Enough is enough. Israel is committing war crimes | Opinion
The author Ehud Olmert
is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as the 12th prime minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009 and before that as a cabinet minister from 1988 to 1992 and from 2003 to 2006. [source: Wikipedia]
Nor is it possible to ignore what has been happening in some Israeli military units, including special forces, where the best and most daring soldiers serve. There have been too many incidents of cruel shooting at civilians, of destruction of property and homes, even when this should not happen. There is too much looting and theft from homes, about which in many cases Israeli soldiers have boasted. Some have gone as far as posting about their antics online. Israelis are committing war crimes.
There have been too many incidents of cruel shooting at civilians...
Is this the opposite of empathetic and humane shooting at civilians?
That's what they were doing before this whole Gaza invasion thing. Can't condemn that obviously.
I guess he means cruel as opposed to "accidental". He's trying to make clear that it happens deliberately.
My response would be.... Too many? What's an acceptable number of cruel shootings at civilians?
I mean, it gets worse:
even when this should not happen. There is too much looting and theft
Apparently he believes there are times cruel shooting at civilians should happen, and there's an overall acceptable level of looting and theft.
Seems like his issue is more about them getting caught doing it.
There's no 'getting caught'. They've been doing so publicly before, and they're doing it publicly now.
I think what upsets him is that their long-term vision of Israel is a right-win illiberal middle-eastern theocratic kleptocracy, and he prefers a neoliberal technocratic imperial republic.
He's not, like, a GOOD GUY, but I think in this instance his enemy is my enemy, and I think he's being pretty frank and sincere.
Don't get fooled by former israeli leaders. They are just exposing the truth in this current war but them themselves commit war crimes. Like Ehud Olmert used white white phosphorus while he was prime minister
This is just ass covering because history will not look kindly on state sanctioned mass murder.
Fixed spelling error.
It’s incredible. I protested against him in 2006 for his war crimes, and now he’s come around to admitting they’re happening.
I don’t know what it is with Israeli PMs. Ariel Sharon, himself a convicted war criminal, agreed at the end of his term that pulling out of Gaza was the only way to save Israel and keep their West Bank settlements. Olmert succeeded him and now admits Israel does war crimes. Does that mean in 2050 Netanyahu will admit war crimes took place and that he was against them?
I think this is a case of "things can always get worse".
He isn't saying that Israel committed war crimes under his leadership; just that it is doing so now. With the subtext of what is going on now is far worse than what happened back then. Which, as far as I can tell, is accurate.
I keep bringing this up to show how far Israel has slid. Back in 2007, Israel convicted a man for supporting a terrorist organization. In 2022, that man was appointed as the Minister of National Security; and he is a lynchpin holding together Israel's current governing coalition.
His political party, Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) is the successor of the Kach party, which was barred from public office in 1994 under Israeli anti-terrorism laws.
Prior to the 2018-2022 political crisis, the far right parties like Otzma Yehudit were a political third rail and essentially left out of governing coalitions in favor of relatively moderate parties.
They've been committing war crimes at least since the 60s and never had any consequences. The international community gives tacit approval day after day, month after month, year after year. It's no wonder they've become bolder and bolder over time.
Gaza is apparently the line where people start saying "steady on now".
It's like they all have to try it, personally, to figure out it doesn't work.
First, starving out Gaza. On this issue, the position of senior government figures is public and clear. Yes, we've been denying Gazans food, medicine and basic living needs as part of an explicit policy. Netanyahu, typically, is trying to blur the type of orders he's been giving, in order to evade legal and criminal responsibility in due course. But some of his lackeys are saying so outright, in public, even with pride: Yes, we will starve out Gaza. Because all Gazans are Hamas, there's no moral or operational limitation on exterminating them all, over two million people.
This is now a private political war
Implying there was a time when it wasn't.
Also before anyone gets too hopeful, this guy is a disgraced former politician who was jailed on corruption charges. He doesn't have the political baggage preventing him from speaking his conscience, which is pretty rich of him considering he led this particular escapade, but I digress. What I want to say is that this shouldn't be taken as a sign that Israeli leadership is speaking out against the genocide, because Olmert isn't Israeli leadership.
It is (and has been) both private and public. They are not mutually exclusive. The public war is fueled by private interests, but is also its own beast.
Even the fucking slowpokes knew this...
Fuck me, that’s somehow creepier than it has any right to be.
You're preprogrammed, through years of evolution you aren't privy to, to be terrified of things that look human but aren't, that move in unison. IDK what that says.
Wym 'opinion'
Opinion section of the newspaper, as in position pieces written by guests rather than reporting by news desk staff.
However, it is also a fact that Israel is committing war crimes up to and including genocide.
It can only be fact after going through some sort of tribunal.
It really doesn’t take a genius to come to conclusions about WHAT this really is, looking at the city. It looks like Hiroshima after WW-II.
Nuh uh!! That’s antisemitism!! Look what you’ve made us do!! Now you’ve made us bomb a hospital full of different semite children simply out of spite!! It’s actually you’re fault they are all dead and dying!!
Let them say it. Never forget who stayed mum while hundreds of children were vaporized every day for a year and a half but let them speak now.
Bombing kindergartners a war crime?
Also breaking news, the sky is blue