*In video after video, soldiers document their atrocities, marking a new era of impunity.* by Seraj Assi, Truthout, July 21, 2024 https://truthout.org/articles/israeli-soldiers-flaunt-war-crimes-online-why-arent-they-held-accountable/
Israel’s genocide in Gaza may go down as the first genocide in history where the perpetrators have documented, posted, shared and celebrated their crimes on social media. Over the past 10 months, Israeli soldiers in Gaza have taken photos and videos of themselves while they blew up homes and schools, and tortured captives. To boast of their atrocities against civilians, Israeli forces have routinely filmed themselves demolishing residential blocks in Gaza, which they proceeded to share online. In June, an Israeli soldier filmed himself walking triumphantly amid the ruins and rubble of a destroyed neighborhood in Gaza, while boasting: “We were asked to clear the area. Blow it all up. What can I do, I’m an obedient soldier. Tomorrow there won’t be anything here.” . . . Many photos feature soldiers basking gleefully in the ruins of bombed homes, schools and hospitals. A recent photo, taken in the wake of a horrific massacre in Gaza City, shows a group of Israeli soldiers posing, some with smiles, in front of a destroyed hospital they had converted into a military base. . . . The posts are often accompanied with messages bearing genocidal contents and pledges to annihilate Gaza and ethnically cleanse Palestinians, which echo statements by top Israeli politicians and military leaders. Some of those posts show soldiers dedicating a destroyed Palestinian home to family members, friends and even celebrities. In one video, a soldier dedicated a demolished house in Khan Yunis to the Israeli singer Eyal Golan, who has called for the annihilation of Gaza. Another was filmed detonating explosives in Palestinian neighborhoods in Gaza while saying, “This is yours, mom.” . . . These photos and videos, which are widely shared on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, represent a growing culture of impunity. Together, they bear witness to the brutality of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza and its unfolding horror. These posts not only shatter the myth of “the most moral army in the world,” but show to what extent the dehumanization of Palestinians has been normalized in Israel. . . . Some of the soldiers who murdered Palestinian children have been hailed as heroes by the Israeli military and political leaders. In March, Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir saluted an Israel Defense Forces sniper who shot a 12-year-old Palestinian boy, saying the soldier “deserves an award.” Ben-Gvir has called on Israeli soldiers to kill children and women in Gaza. Bone-chilling reports by Israeli outlets reveal that soldiers have been told “it’s permissible to shoot everyone” in Gaza, children included. . . . This is the same army the United States is funding and arming to the hilt, and lavishing with billions in tax dollars, unconditional diplomatic support and defense from criminal trial. The U.S. has even allowed tax deductions for Israeli settler groups who block humanitarian aid to Gaza. Despite overwhelming evidence of Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza — much of which has been proudly provided by Israeli soldiers themselves — Congress has decided, with bipartisan blessing, to welcome Benjamin Netanyahu, a genocidal war criminal, who will address U.S. lawmakers for the fourth time on July 24. He is set to receive standing ovations, and likely more funds and weapons, and a license to massacre more Palestinians. This is plainly a bipartisan nod to genocide. . . . -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#31255): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/31255 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/107497887/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/8674936/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
