Some people clearly bought the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and Israeli government propaganda that they were going above and beyond what was expected to minimize the deaths on innocent Gazans and destruction of property that was not linked to Hamas targets. The NYT is running a story today, "Soldiers’ Accounts of Gaza Killings Raise Furor in Israel," and I'm amazed by the credulity expressed on the part of some people. Hamas and the IDF committed atrocities-- neither party is innocent. But the head in the sand attitude of the war's apologists was unrealistic and foolhardy. It was no accident that the Israeli government prohibited independent journalists from the battlefield or occupied areas.
One reservists' orders included: "'Shoot and don’t worry about the consequences,' was the message from the top commanders, he said." With instructions of that sort, it's no surprise that the IDF attacked UN buildings and other facilities that were clearly not Hamas related. Of course, when people buy the ridiculous "Hamas is bloodthirsty and they make everyone human shields" line, it's easy to defend Israeli actions or blithely ignore the reality of war.
This won't be news to many people in the region, except for Israelis as the article points out, but hopefully it will make it easier for Obama to apply pressure on Israel. However, with Binny and Avigdor at the helm, the prospects aren't sunny.
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