So why exactly is Israeli slaughtering protesters?

[OneFootInTheGrave]

to respond to OP: Because they can.

If you could, you would too, right?

[Az]

Wait wait wait:
"Syria's state news agency said 23 people were killed and more than 350 were injured."

Isn't it the same news agency that is now blatantly lying and covering up tens to hundreds of deaths daily in Syrian protests? Hasn't it shown that it's nothing more that a puppet for the Syrian government? Does not the Syrian government have a very current, relevant and vested interest in changing the focus from it's internal issues?

yawn. Israel is literally hitler.

[Asher]

So Israel didn't open fire on them, then?

Smoke and mirrors from an Israeli. I'm shocked.

[loinburger]

The IDF has admitted to firing on the crowd. But don't let that deter you from chanting that Israel can do no wrong.

Edit: X-panda'd

[Arrian]

"We're better than Syria" (or some other nasty dictatorship) isn't exactly a defense.

Or is the argument that Syria's news is untrustworthy (I agree) and thus Israel did not, in fact, kill ~20 of these people trying to cross the border (IDF admits to firing, but downplays casualty figures)?

All in all, I think this was an overreaction by Israel, far less troublesome than other Israeli policies (settlements being #1).

-Arrian

[dannubis]

"We're better than Syria" (or some other nasty dictatorship) isn't exactly a defense.

Or is the argument that Syria's news is untrustworthy (I agree) and thus Israel did not, in fact, kill ~20 of these people trying to cross the border (IDF admits to firing, but downplays casualty figures)?

All in all, I think this was an overreaction by Israel, far less troublesome than other Israeli policies (settlements being #1).

-Arrian

This

[Az]

The IDF has admitted to firing on the crowd. But don't let that deter you from chanting that Israel can do no wrong.

Edit: X-panda'd

As someone who is familiar with how this works, I know precisely what "firing on the crowd" means -it is part of "stop suspect" protocol, which entails firing shots - in the air, near the legs. "Shooting into body mass" is employed only under very certain conditions. Noone says "look we are better than the Syrian government" - this is quite obvious, and I am far from saying that the Israeli government is always right, but looking at people in the deep west posting all high and mighty, and completely accepting a report of the events by the Syrian government news agency?

meh.

[Al B. Sure!]

The entire conflict routinely puts the men and women of the IDF in difficult situations. However, it does seem to me, that they're a little quick on the trigger at times.

And while it has been almost 30 years, there were incidents in South Lebanon in the 80's between IDF and joint US-Lebanese forces (such as that with a Captain Charles Johnson) that spurred then Marine Commandant General Barrow to write of a systematic pattern of harassment by the IDF that resulted in "life-threatening situations, replete with verbal degradation of the officers, their uniform and country." He went on to add:

“It is inconceivable to me why Americans serving in peacekeeping roles must be harassed, endangered by an ally... It is evident to me, and the opinion of the U.S. commanders afloat and ashore, that the incidents between the Marines and the IDF are timed, orchestrated, and executed for obtuse Israeli political purposes.”

And, as for the incident with Capt. Charles Johnson:


My point is Israel and the IDF have a history of behaving in a manner that can best be summarized as 'not giving a ****'. It is telling that the US military has had little real 'in the field' interaction, in a Middle East combat zone, with the IDF and when the US has (in Lebanon both in the 50's and the 80's), US and IDF forces nearly came to blows.

[Zoetstofzoetje]

your part of the world is a hornets' nest with opposing claims and ideologies. this particular instance cannot be explained by and of itself, but only as part of a long and complex dynamic.

still, you're outnumbered and surrounded. i wonder what will happen when the north american military/money pump stops flowing.

[Al B. Sure!]

We give Israel craploads of money and weapons but it is interesting that during both Gulf Wars, Israel did not participate. Granted, the US not seeking Israeli military assistance had a primarily diplomatic basis to not antagonize the Arab states or the Arab population of Iraq but it would not surprise me if there was an element of thought in the highest echelons of the US government and the Pentagon that the IDF would **** things up. That perception is certainly possible, given General Barrow's statements.

[Hauldren Collider]

We give Israel craploads of money and weapons but it is interesting that during both Gulf Wars, Israel did not participate. Granted, the US not seeking Israeli military assistance had a primarily diplomatic basis to not antagonize the Arab states or the Arab population of Iraq but it would not surprise me if there was an element of thought in the highest echelons of the US government and the Pentagon that the IDF would **** things up. That perception is certainly possible, given General Barrow's statements.

You idiot. Israel didn't participate because Saudi Arabia refused to let them. Saudi Arabia was more important to have in the coalition than Israel because we were using Saudi territory as our base.

[Al B. Sure!]

You idiot. Israel didn't participate because Saudi Arabia refused to let them.

Like I said:

Granted, the US not seeking Israeli military assistance had a primarily diplomatic basis to not antagonize the Arab states or the Arab population of Iraq

And I said the perception is definitely possible, given General Barrow's statements which you conveniently ignored.

[Hauldren Collider]

The idea that Israel would screw things up is hilariously stupid. Israel's been fighting and winning against Arabs since 1948, and you seem to think that they were more likely to **** things up than our army whose last conflict (not including Grenada) was the Vietnam War.

[Hauldren Collider]

Oh yeah, then there's Alby's whole thing about Israel not giving a **** about civilian casualties. Pull the other one. On the contrary, Israel's astonishingly careful to avoid civilian casualties. Hezbollah and Hamas use human shields left and right, yet Israel spends absurd amounts of effort to warn civilians before they bomb buildings because idiots like you blame the Israelis for the fact that terrorists like to shoot rockets out of schools and hospitals.

[Asher]

The idea that Israel would screw things up is hilariously stupid.

Is it? They screwed this up. They screw up all kinds of ****. There's a reason every country on this planet is becoming more annoyed with Israel, and it isn't because they are awesome.