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Certainly that IDF soldier is a prick. But why edit the conversation? Why not include the entire discussion taking place between several IDF soldiers for proper context?
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Blau (moderator): Did any of you ever shoot someone?
Roi: When I first got to Hebron I wouldn't open fire on little children. And I was sure that if I ever killed or hurt anyone, I'd go so crazy that I'd leave the army. But finally I did shoot someone, and nothing happened to me. In Hebron I shot the legs off of two kids, and I was sure I wouldn't be able to sleep anymore at night, but nothing happened. Two weeks ago I hurt a Palestinian policeman, and that didn't affect me either. You become so apathetic you don't care at all. Shooting is the IDF soldier's way of meditating. It's like shooting is your way of letting go of all your anger when you're in the army. In Hebron there's this order they call "punitive shooting": just open fire on whatever you like. I opened fire not on any sources of fire but on windows where there was just wash hanging to dry. I knew that there were people who would be hit. But at that moment it was just shoot, shoot, shoot.
Erez: What do you mean "punitive shooting"? A reaction to something?
Roi: Reaction to their shooting. In Hebron there's punitive fire. Shoot at everything you see. Cars, things, anything that moves. It's like taking out your anger on everything. Shooting relaxes you, like meditation.
Tzvi: I find what Roi said a bit sick, that shooting people is therapy.
Roi: Don't you release stress when you shoot?
Tzvi: No, not at all. I don't even have the energy for that anymore. I'm totally apathetic. I've had occasion — I believe everyone here has — to shoot people.
Roi: We had a five-day operation in the territories on firing grounds, and basically Bedouins are not allowed to be there. The officer stops the vehicle and asks, "Who's ready?" I step out, another guy steps out, and then about 300 yards from us we see a poor Bedouin shepherd walking out on the grass at the firing ground. The officer says, "Okay, go ahead." We lie down, one bullet to the left of the herd, one bullet to the right of the herd . . .
Blau: Why?
Roi: Because shooting live ammo has become so fluid, so trivial.
Tzvi: You can live with having shot at an old man grazing his sheep? Just like that? If my officer were to tell me to open fire on a shepherd who's obviously not endangering anyone, I would beat my officer up.
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Better yet, everybody should read the entire peice rather than selective quotes. But other than that, one could quite conceivably take all the suicide bomber and hamas interviews to show that plenty of Pals have the same "don't give a shit" attitude when it comes to killing children.
The sad fact of the matter is that this mentality is like a growth that is perpetuated by the continuing conflict and both sides will continue to use the transgressions of the other to justify this type of mentality. The whole region sickens me.
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Retro ...
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