A schoolgirl riddled with bullets. And no one is to blame

[Englander]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1332219,00.html


Chris McGreal in Rafah
Thursday October 21, 2004
The Guardian


>>The undisputed facts are these: it was broad daylight, 13-year-old Iman al-Hams was wearing her school uniform, and when she walked into the Israeli army's "forbidden zone" at the bottom of her street she was carrying her satchel. A few minutes later the short, slight child was pumped with bullets. Doctors counted at least 17 wounds and said much of her head was destroyed.

>>On the day she died, Iman left home shortly before 7am for the short walk to school in Rafah's Tal al-Sultan neighbourhood. The school, facing the heavily militarised border with Egypt, is under the shadow of a towering camouflaged Israeli gunpost.

>>Like almost every other building in the area, Iman's school is pockmarked by bullets. Last year, a 13-year-old boy was shot dead by the army outside the school. This year, two pupils and a teacher were wounded by bullets inside the grounds.

>>This week, the officer responsible for the Gaza strip, Major General Dan Harel, completed his investigation and pronounced that the company commander had not acted unethically in the shooting of Iman but was being suspended for losing the confidence of his soldiers.<<

[LiberalVoice]

1. Of course he didn't act unethically.

He was shooting a palestinian.

:puke:

This a perfect example of how I absolutly don't understand how anyone can call themselves a liberal and be pro-israel. "They have a right to defend themselves. They have a right to live in peace." They say.

Well, I say anyone who supports Israel is just as big a pig as the repugs are. Fascist scum.

[gottaB]

3. pro-Israel does not mean condoning every IDF atrocity

I will say "Israel has a right to defend itself. Israelis deserve to live in peace." I won't say that IDF soldiers have a right to execute schoolgirls, or that peace is likely to be achieved through military action. Does that make me a pig? Fascist scum? I think you could understand the distinction here if you wanted to.

Would you say that Palestinians have a right to self-determination and self-defense? Would you say that they deserve to live in peace? I would. I won't say that the Qassam Brigades have a right to slaughter schoolchildren, or that peace is likely to be achieved through terrorist attacks. Is that so difficult to understand?

There are people who look upon each newly reported atrocity as an opportunity to throw stones at their foes, which brings out apologists who will defend their side against any and all condemnation. That sort of rhetoric is easy enough to understand. But is it a reflection of liberal views? Is it wise? Is it edifying in any way?

The politicization of empathy would seem to be a fact of life. If empathy can be politicized, even to the extent that, by allowing itself to be informed by militarist dogmas, it abnegates its natural aversion to all forms of suffering, what then would a liberal politicization of empathy look like? Would it entail pluralism? Would that also be a gross perversion of empathy? Perhaps, but it may yet be liberal.

[bemildred]

4. Indeed.

Dead Israelis are no better solution than dead Palestinians.
Sanity begins with admitting that they are bad, both bad, both
similarly bad. Killing does not lead to peace, it leads to more
killing.

[Matilda]

7. The biggest bad in this case is that of the IDF commanders

who decided that the mutilation never happened (unless they want
us to think the Palestinians did it).

The failure of the Army to condemn such excesses is inexcusable.

[bemildred]

8. Fish rots from the head.

Expediency rules in Israel today, and the trend is not to
ethics, morality, and rectitude. One does occsionally see
something done, but without consistency it does not accomplish
much.

[bayby]

5. This liberal can recognize the difference between

firing an unguided rocket across the border at a country which has invaded your land and the cold-blooded murder of a schoolchild (and mutilation of her body). Is this a gross perversion of empathy ?

[bemildred]

6. I think he agrees with you. Why not be nice? nt

[colonel odis]

2. this is why many people see zionism as an excuse to kill children

n/t