Which all begs the question, will this linger for years so Netanyahu can stay in power? I've long supported Israel's right/obligation to respond to the attack, but after this last flock-up, enough already.
To be really blunt, this statement was meaningless: "It happens in war, we are fully examining this,” said Netanyahu, “we are in contact with the governments and we will do everything so that this thing does not happen again.”
Was it an accident? Reports claim they were given all of the relevant information including the location of the three trucks. If that's the case, it was no accident.
I believe it was not an intentional act against innocent people. There is no reason for Israel to do that. Like the US, Israel has an approval process for strikes which involve a military lawyer, intelligence and a commander. They screwed up. The IDF hits hundreds of targets a day in Gaza and has access to the most sophisticated weapons (JDAMs, essentially) that are also in the U.S. arsenal. With that kind of firepower, it’s really a wonder they haven’t killed more high profile noncombatants.
As for Netanyahu, his day is coming. Sooner rather than later I hope. But it’s up to voters in Israel. In 15 years they haven’t been able to find someone who can remain in the PM role other than Netanyahu. I think this time they will.
"The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his." General George S. Patton
That's probably a true statement to most soldiers in combat. It sometimes leads to overreaction and collateral damage that is regrettable. I've never seen combat, but if I did, I prefer that approach to the one that prevents a sniper from taking out a suicide bomber who kills thirteen Marines. The lawyers' role is to provide advice on the rules of war and ensure that POWs are treated humanely. I believe most military commanders put survival of their men first in the absence of direct orders from their superiors.
"During the early stages of the war, the army gave sweeping approval for officers to adopt Lavender’s kill lists, with no requirement to thoroughly check why the machine made those choices or to examine the raw intelligence data on which they were based. One source stated that human personnel often served only as a 'rubber stamp' for the machine’s decisions, adding that, normally, they would personally devote only about '20 seconds' to each target before authorizing a bombing — just to make sure the Lavender-marked target is male. This was despite knowing that the system makes what are regarded as 'errors' in approximately 10 percent of cases, and is known to occasionally mark individuals who have merely a loose connection to militant groups, or no connection at all."
"First, we believe it should be recognized as an essential fact that, through decades of colonial expansion, Israel has effectively erased the Green Line and consolidated a single regime between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. In doing so, consecutive Israeli governments have made it crystal clear that the state seeks to uphold permanent domination over Palestinians — whether through military rule in Hebron, unequal citizenship in Jaffa, siege in Gaza, or forced exile in Ein al-Hilweh."
Related: Benny Gantz has called for early elections in September.
Which all begs the question, will this linger for years so Netanyahu can stay in power? I've long supported Israel's right/obligation to respond to the attack, but after this last flock-up, enough already.
To be really blunt, this statement was meaningless: "It happens in war, we are fully examining this,” said Netanyahu, “we are in contact with the governments and we will do everything so that this thing does not happen again.”
Was it an accident? Reports claim they were given all of the relevant information including the location of the three trucks. If that's the case, it was no accident.
I believe it was not an intentional act against innocent people. There is no reason for Israel to do that. Like the US, Israel has an approval process for strikes which involve a military lawyer, intelligence and a commander. They screwed up. The IDF hits hundreds of targets a day in Gaza and has access to the most sophisticated weapons (JDAMs, essentially) that are also in the U.S. arsenal. With that kind of firepower, it’s really a wonder they haven’t killed more high profile noncombatants.
As for Netanyahu, his day is coming. Sooner rather than later I hope. But it’s up to voters in Israel. In 15 years they haven’t been able to find someone who can remain in the PM role other than Netanyahu. I think this time they will.
"The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his." General George S. Patton
That's probably a true statement to most soldiers in combat. It sometimes leads to overreaction and collateral damage that is regrettable. I've never seen combat, but if I did, I prefer that approach to the one that prevents a sniper from taking out a suicide bomber who kills thirteen Marines. The lawyers' role is to provide advice on the rules of war and ensure that POWs are treated humanely. I believe most military commanders put survival of their men first in the absence of direct orders from their superiors.
Not a good look:
"During the early stages of the war, the army gave sweeping approval for officers to adopt Lavender’s kill lists, with no requirement to thoroughly check why the machine made those choices or to examine the raw intelligence data on which they were based. One source stated that human personnel often served only as a 'rubber stamp' for the machine’s decisions, adding that, normally, they would personally devote only about '20 seconds' to each target before authorizing a bombing — just to make sure the Lavender-marked target is male. This was despite knowing that the system makes what are regarded as 'errors' in approximately 10 percent of cases, and is known to occasionally mark individuals who have merely a loose connection to militant groups, or no connection at all."
https://www.972mag.com/lavender-ai-israeli-army-gaza/
Blame the AI
Coverage from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/03/israel-gaza-ai-database-hamas-airstrikes
"First, we believe it should be recognized as an essential fact that, through decades of colonial expansion, Israel has effectively erased the Green Line and consolidated a single regime between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. In doing so, consecutive Israeli governments have made it crystal clear that the state seeks to uphold permanent domination over Palestinians — whether through military rule in Hebron, unequal citizenship in Jaffa, siege in Gaza, or forced exile in Ein al-Hilweh."
A tenet of 972 Magazine editorial policy.
Yuck.