this post was submitted on 14 Jan 2025
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Yotam Vilk says the image of Israeli soldiers killing an unarmed Palestinian teenager in the Gaza Strip is seared in his mind.

An officer in the armored corps, Vilk said the instructions were to shoot any unauthorized person who entered an Israeli-controlled buffer zone in Gaza. He saw at least 12 people killed, he said, but it is the shooting of the teen that he can’t shake.

“He died as part of a bigger story. As part of the policy of staying there and not seeing Palestinians as people,” Vilk, 28, told The Associated Press.

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[–] jonne@infosec.pub 32 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Shocking that only a small minority grows a conscious.

[–] rikudou@lemmings.world 5 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

What's so shocking? Soldiers are specifically chosen from people who obey first and ask questions later if at all. And that mindset is further drilled into their heads during training.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 24 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

In Israel they're conscripted rather than specifically chosen.

[–] rikudou@lemmings.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

Sure, but the commander still chooses who to send where. It's not like someone with the attitude of "don't tell me what to do" will be sent to murder civilians. They're still gonna send someone who acts first, thinks later.

[–] shaserlark@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

There are examples of people who rather go to jail than participate in genocide. It’s possible, the majority of society just doesn’t want to resist the system. The majority of people is more okay with participating in genocide than with facing the consequences of doing the right thing. In Nazi Germany they would have been those who were “just following orders“.

[–] john89@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Resisting the system would be to leave Israel.

[–] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 2 points 2 weeks ago
[–] jonne@infosec.pub 7 points 2 weeks ago

In Israel they're all conscripts. I get your point that in a professional army they'd self select, but this is basically a cross section of Israeli society (orthodox Jews excepted).

[–] john89@lemmy.ca -1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

They're raised from birth to hate each other on both sides.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 3 points 2 weeks ago

That's... not untrue, but frankly I don't think Palestinian kids need any help hating Israelis. You know, with the whole genocide thing.

[–] Bieren@lemmy.world 0 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

How is there literally anything left intact in Gaza? With how long this has been going on, they could have leveled the entire place with a bulldozer by now.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 3 points 2 weeks ago

Well part of it is that they can't afford to piss off the EU too much, the rest is that unlike in the West Bank the people of Gaza have no problem tossing an IED at said bulldozer.