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NEWS & LETTERS, October-November 2006Israeli dissident: 'Defeat or suicide'?At the moment of undeniable defeat, Israel’s loss was explained by its unsuccessful military actions against Hezbollah and the civil population in Lebanon. The majority of people only analyze the military factors involved and do not take into account previous economic and political conditions under which Israeli soldiers were sent to the battle field that also play a primary role in this defeat. First off, from the second day of the truce (which was later violated by Israel), reservists denounced the lack of provisions such as food. This claim was further confirmed by Israeli television channels which reported that lack of sufficient food supplies forced most soldiers to plunder from surrounding homes. They were even given food by some Lebanese civilians living in the enclosed areas. Many of these reservists were sent to the front illegally—with the assent of the population—because they lacked one of the basic requirements to fight: training. These reservists were not called upon during preceding years to attend their month of annual training to which every citizen who has completed the military service must come. They were not adequately trained and many of them had not laid hands on weapons in years. Another very important factor to take into consideration is the situation in Palestine. In this war the credit shouldn’t solely be given to Hezbollah. The Palestinian civil population that has been deprived the right to life and to self-determination has been battling the Israeli army for more then 50 years. This effort must not be so easily discredited. Their incessant fighting and suffering is key in the conclusion of the war between Hezbollah and Israel. The Israeli army has been completely spoiled by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, becoming not only an occupying force but a repressive army as well. This is demonstrated in their fire clashes with "insurgent groups" and their repeated retaliation against a civil population’s unsophisticated combat tactics, which are totally different from the employment of organized guerrillas and national armies. The Israeli army has clearly lost their motivation to fight wars because of the oppression they inflict on Palestinians, whereas Hezbollah guerrillas showed great determination and motivation. The Israeli aviator is accustomed to taking off, flying by civilian buildings and targeting the ones that suit his fancy. Israeli soldiers are mostly prepared to shoot at children standing near checkpoints or entering protected tanks while destroying mass picturesque facades outlining the city for no apparent reason. Attacks of this form which give them a sense of patriotism or heroism have lately lost their touch. —Ivan Vanney |
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