The daily Haaretz on Wednesday reports that during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, soldiers used local Arab residents as human shields. The damaging information is provided by the Breaking the Silence organization, which quotes a Golani Brigade soldier. The soldier, in his testimony explains he did not see such a practice first hand, but was given the information by fellow combatants.
Readers are reminded that in the past, similar damaging testimony was released by graduates of the Yitzchak Rabin IDF Preparatory School, which lacked credibility as well and a subsequent investigation upheld the integrity of the IDF.
Responding to the latest information presented by the organization, IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Avi Benayahu was quite agitated, explaining that the organization is not a objective group seeking to find out what really took place, but an organization with a clear hostile agenda. He went on to explain that the group did not present the information to the IDF for an investigation, but it was given to Haaretz and 12 news s stations around the world. It is obvious from this that the organization is not interested in reaching the truth, but it prefers to make a news event of the information given by the Golani soldier without permitting the army to actual investigate and present a report on its findings.
Benayahu adds that all such incidents may be checked, adding on Wednesday morning that anyone who feels there is a problem, should step forward and file a complaint, which will be investigated. He defended the army’s operations during the counter-terror operation in Gaza and rejected the actions of the Breaking the Silence group, which prefers to turn to the media rather than seek to arrive at the truth before besmirching the name of the IDF in the global media community.
At a time when Israel is compelled to defend herself against the international community on numerous fronts, this additional chilul Hashem is most damaging and serves to feed Israel’s enemies with additional ammunition in the international courts. Needless to say the left-wing media is having a field day with this latest damaging report.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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One Response
Which left wing anti israel organization is “Breaking the Silence” associated with?? I am sure this isnt true and IF it is, as much as we dont like it, why cant the right side borrow some b’haima tactics from the other side yemach sh’mom.
I am surprised the author of this story, which in turn leads me to YWN, would report it with his own editorial statement added as the last paragraph.