Two IDF soldiers 'punished' for using child human shields

[RedRalph]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11807152

Two Israeli soldiers convicted of using a Palestinian child as a human shield during an offensive in Gaza in 2009 have received suspended sentences and been demoted.

The soldiers had forced the nine-year-old boy to open suspected booby-trapped bags at gunpoint.

It occurred during Israel's three-week conflict with Hamas, which rules Gaza.

It was reportedly the first such conviction in Israel, where the use of civilians as human shields is banned.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said the pair will be on probation for two years, AFP news agency reported.

During the soldiers' trial in October, the boy, Majid Rabah, said he feared for his life.

"I thought they would kill me. I became very scared and wet my pants," he said in an affidavit.

Majid Rabah's mother, Fatma, criticised the sentence as too lenient.

"It is completely unfair, because it was supposed to be more than this. Honestly, the fear that we felt in those moments, the fear that came after that and the negative side-effects to the child - [the soldiers] deserve more."

The soldiers' lawyer, Ilan Katz, however, said the sentence was appropriate.

"The fact that the court didn't decide to put the two accused in the prison speaks clearly that even the military court didn't think that in this case it was right to make a trial against the two soldiers because what they have done, they have done during a hard war when their life was under a big and serious danger."

Israel launched its offensive in December 2008 following a barrage of Palestinian rocket attacks from the territory.

Some 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed during 22 days of fighting.

Does anyone else think this is a shockingly lenient sentence?

 

[Mr. Dictator]

Its not the child's job to be in harm's way for Israel. It is the soldier's job to go into harm's way. They did sign up for it, after all.

 

[Behind The Mask]

they have done during a hard war when their life was under a big and serious danger."

Its never right to use children as shields, except in war.

I'm not one to hold the entire people/government of Isreal responsible for the crimes of a few bad eggs; but really now this just doesn't seem to be enough...

 

[useless]

Mhm... the moral high ground.

 

[Azale]

inb4hamasdoesthis2

 

[useless]

"B-B-B-But they're in a war! You'd use children as meatshields as well if you were in a war!"

 

[Mr. Dictator]

inb4hamasdoesthis2

Even if they did, fighting like an enemy makes you an enemy.

 

[Seon]

Even if they did, fighting like an enemy makes you an enemy.

What was it that Nietzsche said? Battle not with drummers lest ye become a drummer?

 

[useless]

Frederich Nietzsche: “The man who fights too long against dragons becomes a dragon himself”

 

[Seon]

Frederich Nietzsche: “The man who fights too long against dragons becomes a dragon himself”

But what if it's Puff the magic dragon?

 

[JollyRoger]

This is just awful. These soldiers showed that Palestinian children can be useful - something that an Israeli should never do.

 

[Ajidica]

But what if it's Puff the magic dragon?

Then you become high and you realize you are the dragon, but at the same time you aren't the dragon. You just need to think deeper, man.

 

[Karalysia]

Typical liberals, trying to infringe on Israel's sovereign right to use Palestinians as human shields. Will they stop at nothing to undermine Israel's independence?

 

[GinandTonic]

Whats really disturbing is that these guys dont require protective custody or new identities.

 

[useless]

Whats really disturbing is that these guys dont require protective custody or new identities.

They will be given a heroes pat on the back for their services

 

[civver_764]

I'm still waiting for Netanyahu to get life in prison.

 

[bhsup]

I don't really think they should have been charged with using the boy as a human shield. It seems like it's almost attempted murder to make a boy open bags they think might blow up and kill him. Either way, yeah, the sentence seems like (without knowing more of the case than what was presented in the BBC article the OP linked to) it is way too light.

But what if it's Puff the magic dragon?

Which one were you referring to?

 

[Flying Pig]

What was it that Nietzsche said? Battle not with drummers lest ye become a drummer?

What's the difference between a chiropodist and a drummer... a chiropodist bucks up your feet!

Anyway...

Almost certainly these two are about as out of order as they come, unless there's a circumstance that we haven't heard (the one that immediately springs to mind would be that the child was carrying a bag, which the soldiers believed booby trapped, so they told him to open it). Bearing in mind that we used to shoot soldiers for cowardice their defence doesn't hold much water, and from a strategic point of view you can't do much worse than that in terms of winning hearts and minds (so unless they're planning just to shoot everyone who thinks about joining their enemy, they ned to buck up their thinking). Sentance probably far too light, should have had the full hammer of military justice brought down on them for being royal sea-talkers of the highest order.

 

[choxorn]

It was reportedly the first such conviction in Israel, where the use of civilians as human shields is banned.

Is the use of civilians as human shields not banned in some countries? I would certainly hope not.

Anyway, these two are douchebags of the highest order, and should get a much tougher sentence for something like this.

 

[MobBoss]

Does anyone else think this is a shockingly lenient sentence?

What kind of punishment does Hamas hand out for doing this?

And yes, its too lenient.