back to article Israeli raid scrubbed after errant Facebook post

Israeli military officials said they called off a planned raid on a West Bank village after a combat soldier posted its details on Facebook, according to news reports. The unnamed soldier included the time and location of the raid on his Facebook page and said troops planned to start "cleaning up" the village. After fellow …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Grenade

    Will we know the next time?

    I guess they will just delay the massacre that will never be mentioned on the news. This was only mentioned because of Facebook. If it went ahead, none of us will know about it. That is how the Israelis work. They will massacre villages and then the Palestinians will do an intifadah to revenge the killings and then that will be mentioned on the news. As far as the general public know, the Palestinians started the fighting and so there will be more support for the Israelis.

    For your reference, read the news about Lebanon, Israel have flown military flights into Lebanese airspace many times to try and get Hezbollah annoyed.

    1. BigRedS
      WTF?

      RE: Will we know the next time?

      "As far as the general public know, the Palestinians started the fighting and so there will be more support for the Israelis."

      Seriously, this isn't how it's been for a while. Israel is quite routinely condemned in the media for what it's doing. No more so than the Palestinians are, but since it's just 60 years of retaliations, really they're each as bad as the other.

      When the Palestinians react and it gets reported on, generally what they're reacting to is mentioned. The big problem is that there's so bloody much of it that people generally ignore both. Palestinian bombers rarely make the news, and neither do Israeli incursions tend to.

      Of course, you can find mindlessly pro-Israeli media, but the same's pretty prevalent for the Palestinians, too.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Follow the money

        I think Israel really wins the PR battle myself. It's all about the money.

        Of the $108 Billion the USA has sent to Israel over the years, (without even requiring accounting for how it's spent), I guess $10 - $20 Billion has been funnelled back into the US and West to keep media and politics favorable to Israel. (And also keep the money flowing).

        There was quite an interesting example of this in Dispatches, where Cameron received donations and removed criticism of Israel from his speech.

        (See 4 minutes onwards)

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTC4jbZ7hTY

        It's difficult to believe the sort of money that is spent comes from private source. IMHO it's more likely to be USA money recycled in Israel and funnelled back into the US & UK political system.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          UK copyright lows enforced on youtube!

          "...This video contains content from Channel 4, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds..."

          LOL

      2. Freddie
        Grenade

        I happen to dissagree.

        Even in this country (uk) the media is far too pro Isreal. At most there's a one sentence mention of the military op which prompted the retaliatory rocket launch which scared a child and surprised three cats in an Isreali town.

        I don't support the military strikes of Hamas on Isreali citizens but a quick tally of casualties in virtually any time period (within the last 20 years) shows how laughable it is to call such attempted genocide a war.

        1. BigRedS

          Predictably, I'd disagree with that...

          "Even in this country (uk) the media is far too pro Isreal."

          Really?

          They seem to be mostly apathetic at the minute. But even when they did last bother, when Israeli tanks rolled into the West Bank, there was much decrying of disproportionate force and talking about human rights abuses and the like. Didn't the BBC get in trouble for taking sides?

          "I don't support the military strikes of Hamas on Isreali citizens but a quick tally of casualties in virtually any time period (within the last 20 years) shows how laughable it is to call such attempted genocide a war."

          I do find this an interesting prospect.

          Let's say Israel decided that it would rather these be seen as 'war' than 'genocide'. What should they do differently? I know ideally they'd stop doing anything, but I'm just intrigued as to exactly which bit of this means it's attempted genocide rather than plain old war.

          Also, surely if it was genocide the population would be decreasing? I'd have thought that if Israel were to actively attempt genocide they'd be rather more efficient than they have been - your complaint is, after all, that the Israelis are too efficient.

          Either way, I've been in too many of these. Generally, once someone's picked a side there's not a lot you can do to make them see the other. Which is at least an honest re-enactment of what's actually going on.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Silence isn't golden

            "They seem to be mostly apathetic at the minute."

            Silent is the word, but since the Israeli lobby tries to shut down discussion that is not a good thing.

            "Also, surely if it was genocide the population would be decreasing?"

            Not if they breed faster than you kill them, does that mitigate the killing? Is it OK to kill Israelis, just as long as you kill fewer than they can replace? I don't think it is.

            "Either way, I've been in too many of these. Generally, once someone's picked a side there's not a lot you can do to make them see the other. Which is at least an honest re-enactment of what's actually going on."

            Not at all, lets talk endlessly about every single detail of Israels actions. What, after all, is gained by being silent?

          2. deepsixed

            Isreal

            Will this thing ever get resolved?

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Facebook

    Facebook saves lives! Cool!

  3. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    The West Bank doesn't even belong to Israel

    so they shouldn't be doing anything there, let alone planning "raids" on villagers.

    Give the guy a medal.

    1. BigRedS

      I'm not convinced they want it

      I think they'd just rather that whatever munitions are in the West Bank would kindly stay there.

      Seriously, there's nothing remotely appealing to Israel about the West Bank. Letting the population of the West Bank vote in Israel would create another Arab state, which would mostly defeat the point of the country.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        The West Bank has water!

        Israel loves the West Bank, that where all those illegal settlements are. It's full of resources, which they are taking from the Palestinians, building communities with green lawns, while across the street (and through the barricades and cell bars they've erected) the Palestinians have water shortages and go or days without water, while the Israeli homes have green lawns and swimming pools. Israel *loves* the West Bank, they just want it free of Palestinians.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Probably just as well

    They were probably going to 'arrest' a 15 year old girl for posting a blog...

  5. Sebastian Brosig
    Thumb Up

    facebook saves lives

    it's official. I hope this sort of thing becomes more common. But alas - information tech works for the hawks more often than for doves.

    Peace, sisters and brothers.

  6. Arnold Lieberman
    FAIL

    Epic fail

    I suppose that's what happens when you have a conscript army. Lucky Switzerland is't on any front lines...

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    Guilty conscience?

    maybe even their soldiers are getting fed up with killing.

    anon because I don't want a bunch of false passports coming after me

    black helicoptors because that's what they use for their police actions.

  8. Rumcajz
    Paris Hilton

    Aha

    I thought 'social penetration' meant something else entirely...

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    Paris because, well...

    I for one am in favour of a bit of 'social penetration'

  10. Paul 131
    Thumb Up

    Well after 62 years...

    ...of ethnic cleansing operations against the Palestinians, it just goes to show the mentality of the combat troops and it has made my day!

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    That Guy should be treated like a Hero of Peace!

    This cat got court-martialed and sent to jail for warning unarmed civilians that a para-military force was preping to attack 'em? HELL I think he should have gotten the Nobel Peace Prize instead of Obama, Other then being who and what he is, what the heck has he done for "World Peace"?

    Yeah that's right nothing but, contribute more c02 into the Atmosphere, about the things ~he'd like to do...~

    No I'm sorry if my post doesn't jive with the PC Libutards out there, that I'm somehow against the likes of a wanton state like Israel, to do what it wants, when it wants, as it sees fit.

    Flames cause I sense 'em coming

  12. Ihre Papiere Bitte!!

    Heheheheheheh

    I know it's kindergarten level, but still. "Social Penetration". Heheheh.

  13. Dan 10

    Stupid...

    ...or deliberate? Sounds like such a dim thing to do, as to be obviously not wise, but perhaps that was irrelevant?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      re: stupid

      Much as the Israelis might want to project otherwise, a fair proportion of the IDF is as lacking in common sense or interest in the job as any other conscript military. Go travelling in India or Thailand for any length of time and the image of them as precision trained killing machines rapidly evaporates (the 'precision trained' bit at least), as does the notion of the 'worlds most moral army' - not that that ever had any traction.

      Nineteen year olds with guns and a mission from God are the same everywhere - dangerous.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Friends of Israel?

    "You think that everyone is your friend?"

    Nobody is your friend. You even have to pay your supporters and turfers.

  15. Lionel Baden
    WTF?

    wtf !!!

    what did he post ???

    killing innocents @ village .... 10:30

    Lol

    1. Primar
      Joke

      I can see it now...

      Israeli Defense Force has invited you to: "West Bank Village Raid, bring your own ammo, 10:30 start!"

      Will you attend? Yes/No/Maybe

      Remove from my events

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Israel Google Adverts

    Do you want to protest against Israel? Do you surf a lot? Have you ever noticed adverts for Israeli companies using Google adsense?

    If you click the advert, they pay for the first click, and if you don't then buy from the site, you have cost them money and used up a little bit of their advertising budget.

  17. oddie
    Coat

    Ah, yes...

    The old 'my killer of innocent babies is morally more in the right than your killer of innocent babies' conundrum :) (why people ever feel the need to pick sides when two morally corrupt factions fight is beyond me).

    @AC 10:24: I believe that the entire conflict in that region has now in fact escalated to being exlusively fought by, for and against 15 year old female bloggers.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Why pick sides at all?

      We have the Serb Karadzic in the Hague on war crimes charges, and we've just arrested a Montenegrin war criminal too in Spain.

      So objecting to Israel doing another raid on civilian areas doesn't preclude arrest of either sides. There's also plenty of cells available in the Hague, no need to pick and choose.

      We'll get them soon enough. :)

  18. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    10 days -that's all??

    The idiot should have been shot!!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      10 days is pretty lenient I agree

      Mission obviously wasn't critically important, then again ye olde british forces of ww1 used to shoot and hang men suffering from shell shock as they were "cowards".

      On the other hand, <sarcasm> I just love the huge amount of pro palestinian terrorist supporters there are on the interwebs </sarcasm> I'm sure you will all be elated when they march you into Wembley with all the other "infidels" and shoot or stone you all to death. Of course you will all be standing there going "we brought this on ourselves, if we had only killed ourselves sooner they wouldn't have to do this to us"

      I frankly believe we need to bring back charges of sedition and treason soon, plenty of seditious and treasonous muppets out there, The writers and subscribers of the Daily Heil (making false allegations about RN personnel) and the granuiad (generally a pro terrorist newspaper) would be a good start to thin the numbers of the "enemy within" of all skin colours.

      I agree with debate, but many have crossed the line into supporting regimes which would do our country harm if given the opportunity - Iran, Hamas, Syria, Tamil Militants. Of course all the media shows are palestinian kids in hospitals without mentioning that hamas were using said kids for propaganda purposes by putting them in the line of fire, against international conventions, also forgetting conveniently about the "devout muslim women" who strap bombs to themselves and try to murder israeli men women and children by blowing themselves up at railway stations, on buses, in hospitals and schools.

      The current leadership of Israel are taking a hard line, but a lot of the time, I honestly don't blame them for taking said hardline. Especially when the other side consistently resorts to crimes against humanity, ignores ceasefires and encourages children to be suicide bombers.

      Also many european nations still require military service, finland, estonia etc and many of said countries have lower crime rates than ours.....perhaps requiring military service here might straighten out some of todays chavvy youth??

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Pro palestinian?

        "On the other hand, <sarcasm> I just love the huge amount of pro palestinian terrorist supporters there are on the interwebs </sarcasm> I'm sure you will all be elated when they march you into Wembley with all the other "infidels" and shoot or stone you all to death."

        Seems you wish that anti-Israeli criticism was really pro-Palestinian terrorist support. Making it easier to kid yourself that Israel is somehow virtuous.

      2. Freddie
        WTF?

        @Mike JVX

        Wow.

        Oddly, just because the murdering *astards aren't pointing their weapons at us doesn't mean I approve of them. While I agree that what the military wing of Hamas is doing is wrong I believe that the mass murder perpetrated by the IDF is also a very bad thing. On a much larger scale. While the "media shows are Palestinian kids in hospitals without mentioning that hamas were using said kids for propaganda purposes by putting them in the line of fire", it's hard not to as those crafty Hamas keep sneaking civilians into major cities/schools/hospitals! Damn them! The current leadership of Israel are taking the hard line because they're murdering, land-grabbing ****s.

        Given that it's actually Israel who've broken all of the recent cease fires, Israel forces its youth to take part in aggressive military operations and also commits crimes against humanity how do you justify your support? I just hope you're a troll.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Not trolling in the slightest

          Well not firing weapons from said areas would be a good start.

          Hamas are terrorists plain and simple and anyone protesting in support of them should be tried and jailed.

          IF you want to go back to WW2 you will find quite quickly the Rules of Engagement get broken by every side, its just recently due to media embeds and the "think of the children" obsession that people realise that civilian areas get hit..a lot in war, many times not intentionally, but it still happens.

          Do you think the UK wouldn't retaliate in a similar manner if we were under constant rocket fire from France? I'm pretty sure much of the media would be crying "Public demand cowardly government take decisive action against French Terrorists" or "Britons maimed in rocket attacks as govt sits idle" or "Govt waffles about human rights while children die in French rocket massacres"

          Neither side is in the right, but I'd trust an Israeli before Hamas any day of the week. At least Israel doesn't behead people or use its population as human shields. Unlike Hamas, who also like to run like cowards instead of standing and fighting, though what else do I expect from low life terrorists. All the time crying that they are "oppressed"

  19. Mister_C
    Grenade

    wimps!

    One of the Falklands '82 folklore tales is that the Beeb's world service announced attacks by paras on Goose Green before they happened. Didn't seem to slow them down much.

    Lewis may know better of course

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Paris Hilton

      I think you'll find

      That it was actually the PM, or one of her vegetables, who announced the attack in advance, as there had been little positive news since the landings until that time. The beeb duly reported it.

      The poor paras who had been lying up in relative comfort prior to the attack were plenty pissed off, as they had to disperse and post sentries in the freezing rain for the rest of the night.

      I think that there was some fairly high level communication from the military to gvt. the gist of which was "please don't do that again".

  20. Bumpy Cat
    Stop

    Oppressed people suck

    http://www.spectacle.org/0802/hogan.html

    Yes, many Palestinians are bigoted, terrorists and oppressive. Oppressed people suck! That doesn't excuse Israel acting as an occupying army and denying them self-determination.

    Yes, many Israelis are cruel and arbitrary occupiers of an oppressed land. Oppressed people suck! That doesn't excuse terrorist acts against them, denying the horrors they have lived through or hounding them for their religion.

    Both sides are just people. Understand them and try to achieve peace.

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    @ Israel Google Adverts

    And Google's tracking systems will ensure that they know about you doing this, and will sell this information about you to anyone who wants to buy it. You can guess who might want to buy it. Then your door gets kicked in by a bloke in a false beard carrying a British passport and a syringe of something silent but deadly.

    Don't use the googlemonster to bait other monsters, the monsters are all in league.

    (AC because I'm only a civilian, and the monster-proof suit I ordered from Amazon hasn't arrived yet.)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Google Translate

      "And Google's tracking systems will ensure that they know about you doing this,"

      Yeh, Google Brain search knows what you're thinking! Lucky for us it's still in Beta!

      Interesting, Google Translate now translates to Hebrew, even really expensive search words.

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    Falklands replay due soon?

    "wimps! #

    Posted Friday 5th March 2010 13:09 GMT

    One of the Falklands '82 folklore tales is that the Beeb's world service announced attacks by paras on Goose Green before they happened. Didn't seem to slow them down much."

    No, but then neither, reportedly, did H getting shot in the back by one of his own sgt's as he attempted to lead repeated failed assaults against well prepared and dug in defenders which was costing too many British lives either, still his family got a gong and pension, other families didn't loose fathers and sons. One might say its typical of the 'officer class', little tactical awareness leading to massive loss of life for little gain, unlike the NCO's who were proffesional soldiers... Conscripts and officers often make fatal mistakes, its just the scale that varies!

  23. Trevor Pott o_O Gold badge
    Pint

    I have an idea...

    The whole world should get together and give both Israel and Palestine as much military hardware as they could possibly want. We'll let them wipe each other out and then we can all go for tea.

  24. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I call it 'soft antisemitism'

    Europeans have a long ugly history of jew-hatred, and need be careful as their anti israel comments can be easily taken wrongly. For example, rather than shout "death to the Jews", they simply support those who do. Soft antisemitism - a good description, I think.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I call that an easy slur

      So; because some people very distantly related to me committed a series of abhorrent acts of genocide (for which my nation among others held them to account), two generations later I am supposed to shut up with regard to any illegal/immoral/murderous actions committed by the descendants of those targeted by that genocide and other historic crimes, lest I offend anyone? Correct?

      It would appear I am being singled out and disqualified from saying anything about Israel that is not glowingly positive based on generalisation and my genetic inheritance - my race, which sounds a wee bit like racial stereotyping or just good old fashioned racism. Fighting one evil with the same is a little contradictory, unless your moral compass is busted.

      Israel's apologists should try coming up with coherent arguments for a change, rather than cheap slander. I have always stood against racism in all forms, but that is not a requirement to hold an opinion. I don't dislike Jews; I dislike the state of Israel for it's actions, duplicities and slanders, and the only way in which that is 'soft' anything is that I don't hang around outside their embassy waving a placard often enough.

  25. Tom Harvey
    Boffin

    Propaganda posters you say

    <btard>Pics or it didn't happen.</btard>

    Actually I'd really love to see that, sounds hilarious.

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