Study raps IDF child recruitment

[Aidoneus]

I don't want to end up accused of plagiarism, like a dear mysteriously departed, but a few words may apply:

"disgusting child abuse. and save the shit about the source.
its totally consistent with other reports.

better yet...deal with it."

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Jul. 29, 2004 22:59 | Updated Jul. 30, 2004 1:22
Study raps IDF child recruitment
By DALIA NAAMANI-GOLDMAN

Child recruitment to the IDF is a serious social problem that needs to be addressed promptly, a report released Thursday by a nonprofit organization indicates.

The report, "Child Recruitment in Israel," investigates different ways in which children under 18 participate in the army. It was conducted by New Profile, an Israeli organization that opposes mandatory army service and its effects on society.

"This issue has been raised in the world and it's about time it's raised in Israel," said Sergey Sandler, one of the report's three authors. "We hope will lead to public debate."

According to Sandler, involving Israeli children in army-related activities prior to the legal age of 18 is prevalent throughout Israeli society, including in the educational system. He added that recruiting children under the age of 15 is considered a crime by the International Court of Justice.

"They're considered responsible for actions from age 18, but we weapons and the possibility to be hurt from the age of 16," Sandler said.

Neta Rotem, who also wrote the report, cited as an example children who train for Gadna, the paramilitary youth battalion, who are placed under the supervision of army commanders.

"It's a summer camp and they learn what soldiers do, how to search houses, and work at checkpoints," Rotem said. "But it really is recruitment. It's training for the army."

--snip--

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1091072360837

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And on a completely different note, but there is something I'd like an answer about (not expecting one, of course):--For what possible reason was bigbillhaywood tombstoned?

[philosophy77]

1. both sides are guilty

"Activities in support of the bombings are increasingly widespread. Last year the BBC shot a segment about so-called Paradise Camps—summer camps in which children as young as eight are trained in military drills and taught about suicide bombers. Rallies commonly feature children wearing bombers' belts. Fifth- and sixth-graders have studied poems that celebrate the bombers. At Al Najah University, in the West Bank, a student exhibition last September included a re-created scene of the Sbarro pizzeria in Jerusalem after the suicide bombing there last August: "blood" was splattered everywhere, and mock body parts hung from the ceiling as if blown through the air."

I guess both sides are crazy as loons huh?

[philosophy77]

2. The source of above

Copyright © 2002 by The Atlantic Monthly Group. All rights reserved.
The Atlantic Monthly; June 2002; The Culture of Martyrdom; Volume 289, No. 6

[IA_Seth]

3. YES

Yes, it is wrong on both sides, however we are not giving aid to the Palestinians, selling them weapons, and using our veto as a shield against any condemnation of them.

This is an ALLIED armed force doing this.

[philosophy77]

4. supporters are irrelevant to the practice

Who arms them (PLO get money-weapons from syria and lebanon) or gives them aid has nothing to do with both sides recruiting and brainwashing kids. Both sides should be condemned just on the merit of that alone.

[IA_Seth]

5. I agree

I agree that it is wrong, I thought I was clear in that.

What I am saying is that to me, the support of the USA makes Israel's practice MORE alarming.

REPEAT:

Both sides are wrong.

We help Israel be wrong.

K?

[Gimel]

11. The youth camp

An IDF spokesman said the purpose of Gadna is to help prepare 11th grade students for their army service.

" is designed to ease the transition of going to the army," the spokesman said. He added that New Profile's philosophy is completely opposed to the IDF. "Its ideological platform is opposed to obligatory army service," he said.


I agree that not all young people or all men are suited to army combat situations. No one should have to be trained to kill to protect his country. There should be no war.

However, when 18 year-old recruits are given jobs at check-posts, and they don't measure up to international scrutiny as far as behavior and human needs, it is primarily because of a lack of training. Army training is not all negative, as it sharpens skills, develops discrimination and use of weapons safely. In a society where explosives have been used extensively against the civilian population in the past three years, training in self-defense and weapon handling at a young age is an advantage.

[Gimel]

12. The report clearly shows

The use of children is a much greater problem on the Palestinian side.

similar report regarding Palestinian child recruitment is to be released on August 1, according to Enrique Restoy, the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers' program officer for Africa and the Middle East. He said results from that report also are quite troubling.

He noted that between October 2002 and March 2004 there were nine cases of Palestinian children being recruited as suicide bombers. Restoy also said the report found about 30 children involved in organized military action.

I hope you will all comment on that report when it is published next week.

While the IDF begins preparation for recruitment early, that is not active involvement, as it is on the Palestinian side.

[Lithos]

6. You should really raise that question up in Ask the Administrators

Or ask Skinner via PM. While I would not be hopeful for a definitive reply, if you have an underlying, specific question (was he banned for "x"), you might get a yes/no with Skinner.

And on a completely different note, but there is something I'd like an answer about (not expecting one, of course):--For what possible reason was bigbillhaywood tombstoned?

[Djinn]

7. self deleted

[Aidoneus]

9. self-deleted

thanks for the PM'd explanation, Djinn.

[Djinn]

8. Nobody ever gets an answer to those questions

but if you have a search for arab discrimination in GD you mind find a couple of threads that'll give you an idea.

DU is in danger of loosing all it's personality by kicking out the people that could make you think AND laugh!

[Gimel]

10. Sure

My late former husband joined the Marine Corps at the age of 17 with parental approval. Many under age men signed up at the beginning of WWII also, because their documents weren't checked. They wanted to join up.

[bemildred]

13. Teenagers make excellent cannon fodder.

Intelligent, ignorant, robust, fearless, and obedient.
They want nothing more than to belong and serve.
Every army in world prefers them in the ranks.
Every army in the world will target them when trying
to suppress resistance. Every army in the world finds
this reprehensible when done by its enemies and patriotic
when it does it itself.