Israel Matzav

IDF's 'non-confrontational' approach with 'Palestinians' nearly gets four soldiers killed

On Friday, I reported that four IDF soldiers were nearly lynched on Thursday night in Hebron. At the time, I complained:

At least in Ramallah ten years ago, we were talking about two reservists on their way to duty. This is IDF soldiers going from one base to another. If you're going to expect them to go from Hebron to Kiryat Arba, at least equip them properly. Better yet, transport them in a secure manner.

As it turns out, three of the four soldiers were walking from Hebron to Kiryat Arba unarmed. That's absurd. And the armed soldier was the one who escaped(!) in the original report. Why 'escaped' rather than at least shooting in the air to scare the 'Palestinians' off? Here's why.

Residents of the local Jewish community blamed the IDF's non-confrontational policy vis-a-vis Arab rioters for the incident. “The fact that the soldiers did not shoot when they saw they were in danger is a direct result of the orders forbidding them from dealing with the Arab rioters [in Hevron] over the past few weeks,” residents said. Instead of putting a stop to violent riots, “IDF soldiers have been told to stand by and wait for PA forces, who are the only ones authorized to restore order.”

"This shocking incident should serve as a warning to the Defense Minister. While he praises the PA forces and cultivates them, the troops under his command have lost their power of deterrence,” they stated.

The 'residents of the local Jewish community' in Hebron are continually branded as hotheads who should be ignored. Except that this time, the IDF agrees:

The residents' opinion was backed by a commander from the Shimshon regiment, the regiment in which the soldiers in question serve. Speaking to Arutz Sheva's Hebrew-language news service, the commander warned that the IDF's policies regarding use of force were leaving soldiers with their hands tied in the face of PA Arab violence.

"We've been given orders that forbid firing in the air” to warn off attackers, he said. “If they throw firebombs at us, we're told to hide or to run away – that is the unequivocal order,” he continued.

"The situation is intolerable,” the commander stated. Soldiers are forbidden even to use non-fatal means of riot dispersal, such as tear gas or rubber bullets, when confronted by violent mobs, he said. “We can only use riot dispersal methods if the regiment commander gives his approval. There have been cases where they threw rocks and firebombs at us, we called the operations room to see what we could do, and we were told 'either wait for backup, or leave the area,'” he recalled.

Soldiers have been punished for firing warning shots in the air or using riot dispersal equipment even in cases where their lives were in danger, he reported.

"Why do they make soldiers carry so much equipment, if they aren't allowed to use it?!” the commander asked in frustration. “They enlist soldiers to fight terrorism, and then the top IDF commanders tie their hands and don't let them fight.”

Unbelievable. This would not be happening if Boogie Yaalon were Defense Minister. Read the whole thing.

If I were a soldier and felt my life was in danger, you can bet I'd use my weapon. Sitting in jail for a few months is better than being dead.

If anyone doesn't recognize it, the picture at the top is from the Ramallah lynch in October 2000.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:05 PM