The IDF is working with Human Rights Watch to figure out what really happened in Gaza last year. There are apparently a number of cases where HRW made allegations about cases the IDF wasn't aware of, or had different versions, so the IDF is working with HRW to gain access to their sources, including Palestinians.
This is a win-win situation. If the detailed investigations exonerate the IDF, HRW will have participated in the effort and won't be able to complain. If cases of wrong-doing are identified, the IDF will learn from them, as it learns from everything it does. If anyone needs to be brought to justice, that will happen, too.
I like it.
brought to justice yes, publicly bashed no (no pillory)
ReplyDelete- remember how distorted and gleefull the writing was on the two slapped on the wrist IDF soldiers recently?
Silke
Or HRW could simply ignore IDF participation claim they were lied to and strong armed and generally do what those racist morons do.
ReplyDeleteYaacov, did you catch this?
ReplyDeleteVictor
ReplyDeletethe Amnesty/Begg-story has been all over the London Times for some days now, I think the Nazi-collector one also. There seem to be some writers getting uppity about the excesses of PC these organisations amongst others are demanding of them. The tipping point will hopefully turn out to be that the police finally managed to nail and send to jail their No.1 complainer of racism thuggish policeman.
Silke
Silke, do you blog? From what I've gathered, you're in Germany. Please correct me if this is not the case. How would you characterize the beliefs you represent through comments on Yaakov's blog? To the right, left or center of the German mainstream?
ReplyDeleteVictor
ReplyDeleteI do not blog and I'm not the least tempted to start
- where I am on the Political Spectrum - no idea - as to Israel in German mainstream: in the old days I would have said definitely on the left, nowadays it would be definitely on the right (though most right pro Israel German pundits are former real leftists and thus tend towards rigidity)
- I try to keep my personal point of view grounded/rooted by checking whether things synch with my personal experiences i.e. by doing plausibility checks and by teaching myself about what good manners would demand
- that means applied to Israel: she is there, she issues passports, so she is for real - and I hate slandering, period
- as to left and right in general I believe Orwell had it right when he said something like
who doesn't want socialism to be possible with all his heart is bad and who does believe that it can work in practice is deluding himself.
Thanks for asking me to think about myself.
Silke
Your comments here have proliferated. You should consider blogging; if anything, to record your own thoughts, for posterity. I've been trying this lately.
ReplyDeleteVictor thanks for the advice
ReplyDelete- I'll limit my comments
Silke
Silke! To the contrary, I was trying to imply that more people should have access to your comments (and your perspective in general). As I enjoy Yaacov's blog, I tend to follow every comment thread, usually peppered with what have become familiar commentators, including you. Your comments consistently add good points I had not considered, thereby my enthusiasm at urging you to publish them independently. I'm sorry if I offended you; that was not the intent.
ReplyDeleteVictor
ReplyDeleteyou did not offend me in any way
- and thanks for the voluptuous compliment
- actually you helped me
- for days if not weeks I have been thinking I shouldn't plaster myself all over the place i.e. thinking a bit longer and then come up with something more pithy and condensed - but maybe I start plastering myself all over your place instead ;) - I had a look this morning and found it hard to resist
- you gave me the prod I needed to promise myself to now do it for real and hopefully stick with it
- and as to my own blog I get very quickly disgusted with a lot of the voices out there and then stop and I admire Yaacov greatly for the skill and unobtrusiveness with which he keeps things civil around here
Silke