Former Givati Brigade commander Ilan Malka is among the IDF officers under investigation for war crimes in Gaza
On July 18, a bombshell report appeared in the Israeli daily Yediot Aharanot. The article, which has only been published in Hebrew and was buried on page 8 as a small news item, stated that 550 officers and soldiers who participated in Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip in late 2008 and early 2009 have been questioned by IDF military police about possible war crimes the IDF committed during Cast Lead. Among them is the former commander of the Givati Brigade, Ilan Malka, who was interrogated for an air strike that resulted in the killing of 21 members of one family in Gaza City. At least one other soldier is accused of using human shields, or “use of neighbor” tactics. In fact, nearly all battalion commanders who participated in Cast Lead have been interrogated regarding their conduct. Maybe Judge Goldstone wasn’t so crazy after all.
A full translation of the article is below:
YEDIOT AHARONOT Sunday, July 18, 2010 page 8
Officers under interrogation
550 OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS OF “CAST LEAD” HAVE BEEN INTERROGATED.
By our military correspondent Yossi Yehoshua
Brigadier Ilan Malka is not alone. More than 550 officers and men of IDF who participated in the “Cast Lead” operation have been interrogated by the investigative military police of the IDF in the last 18 months.
Last Friday “Yediot Aharonot” wrote that former GIV’ATI brigade commander [Ilan Malka A.O.] will be interrogated about an aerial attack in “Cast Lead” that killed 21 members of one [Gaza A.O.] family. It now turns out that hundreds more were interrogated, some more than once. Among the interrogated are almost all battalion commanders who participated in the operation and dozens of soldiers in regular service and in the reserves. It is a number without precedent in any other [Israeli A.O.] operation or war. Senior officers expressed their worry that this will create a situation in future wars where commanders in the field will think twice before carrying out problematic operations, due to fear of legal steps taken against them later. Battalion and platoon commanders who participated in “Cast Lead” find it difficult to go through the interrogations. One battalion commander said he had to spend his few days of Leave in interrogation chambers instead of with his family. He said “Even if they try to deny it the damage caused to commanders is immense” adding “It is an unpleasant feeling to risk your life for your country and then be interrogated about it again and again”.
So far the interrogations gave rise to a considerable number of disciplinary – and legal – steps. The most serious one was taken last week when the Chief Military Prosecutor, Aloof Avihai Mandelblit, decided to charge a Giv’ati soldier for committing murder. On another occasion he decided to court-martial a Golani battalion commander for ignoring IDF instructions forbidding “use of neighbor” tactics.
(My note: “Use of neighbor” tactic is the act where soldiers preparing to enter a suspected house force the neighbors to walk in front of them as a human shield.)
[...] Blumenthal published today a nice catch from the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot about how 550 Israeli officers and soldiers have [...]
[...] taken during the 2008-2009 “Cast Last” offensive against Gaza, columnist Max Blumenthal reported [...]
max.
how many marines, army or national guard have been interrogated as a result of actions taken in iraq and afghanistan?
this doesnt mean that goldstone was right…it just points out that the idf is the most moral army in the world
and as you cant read or speak hebrew, who did the translation for you
hope you have a wonderful tisha b’av
[...] Strip in late 2008 and early 2009 have been investigated by IDF military police for possible war crimes.” (thanks [...]
Walt Kovaks wrote
“max.
how many marines, army or national guard have been interrogated as a result of actions taken in iraq and afghanistan?
this doesnt mean that goldstone was right…it just points out that the idf is the most moral army in the world”
Yes I murdered Mary, but Bob murdered John, Dan and Sarah. Bob was never charged with his crimes, therefore my murder is justified.
That doesn’t mean the judge is right (about me being a murderer). It just points out that I am the most moral person in the world….
poyani, I’m realizing that there is a special Zionist logic that isn’t connected to anything that most of us call the real world. Murder makes you moral, and whatever anyone else does excuses you from any wrongdoing. And any disagreement means only one thing – you’re an anti – semitic nazi. It must be interesting to live inside that bizzarro world.
“Yes I murdered Mary, but Bob murdered John, Dan and Sarah. Bob was never charged with his crimes, therefore my murder is justified.”
You forget something:
“I asked myself whether my murder of Mary was conducted in a professional manner (not if it was justified). I then cleared myself and declared that I am the most moral person in the world. Bob didn’t do that, therefore Bob is not moral”
Why are there any prosecutors in any legal system? Why the police? Just have criminals investigate themselves and be done with it.
Once again max engages in sloppy journalism. There were 550 officers questioned as part of ongoing investigations…not because they are under suspicion. Heres a clue for you max…30 people can be interrogated to determine what happened in one incident where ONE person is accused of a crime. 550 people can be questioned for incidents where 15 people can be accused of committing a crime. The number of people questioned says nothing other than the thoroughness of the investigation.
Before we get ecstatic about the morality of the IDF, let’s try and remember:
1. Between 1,166 and 1,417 Palestinians (according to the Wiki page) and 13 Israelis were killed in the 3-week period.
The Israeli response was hugely out of proportion, and clearly designed to punish common Palestinians for their support of Hamas. An effective but viciously amoral strategy.
2. NO evidence was ever provided about how many of the more than 1000 dead Palestinians were in fact, involved in rocket strikes against Israel, or arms smuggling – the reasons for Israel’s invasion.
Does anyone NOT believe the majority were civilians? Please – try and make the case that they were all guilty and deserved to die.
3. A UN special mission and the UN Human Rights Council both found the IDF and Hamas guilty of war crimes; disputed by the Israeli Govt.
Clearly the UN is anti-semitic and Richard Goldstone a self-hating Jew.
All hail the most moral army in the world!
[...] Other News Bombshell Report: 550 IDF Officers And Soldiers Interrogated About Possible War Crimes In Gaza, Max … On July 18, a bombshell report appeared in the Israeli daily Yediot Aharanot. The article, which [...]
[...] News Bombshell Report: 550 IDF Officers And Soldiers Interrogated About Possible War Crimes In Gaza, Max … On July 18, a bombshell report appeared in the Israeli daily Yediot Aharanot. The article, which [...]