Israeli soldier posts Instagram image of Palestinian child in crosshairs of rifle

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Guardian

An Israeli soldier has sparked outrage by posting a photograph appearing to show the back of a Palestinian boy's head in the crosshairs of his sniper rifle on a social networking site.

The context of the picture, posted on the personal Instagram site of Mor Ostrovski, 20, could not be verified but the aggressive message is clear. The minarets and Arabic architecture of the village captured in the background suggest the boy and the town are Palestinian. Ostrovski is an Israeli soldier in a sniper unit.

The Israeli military said the soldier's commanders were investigating the incident. His actions "are not in accordance with the spirit of the IDF [Israel Defence Forces] or its values", a spokesperson said.

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Breaking the Silence, an organisation of veteran Israeli combat soldiers campaigning to raise awareness about life in the West Bank, condemned the image. "This is what occupation looks like. This is what military control over a civilian population looks like," one member wrote on the group's Facebook page.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/18/israeli-soldier-posts-instagram-palestinian

[polly7]

1. Mor Ostrovski is a sick, sadistic pig. nt.

[Lobo27]

2. Shit like this

proves that there will never be peace in that part of the world. They fucking hate each other on both side.....

[geek tragedy]

3. Lots of extreme orthodox types go into the military with the hope of drawing infidel blood. nt

[iandhr]

10. The ultra-orthodox are often exempted from service in the army.

And they don't work. They live off the government. These are the takers Paul Ryan talks about.

This has long been a source of discontent for the secular population because there the ones who serve in the army and pay taxes.

Yair Lapid the TV journalist who did so well in the recent Israeli elections ran partly on a campaign of "burden sharing" saying the ultra-orthodox also need to serve in the army.

[azurnoir]

4. Breaking the Silence is a worthy organization

that does expose the realities of the occupation and the mind set it has created

[SCVDem]

5. Let's be very clear.

Soldiers are like this. This is their job and in their mind they have to justify killing. Racism, nationalism, ego and much more have always been part of a soldier. They are ready or they are dead. A little research will show this is only the latest outrage over a soldier opening his mind for us to see.

In previous wars the mail was opened and censored. There would be no bulletin board material for the enemy. No leaks. No outrage because nobody knew outside the group what was said.

Here we are with open internet and social media available to every soldier in the world. Should this be censored?

One last point. Soldiers do not make policy. They only do what they're told. The outraged should keep that in mind while fuming.

Now bust him for being an idiot! Shame him publically to show that this is not acceptable.

He is only 20 after all.

[WooWooWoo]

6. some....soldiers are like this

most are not.

[geek tragedy]

8. No, racist thugs wearing a uniform are like this. Professional soldiers do not think shooting

children in the back of the head is funny.

[azurnoir]

9. just boyz bein' boyz?

as to the past perhaps soldiers should use better judgement when posting on social media

[Upward]

17. Soldiers? Sure, when they are an invading force

Trying to subjugate a population.

[lunasun]

18. Gonna guess you never were one.......

[SCVDem]

19. Iron Dome

The Israeli anti-missle system was on 60 minutes. The commander of a battery was 34. Everyone else was 21 and under.

Dpes anyone think these kids want to be doing this?

No, of course not.

They are following orders and have no choice.

[bubbayugga]

23. I spent 8 years in the infantry. I don't find the pic funny, professional or surprising in the least

Infantry soldiers tend to be a cold blooded bunch and those who gravitate towards sniper school tend to be colder still, cold as a cobra really. I could tell stories but I won't.

[YankeyMCC]

7. "This is what occupation looks like."

That is the heart of the issue this brings up. Mr Ostrovski morals and actions are only the window onto what it means to have war and occupations and all forms of institutional violence.

If the reaction is only to remove the image, punish the solider and even institute some kind of training program for all soldiers about how inappropriate this is the only thing accomplished would be to hide this one visible symptom of the human condition.

Punish Mr Ostrovski maybe but to me the more important response would be to use this incident to face the horrors of the situation in that part of the world and the hurt and pain it is causing for the people of the west bank, the occupied and the occupiers.

[WillyT]

11. The Picture...

Israeli soldier Mor Ostrovski, 20, has sparked controversy after posting this image on his Instagram account. Photograph: electronicintifada.net

From OP's Link.

[Blue_Tires]

22. If that's real, this guy is a sick fuck...

I'm sure the usual suspects will be by soon with some kind of uber-twisted logic to explain this one...

[chuckstevens]

12. And if the Nazis had had Social Media...

And if the Nazis had had social media, this type of sick shit would have been all over the place. Absolutely disgraceful! The solider in question should be court marshaled. As the world's biggest supporter of Israel, I don't want to hear people say, Gee, why do they (the Islamic world) hate us so much?

[Joey Liberal]

14. We need to treat the Palestinians as equals

The Palestinians need to stop the terror and the Israeli's need to give up some land and stop the settlements. If not, no more aide from America. We have been too one-sided in favor of Israel. And no, I am not anti-Isaeli.

[davidpdx]

15. The irony is history repeating itself

Mankind didn't learn much from the horrors that happened in WWII obviously. When the same people who were persecuted just 70 years ago are doing the same, it give you very little faith in humanity.

[Mosby]

26. your comparison to nazi germany is fucked up

Are there death camps in Israel?

Gas chambers?

Your post is very offensive.

[davidpdx]

27. So report it if you find it that offensive

[Mosby]

28. I did and it's now in the hands of the site admins.

[davidpdx]

29. No, it would be a jury

and after 3 1/2 hours I would say it's pretty safe to say it wasn't as bad as you tried to make it out to be.

[Behind the Aegis]

30. No, it goes to admins. After 24 hours, the jury is replaced with admins.

Go to the OP, and hit alert, you will see a different box. The change took place about two weeks ago.

[davidpdx]

31. Never heard about it

I could really care less though.

[davidpdx]

32. 13 hours later and I'm still waiting...

[McCamy Taylor]

16. Context counts on this one. If a professional photographer shot the photo

it would mean something entirely different. So, are we sure that it was a soldier who took the picture?

[Solindsey]

20. More fuel to the the fire.

Burning filth.

[They_Live]

21. But if it was an adult in the crosshairs

then everything is hunky dory.

Killing is bad.

[Douglas Carpenter]

24. knr

[Scurrilous]

25. Drugs, guns and bound Palestinians: An Israeli soldier's photo album

Days after a Golani Brigade soldier posted a photograph of a Palestinian boy in the crosshairs of his rifle, a new scandal emerges surrounding an Israeli soldier's online photos.

<snip>

"Israel Defense Forces soldiers’ social-media activity is once again creating a storm on the Internet, just days after a soldier who posted a photograph of a Palestinian boy in the crosshairs of his sniper’s rifle drew harsh criticism.

The current outrage has to do with a Golani Brigade soldier who posted pictures of himself on Instagram, smoking what he says are joints, while in uniform. The soldier uploaded a second photograph of a bound Palestinian prisoner, and also boasted on Twitter of having killed a Palestinian.

Electronic Intifada first reported on the soldier's photographs and apparently spent time rummaging through the photos he posted online. The site posted a number of his pictures, including one of him half-naked and holding a weapon. The soldier has since blocked his accounts on Instagram and Facebook.

Among the other photos included in Electronic Intifada's report were two with English captions reading “Keep calm and kill people in your mind” and “Keep calm and take over Gaza.” Another picture shows a map of the Gaza Strip with the caption “Soon to be a giant theme park!!”

The report also included the soldier’s response to an Arab user's comment on Facebook, in which he wrote, “For all I care you can comment all my pictures, you’re just a f--king Arab pile of s--t, you even smell like it….”

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/drugs-guns-and-bound-palestinians-an-israeli-soldier-s-photo-album.premium-1.504887


Stoned, naked, armed and dangerous: more disturbing images from an Israeli soldier’s Instagram






http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/stoned-naked-armed-and-dangerous-more-disturbing-images-israeli-soldiers