative...

use the word "permissive"...as in "permissive" environment.

MDREW

8:12 AM ET

March 21, 2009

But!

But Tom, Ha'aretz is a radical left-wing, Israel-bashing rag! Surely you know this!

JAMES S.

1:10 PM ET

March 21, 2009

Doesn't make sense

I find this very interesting. If the ROE was so permisive why did they kill so FEW! Every civilian that is killed is a tragedy but, if the the blurb you pasted is accurate (My gov't computer is blocking the link), there should have been far more of them. Why was most of the property damage to Hamas infrastructure? It was widely reported that Israel was calling ahead to tell people to leave buildings that were about to be bombed. Why would they do this only to have their soldiers do the dirty deed in person. This does not pass the common sense test. Don't fall for it Mr. Ricks

JAMES S.

6:55 AM ET

March 24, 2009

Thank you

You prove the point I was trying to make that the article was misleading. From the article posted it makes it sound like the IDF was deliberately targeting and abusing civilians. As you pointed out, the IDF went out of it's way to avoid civilian casualties and damage only Hamas related infrastructure. Considering the apparent skill of the Israeli soldiers and the lack of it in Hamas, I would assume a more permisive ROE would have caused far greater damage and civilian casualties than the .1% you pointed out. After all, it would be far easier to call in mortar or artillery fire on a sniper in an inhabited building than go into that same building and kill just the sniper team inside. Less risky as well. If Israel wanted to punish all Palestinians and not just Hamas it could have accomplished it's mission with carpet bombing and artillery, then sent in buldozers to push the ruins into the sea. They would have endured fewer Israeli casualties from it. They did not. I do not believe the Israelis had a permissive ROE. Maybe my definition of permisive and that of the authors are different. I do not think this is so. My thoughts are that the article is misleading. Unfortunately, I also believe it was deliberatly so.

JAMES S.

7:47 AM ET

March 24, 2009

Note to the above:

I am not advocating that Israel wipe out Gaza. I am trying to get across that Israel could do this if they were to ignore the media and international opinion and accept that they would have burned all their bridges and have no allies in the near future. It will be an ugly day if Israel ever asks its self "Why do we even bother trying to do the right thing?" and decides the best way to avoid being called villainous is to become the villain.