Chris McGreal in Jerusalem
An Israeli army officer who fired the entire magazine of his automatic rifle into a 13-year-old Palestinian girl and then said he would have done the same even if she had been three years old was acquitted on all charges by a military court yesterday.
The soldier, who has only been identified as “Captain R”, was charged with relatively minor offences for the killing of Iman al-Hams who was shot 17 times as she ventured near an Israeli army post near Rafah refugee camp in Gaza a year ago.
The manner of Iman’s killing, and the revelation of a tape recording in which the captain is warned that she was just a child who was “scared to death”, made the shooting one of the most controversial since the Palestinian intifada erupted five years ago even though hundreds of other children have also died.
After the verdict, Iman’s father, Samir al-Hams, said the army never intended to hold the soldier accountable.
“They did not charge him with Iman’s murder, only with small offences, and now they say he is innocent of those even though he shot my daughter so many times,” he said. “This was the cold-blooded murder of a girl. The soldier murdered her once and the court has murdered her again. What is the message? They are telling their soldiers to kill Palestinian children.”
The military court cleared the soldier of illegal use of his weapon, conduct unbecoming an officer and perverting the course of justice by asking soldiers under his command to alter their accounts of the incident.
Capt R’s lawyers argued that the “confirmation of the kill” after a suspect is shot was a standard Israeli military practice to eliminate terrorist threats.
Following the verdict, Capt R burst into tears, turned to the public benches and said: “I told you I was innocent.”
The army’s official account said that Iman was shot for crossing into a security zone carrying her schoolbag which soldiers feared might contain a bomb. It is still not known why the girl ventured into the area but witnesses described her as at least 100 yards from the military post which was in any case well protected.
More: http://www.intifada-palestine.com
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66 comments
1 ping
andrew
March 11, 2011 at 7:57 am (UTC 1)
I’m a bit numb about it. It’s so upsetting that I can’t let myself feel it fully right now. Not just sadness for the family of that poor girl; just imagine how her father must feel. Also, sadness for the hearts of some people, that they can commit such an act and feel no remorse, even saying they did the right thing.
We have got to purify our own hearts, all of us people. To really fix the problems of the world, we have to start with our own heart and mind. And so the rage I feel at this injustice, the anger, THIS is actually part of the problem. I too feel a deep anger and feel like making that cruel man suffer. But that would only create MORE hatred in the world, more violence, would it not?
This is why spiritual teachers from all traditions encourage us not to exchange hatred for hatred, but to remain true and kind even in the most difficult of circumstances. I don’t expect this of the father of that poor girl, but somehow I am going to have to transform the anger I feel at what I just read into understanding, compassion and wisdom. That’s my aspiration.
Ferd
March 11, 2011 at 12:16 pm (UTC 1)
@Ray Bright,
Why are you even posting here? everything you say just resonates with the sick mind of the coward pyschopath soldier who murdered that child who could just as easily be your daughter. Decent people here make the mistake of considering the likes of you as human beings. you and that soldier are not human beings . you are demons and should be disposed of with the same kind of justice you gave Imam al-Hams. since you don’t have compassion in your heart, don’t expect compassion to be given you. yes, there is justice and it comes when the world says enough and destroys every zionist cockroaches like you, that fucking idf coward and the holier-than-thou sanctimonious bitch poster named cathleen. anger is good because it turns lambs into lions and focuses their anger to the things that threaten their existence. if not the world, the universe would deal with zionist garbage like you. so much negative karma will come your way you would never believe the pain you will experience. and we will be there cherishing every second of pain you will experience.
Troublemaker
March 11, 2011 at 12:18 pm (UTC 1)
The brave officers of the IDF.
So glad Hezbollah cleaned their clocks in Lebanon a few years back. Hopefully they get to finish the job sometime on the near future…
les broughton
March 11, 2011 at 1:19 pm (UTC 1)
YOU ARE NOT A HUMAN ! YOU DO NOT DESERVE TO LIVE WITH US R.I.P
YOU ARE A MONSTER !!
les broughton
March 11, 2011 at 3:20 pm (UTC 1)
Ferd,
I totally agree with you !! brave …………….. check the stats out brave soldier with an m4 rifle 120 rounds of supersonic 5.56mm bullets with a range of 800meters and a velocity of 3850 ft per second vs a 13 year old girl coming home from school with a schoolbag. what a load of bollox !
Troublemaker i do not want to live in this world with monsters like you fuck you ! your a disgrace to the Jewish Nation !!!! you are the same people who kill jewish children .
there is no room for beasts like you !!!!!
Cathleen
March 11, 2011 at 3:27 pm (UTC 1)
Hello Ferd,
When I read your latest filth I just had to laugh! Have you never heard of freedom of speech and we can agree to disagree!!!!!!!! What have I ever done to you that gives you the right to call me a BITCH??????? By the way I’m not a poster! When you’re negative to others it comes back to you and then some!!!!!!! That’s karma for you, something you know little about!!!!!!!!!!! Yes I’m a very spiritual person and thank goodness for that… You talk about karma but spread nothing but hatred and negativity towards others….People always get angry at others and their ideas if they haven’t got the foggiest idea what they’re talking about…So stop projecting your frustrations on me and others who mean well…What does your messages send out to the world? Your messages sends out that you’re just one more human being who’d rather lash out at others who are positive instead of finding your own path in life….Do you know what my first name means?! Cathleen means pure and it suits me and that it something I cannot say about you! People who live in glass houses shouldn’t cast stones! Some of you pretend to quote God and Jesus but have got it completely and completely wrong…Jesus was an historical figure who spread love to the lands and tried to wake people up and let them see that no one was without sin and everyone should be treated equally no matter what they did….To use Jesus to spread hate and evilness and punishment of others is disgusting….
So if you have nothing sensible or positive to say about me, just leave me alone! Spread your filth somewhere else and project your frustrations and insecurity on someone or something else little man!
Abhishek
March 11, 2011 at 5:22 pm (UTC 1)
Son of a bitch!!!He should be shot by children….Fucking asshole doesn’t have balls or what!!
Oli
March 11, 2011 at 11:13 pm (UTC 1)
Anyone who does not see the injustice of this is truly a sick individual, bordering on psychopath.
Isn’t it ironic that so many of the people who suffered under Hitler are displaying the same psychotic characteristics towards another group of people? Just read some of the comments on here.
Truly sad. Makes me depressed to be a human.
America is responsible for letting Israel behave like this.
Frank
March 12, 2011 at 8:19 pm (UTC 1)
Here is another story of milliom os such stories of the isreali brutality. isrealies are not even humans for those think they are. they are animals , i think some sort of advanced monckeys. They think by doing this they will be able to destroy us, but they do not realize that what does not kill us makes us stronger. and now time passes and they think they are progressing in being much more powerful than muslims and take over all muslim region. While the fact is that muslims will just get rid of them like we get rid of trash.
Ferd
March 13, 2011 at 1:21 am (UTC 1)
@cathleen,
it’s your stupidity in thinking that we are dealing with people who think as human beings and give them a free rein to kill the innocents of Palestine. spare me your jesus crap since it is people like you esp. zionists christians who embolden these israeli murderers to commit more atrocities BECAUSE YOU LET THEM. it is christians together with these murderous jews who have been slaughtering millions of people since time immemorial. you are a hypocrite and an idiot. all you talk about is pie in the sky because the murder is detached from you. think of how you would feel if that girl was your one and only daughter? don’t preach to me your crap because it is crap. i solidarize with the Palestinians and i am damn angry about this extremely heinous crime. you probably would just stand there and allow this to happen when given the chance to save the girl. HYPOCRITE!!!!
Mark in Houston
March 13, 2011 at 1:58 am (UTC 1)
Congratulations to the Palestinian who breached the settler’s security and killed two adults and three children. You have struck a blow for the oppressed Palestinian people. You have struck a blow for the dead Turks killed by the IDF. The Israeli people must know that their country has earned the reputation of a bloodthirsty tribe of evil, self-centered thugs. Do you think it is by some sad mistake that people hate you like they do. No – you earned it. Reap your reward in the body of sliced up children. Enjoy the fruit of your life.
yzak
March 13, 2011 at 12:15 pm (UTC 1)
this is an old case and the article in the post first appeared in the guardian in 2005 (errr…why wasn’t it properly cited? but that’s hardly surprising, is it?)… while the actions of the IDF officer in question are certainly suspect, one also has to query the purpose of an article like this, reproduced without any proper context or perspective. if the sole rationale at work here is merely to reinforce and promote a narrow and uncritical sort of racism (just check out the vitriol spewed in some of the responses), as a substantial portion of the content found on the site would also seem to indicate, then it has clearly done its intended wonders. give yourself a nice pat on the back, you folks with such casually compassionate hearts…and endless thanks for being part of “the resistance” too…
Ferd
March 14, 2011 at 1:51 am (UTC 1)
read the comments of the many hypocritical zionist sympathizers posting here. here’s one from yzak… one also has to query the purpose of an article like this, reproduced without any proper context or perspective…so how sneakily this “person” tries to derail the issue of an act of cold-blooded murder?
@mark in houston – how are you sure that it was palestinians who did this crime? is it because newspapers told you this? did they identify the people who did this? this news is suspect because it only gains the sympathy of the zionists. i really doubt the authenticity of this story. you should know by now that the israeli gov’t are liars. don’t believe everything that you read in the news esp the zionist owned news media.
yzak
March 14, 2011 at 5:00 am (UTC 1)
oh please…quit whinging and get your facts, arguments and logic right. so each and every person that disagrees with you is a “zionist sympathizer”? it is precisely this kinda entrenched stupidity, narrow-mindedness and intolerance that fuels the current conflict (in question). “those not with us are against us!” – what demented rubbish is this? i for one do not approve of many of the policies of the israeli state. but that doesn’t mean that i’ll cheer on statements that call for murder and genocide, or accept shoddy “citizen journalism” that involves plagiarizing five-year old reports from other media just for a little bit of rabble-rousing fun. well, carry on believing that your cause is so just, right and unimpeachable. there are better avenues and better ways of making a difference in this world so why waste time here?
Jock Doubleday
March 16, 2011 at 4:00 am (UTC 1)
The U.S. cabinet is full of Zionists who want to reduce the world’s population by at least 6.3 billion (down to 500,000,000).
This girl is just a start.
Cathleen
March 26, 2011 at 4:24 pm (UTC 1)
Ferd,
Don’t try to think that you know me, because you don’t!!!!!! As for doing nothing when somone is in danger, that is certainly not me and disgusting of you to say something like that!!!!!!! I am not the coward here spreading filth and negativity LITTLE MAN!!!!!!!! It’s people like you who make this world bad place and it’s why I love animals more than humans!!!!!! Unlike you I judge a person by their inside and not their religion, race, etc….I have friends from all over!!! As I said before I am against any form of violence and I find what”s happening to the Palestinians dreadful….Both parties can only find peace if they truly want peace and stop spreading violence….
I was going to ignore you last filth, but you are so ignorant!!!!!! YOU LITTLE LITTLE MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Not Guilty! The Israeli Captain Who Emptied His Rifle into a Palestinian Schoolgirl ! « Socio-Economics History Blog
March 10, 2011 at 3:26 am (UTC 1)
[...] Jews during WW2. Silence in the face of their genocide and ethnic cleansing is complicity! Not Guilty. The Israeli Captain who Emptied his Rifle into a Palestinian Schoolgirl Chris McGreal in Jerusalem An Israeli army officer who fired the entire magazine of his automatic [...]