How To Fight a Self-Righteous War

Apparently, there is a big controversy in Israel over the conduct of the recent Gaza incursions, specifically as to whether the IDF engaged in untoward activities while in Gaza: further Accounts of Gaza Killings Released. Here is one anonymous informant's war story

When asked why that elderly woman was killed, a squad commander was quoted as saying: “What’s
great about Gaza — you see a person on a path, he doesn’t have to be armed, you can simply shoot him. In our case it was an old woman on whom I did not see any weapon when I looked. The order was to take down the person, this woman, the minute you see her. There are always warnings, there is always the saying,‘Maybe he’s a terrorist.’ What I felt was, there was a lot of thirst for
blood.”

I am not an Israeli. I have never served in the IDF. I have never served in any army, unless you count the little Civil War action figures I used to play with as a kid. But, I can tell you that the above is the product of a man who is either (1) a liar or (2) a sociopath. Either way, he does not reflect the value system of Israel, or the manner in which the IDF practices its craft. 

Now, this next guy is more plausible, since he was actually willing to attach his name to his statement, but mostly what he objected to was the "gung ho" demeanor of his commander

Amir Marmor, a 33-year-old history graduate student in Jerusalem and a military reservist, said in an interview with The New York Times that he was stunned to discover the way civilian casualties were discussed in training discussions before his tank unit entered Gaza in Januar

"Shoot and don’t worry about the consequences,” was the message from the top commanders, he said. Speaking of a lieutenant colonel who briefed the troops, Mr. Marmor said, “His whole demeanor was extremely gung ho. This is very, very different from my usual experience. I have been doing reserve duty for 12 years, and it was always an issue how to avoid causing civilian injuries. He said in this operation we are not taking any chances. Morality aside, we have to do our job. We will cry about it later.”

I didn't realize the IDF was allowing bedwetters to serve. I also didn't realize that Leftist cliches about "gung ho" soldiers are prevalent in Israel. Israel has been fighting a low intensity war of tit-for-tat for the last 25 years because of guys like this, guys who think that Israel's survival is dependent on meeting some ever shifting standard of behavior set by their enemies in the West and in the "occupied" territories.

Unlike the US Army, everybody has to serve in the IDF, even whiny grad students who are embarressed by "gung ho" commanders trying to motivate their troops as they go into harms way. If there is one thing we can learn from "Waltzing With Bashir" and other sources, the IDF carries peaceniks and anti-war activists within its bosom everytime it goes to war.