Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., October 27, 2009 Cheshvan 9, 5770 | | Israel Time: 18:17 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Jewish World Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Focus U.S.A. Strenger than Fiction Business Travel Magazine Week's End Anglo File Books
Comments:  96
Share |
Last update - 19:47 03/04/2009
'I don't believe IDF harmed Gaza civilians in cold blood'
By Haaretz Service
Tags: IDF, Israel news, gaza strip 

Israel Defense Forces Chief Gabi Ashkenazi said Sunday that he did not believe Israeli soldiers harmed Palestinian civilians in "cold blood" during the offensive in the Gaza Strip, in his first response to a Haaretz expose revealing testimonies given by troops who served in Operation Cast lead.

Haaretz last week published a report detailing IDF soldiers' accounts of ethical violations in the Gaza offensive earlier this year. According to testimonies given by combat pilots and infantry soldiers, Israeli forces killed Palestinian civilians under permissive rules of engagement and intentionally destroyed their property.

"I can say that the IDF is the most moral army in the world," Ashkenazi told a group of new recruits. "We must remember where we were operating: in a place where Hamas turned a residential neighborhood into a battleground, public facilities into weapons storehouses."
Advertisement
The chief of staff said that the IDF has opened an investigation into the claims, adding that any soldier found in violation of the army's moral standards would be put on trial.

"[The army] is awaiting the results of the investigation, but my impression is that the IDF acted morally and ethically," Ashkenazi said. "If there were incidents like these, they were isolated."

The soldiers' testimonies run counter to the IDF's claims throughout the operation that troops observed a high level of moral behavior.

A number of officers told Haaretz over the weekend that the testimonies did not surprise them, as "anyone with eyes in his head knows that these things happened during the fighting in Gaza."

The soldiers who testified about misconduct "placed a very unpleasant mirror before us," said one officer.

Related articles:
  • IDF officer: Testimonies of lax moral standards in Gaza are 'exaggerated'
  • IDF in Gaza: Killing civilians, vandalism, and lax rules of engagement
  • Gideon Levy / IDF ceased long ago being 'most moral army in the world'
  • ANALYSIS / Can Israel dismiss its own troops' stories from Gaza?
    • PROMOTION: Mamilla Hotel
    Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Hamas war call
    Hamas political leader: War will settle Jerusalem dispute, not talks
    J Street's challenge
    J Street convenes in Washington, but can it take on AIPAC?
      1.   Too little, too late 12:49  |  Mike 23/03/09
      2.   Gabi 12:51  |  Mate 23/03/09
      3.   Take a breath Gabi 12:53  |  Can 23/03/09
      4.   Sane Voice IDF Chief 12:53  |  The Teacher/Instruct 23/03/09
      5.   Well, what do you expect him to say....???? 13:13  |  Swiss (Dino) 23/03/09
      6.   Ashkenazi and "Gaza Civilians" 13:21  |  DT 23/03/09
      7.   Dino you took the words out of my mouth 13:28  |  Michael 23/03/09
      8.   we all 13:41  |  rm 23/03/09
      9.   we all 13:41  |  rm 23/03/09
      10.   Is Ashkenazi saying... 14:01  |  Maureen ann 23/03/09
      11.   a very unpleasant mirror 14:44  |  Cb 23/03/09
      12.   So if Tel Aiv was invaded by an enemy and ... 14:55  |  Jens 23/03/09
      13.   Chief of Staff, Gabi Ashkenazi, is exemplary.... 15:11  |  Esther 23/03/09
      14.   Ashkenazi`s twisted mindset 15:14  |  Matty Groves 23/03/09
      15.   Oh Please Esther!!! 17:59  |  Joan 23/03/09
      16.   Is this guy serious? 18:16  |  James 23/03/09
      17.   add to your list Matty 18:26  |  Stevo 23/03/09
      18.   hey mr. ashkenazi , 18:54  |  abraham 23/03/09
      19.   Wow, worse than the US 18:55  |  ed 23/03/09
      20.   #Esther Ashekenazi is the God of fairness... 18:58  |  AL 23/03/09
      21.   Everyone here is forgetting something 18:59  |  DD 23/03/09
      22.   Wow, Worse than the US 18:59  |  Ed 23/03/09
      23.   It begs the question: Are those living in Sderot not civilians? 19:01  |  Akram Zekaria 23/03/09
      24.   Israeli army has elevated self-delusion into an art 19:06  |  Chili Pepper 23/03/09
      25.   innocent till proven guilty? 19:07  |  ben 23/03/09
      26.   Can you name a more moral army? 19:13  |  Michael 23/03/09
      27.   10~ Maureen Ann 19:21  |  Akram Zekaria 23/03/09
      28.   Joan #15... you are reading your own interpretation into my post. 19:23  |  Esther 23/03/09
      29.   isolated incident 19:33  |  mehmet 23/03/09
      30.   Joan (15), "his soldiers" don`t disagree with him 19:35  |  Ofer 23/03/09
      31.   Sure he does`nt, that way he won`t have to act 19:38  |  Secular 23/03/09
      32.   IDF harmed innocents In warm blood? 19:40  |  Davo 23/03/09
      33.   To Jens (12): a simple logic inversion and no more 19:41  |  Ofer 23/03/09
      34.   Steveo and Matty are quite correct... As is Gideon! 20:06  |  BBSNews 23/03/09
      35.   Why not make some more stuff up? 20:10  |  Sar Chasm 23/03/09
      36.   Find a MORE MORAL army 20:15  |  Richard 23/03/09
      37.   Find a MORE MORAL army 20:16  |  Richard 23/03/09
      38.   Look at the number of Palestinian children killed 20:20  |  Truth will out 23/03/09
      39.   So Ashkenazi believes soldiers were lying? 20:23  |  Silvienne 23/03/09
      40.   Ofer 20:29  |  joan 23/03/09
      41.   Maybe Ashkenazy is saying that Haaretz is lying? 21:02  |  Leo 23/03/09
      42.   Find a MORE MORAL army 21:11  |  Richard 23/03/09
      43.   Silnienne #26... no, Ashkenazi is not saying the soldiers lied 21:26  |  Esther 23/03/09
      44.   5~ Swiss (Dino) Well, what we expect you to say ? 21:27  |  Akaram Zeakaria 23/03/09
      45.   Ashkenazi is right 21:42  |  Rob 23/03/09
      46.   I don`t believe..... 21:59  |  Palestinian Brit 23/03/09
      47.   ah yes all the anti-israeli sooth sayers respond to this article 22:51  |  Shocked 23/03/09
      48.   Soldier testimony 23:33  |  zev 23/03/09
      49.   This reminds me of Haditha 23:36  |  Lynn 23/03/09
      50.   # 15 Oh Please Joan!!!! 23:39  |  Lynn 23/03/09
      51.   1. How do you like the Hamas Leaders? 23:40  |  NO TO PROPAGANDA 23/03/09
      52.   would anybody feel safe in a Hamas jail? 23:45  |  Optimist 23/03/09
      53.   Gabi 00:13  |  M 24/03/09
      54.   Say that again, sunshine? 01:08  |  Johnboy 24/03/09
      55.   5~Swiss (Dino) I expect you to say blame Kassam ! 2nd try. 02:24  |  Akaram Zeakaria 24/03/09
      56.   To Joan (# 27). She saw it on T.V. (For crying out loud !!) 02:46  |  flyingdoc57 24/03/09
      57.   He joins an illustrious legion 02:56  |  Mark Lincoln 24/03/09
      58.   #Ethser 03:24  |  AL 24/03/09
      59.   #30, flyingdoc, we didn`t see the half of it on our tv screens... 04:35  |  Silvienne 24/03/09
      60.   #30, flyingdoc again... 04:37  |  Silvienne 24/03/09
      61.   World`s most self indulgent, self denying, army! 10:29  |  Rod 24/03/09
      62.   There are none so blind as they that 10:52  |  Brendan Holleran 24/03/09
      63.   @24 11:15  |  common people 24/03/09
      64.   JOHNBOY SAY it again.Hamas chose to fight from residences 12:03  |  PETER SM 24/03/09
      65.   SYLVIENNE he choses to believe the big picture 12:06  |  PETER SM 24/03/09
      66.   Brendan Holleran Including every poster here who pretends 12:11  |  PETER SM 24/03/09
      67.   # 33/34 Silvienne 12:40  |  The Teacher/Instruct 24/03/09
      68.   flying doc the genius 13:42  |  Joan 24/03/09
      69.   flying doc 13:48  |  Joan 24/03/09
      70.   Why doen`t everyone on this talkback look at there own. Europe 13:52  |  FG 24/03/09
      71.   more of the same.... 14:05  |  ravi 24/03/09
      72.   The IDF 14:14  |  Mark 24/03/09
      73.   # 2 Re: Gabi "Mate" 14:33  |  petra 24/03/09
      74.   CRAP! AMERICA`S "A" BOMB DID FAR WORSE 14:40  |  Petra 24/03/09
      75.   GAZA/PALS 9-11 IMMORAL ENEMY. 14:41  |  petra 24/03/09
      76.   38 It`s not just a belief it`s a FACT, Israel only attacks 15:29  |  lydia 24/03/09
      77.   Petra are you trying.... 15:31  |  Joan 24/03/09
      78.   Why not make some more stuff up? 15:57  |  Sar Chasm 24/03/09
      79.   flying dweeb about joan... 16:22  |  BBSNews 24/03/09
      80.   I do not believe it either Chief Ashkenazi;this is just another 18:31  |  glenna 24/03/09
      81.   In the OLD Days 19:03  |  Gordon 24/03/09
      82.   There is more than meets the eye.. 19:16  |  Basil 24/03/09
      83.   Haaretz`s agenda & incompetent reportage... 22:21  |  bat yam 24/03/09
      84.   # 70 Gordon . Old Days 23:04  |  The Teacher/Instruct 24/03/09
      85.   #54, PETER SM... 00:50  |  Silvienne 25/03/09
      86.   Pallywood 04:45  |  arik 25/03/09
      87.   IDF is One of the most discipline Army in the World 05:02  |  Tine 25/03/09
      88.   #53 Pointing out some facts of life to PETER SM 05:58  |  Johnboy 25/03/09
      89.   The Most Moral Army in the world is ours... 06:46  |  Tony Price 25/03/09
      90.   `Moral` hmmm 10:42  |  Miles Stuart 25/03/09
      91.   to tony price : hello ...your people dont face the same threats 15:14  |  calanit 25/03/09
      92.   to tony price : hello ...your people dont face the same threats 15:15  |  calanit 25/03/09
      93.   Akram Zekaria - yes, but... 19:46  |  Don 25/03/09
      94.   Well, of course Ashke(removed by the censor) does not 21:40  |  Andreas 25/03/09
      95.   93~Don shorter 2nd try 11:30  |  Akram Zekaria 26/03/09
      96.   Killing in Hot Blood 12:19  |  David Gurion 19/04/09
    Special Offers
    Advertisement
    Eldan Rent a Car
    Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
    Date Local Jewish Singles
    Ready to meet your match? Join Jdate today!
    Junkyard
    Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
    More Headlines
    18:15 France sentences Israeli mogul Gaydamak to 6 years for gun-running
    15:31 VIDEO / Meshal: Hamas ready to probe Goldstone report
    13:15 Netanyahu caved in to Barak on Gaza inquiry
    14:06 Iran: World can't block our atomic program while Israel has nukes
    15:00 VIDEO / Settlers clash with Palestinian 'security threat' olive growers
    16:18 Barak takes responsibility for excessive spending at Paris Air Show
    17:44 Rights group: Israel exploits and cheats foreign workers
    07:54 TV ROUND-UP: Netanyahu, Livni rekindle ties; Turks slam Israel
    08:21 EU lawyers draw up list of IDF officers suspected of Gaza war crimes
    14:30 Panel: Segregation of sexes on Haredi buses is illegal
    12:01 PA negotiator: Israel painting us as 'untrustworthy bastards'
    10:55 Government bill would scrap charges in baby formula deaths
    09:43 Obama: Israel-Jordan accord proves peace always possible
    Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Site rules |
    | Advert: Recommended Restaurants | Makom: Engaging on Israel
    | Search engine marketing
    Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
    © Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved