Palestinian Child: A Fatal Bullet.. For A Stone

[Aidoneus]

Palestinian Child: A Fatal Bullet.. For A Stone
By Ahmed Abu Aqleen
IOL Correspondent

GAZA CITY, March 8 (IslamOnline.net) – A seven-year old Palestinian child facing a seventy-ton Israeli tank, with a stone as big as his little palm can control. An extremely unbalanced face off with absolutely no necessary "sniper intervention". However, an Israeli sniper – based on a roof top – sent his killer bullet through the neck of little Mahmoud.

Mahmoud Abdullah Younis, from Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, was among the first of a tally of 15 Palestinians killed by Israel's bloodiest raid in the Strip in 17 months.

He lost his life at the early hours of Sunday, March 7, at a time when his parents thought he was in class. He was the youngest of those who fell in that day, in addition to the more than 90 others who were injured.

He was on his way to school through the narrow streets of Block C, east of Nuseirat refugee camp, at a time Israeli tanks were already pushing their way through the neighborhood.

Mahmoud changed his destination to practice what grew rapidly to be his favorite habit; to hurl stones at occupation tanks and military jeeps.

However, the little child did not know that Israeli snipers were already positioned on roof tops in the area. One of them did not hesitate or stop to think before sending his killer bullet to go through Mahmoud's neck and continue its way from the other side.

"I thought he was at school at that time. I did not know he went with his mates to stand up to Israeli tanks with stones," his father told IslamOnline.net Monday, March 8.

--snip--

http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2004-03/08/article07.shtml

[DarkPhenyx]

1. From throwing stones, to throwing grenades.

It's a small step really.

[wuushew]

2. I fail to see your point...grenade vs. tank, tank would win

Have the Palestinians developed some sort of anti-matter grenade technology? Because what I read describes a capricious and illegal use of force.

Do you advocate lethal force at anti-free trade protests? Law enforcement must always takes risk unto itself to ensure that excessive force is never used.

[DarkPhenyx]

3. Of course you fail to see my point.

Yet another surprise in my life.

I advocate an appropriate level of force for the group concerned. In Isreal/Palentine that appropriate level is, unfortunately higher right now.

[wuushew]

5. It was not ethical!!!

First all since this was a Palestinian refugee camp, consideration to protect civilians is paramount. The odds of killing that boy by sniper fire were nearly 100%. Taking the risk that he might be throwing a grenade and would harm IDF forces were several orders of magnitude less. What would a third party commenting on the ethics of the situation say to this assessment?

Are Israeli soliders like Americans too stupid to view every situation in the rational detached manner? It is atleast very unprofessional and reflects poorly on the IDF. I will now wait as someone defends the non-complicity of Israeli soliders on account of forced conscription.

[DarkPhenyx]

18. When you are in what, for all intents and purposes is...

..."enemy territory" detached and rational goes straight to hell.

My opinin is that Isreal shouldn't be there anyway. The Palis should not be throwing rock, grenades, or suicide bombers back at the Isrealis anyway. It's a stupid and fucked up situition. Ethics left that area a long time ago.

Now, do you want to discuss this on the level of the ideal, or the level of the real?

[forgethell]

6. Herer's the point

If you use force on someone in a war zone, you can expect to have them respond disproportionately. Now, before you flame me, I am not saying this is right, I'm just saying that if you don't expect that, then you are not thinking clearly.

Let me make it at a smaller level, outside the war zone. If you are coming after me with a knife, or a baseball bat, and I can't run, and I have a gun, then you are a dead man, and I won't care about the fact that you didn't have a chance. It is not my business to give you chances to harm me. I suspect the Israelis feel the same way.

[Aidoneus]

7. What rights do you grant to a tank in occupied land?

correspondingly, what rights do you grant to somebody opposed to that tank being there? Any at all?

[forgethell]

46. Well, I reject your assumptions

'occupied land'? Try land gained in defensive war. In any event, I guess the resisters have the right to throw stones, if they are willing to accept the consequences, and the tanks have the right to defend themselves when necessary. It's not all just stones that are being thrown.

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Aidoneus]

50. ?!

for what reason was this deleted?!

[tinnypriv]

51. Offensive war

You can agree Israel was correct to launch the 1967 war, but at least have the honesty to admit they did launch it.

Also note that if you reject the term "occupied land", you're in opposition to every U.S. government since 1967, at least 10% of the Likud central committee, the U.N, every aid agency in the world and every honest Israeli dove.

In other words, most of the planet.

[pennylane100]

4. I am not sure what you mean by that remark.

How many little American children have thrown stones at something or someone. Would it be OK to have armed guard on every rooftop
shooting them to death.

What I do not understand is where is the outrage. Why it it OK to shoot an eight year old boy who is too young to know the difference between right and wrong.

I think there are atrocities committed by both sides of this conflict but I do not understand why the loss of innocent life can be so casually dismissed for one side and not the other.

[Resistance]

20. Rock or no rock, it doesn't matter anyway

Because the IDF murders Palestinian kids without discrimination

[Djinn]

21. so you agree

with pre-emptive punishment - some people in these forums could out spin Rove. We should probably start locking up people who smoke ciggies and drink piss cause it's a small step to crack really

[Herschel]

8. A reliable source

would be appreciated.

[Darranar]

9. A "reliable source" like Arutz Sheva? n/t

[Djinn]

22. any source

that doesn't insist the Palestinians are alsways wrong is an unreliable source according to prevailing "wisdom" on this board.

Strangely enough it's OK to view the Israeli government and the IDF as reliable sources too!

[Evil_Dewers]

10. reliable source?

Why would the US media cover this? They only hype the travesty wrought by suicide bombers when Israelis are killed at pizza parlors or on buses.

http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?article=7029

http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/PressR/English/2004/35-2004.htm

[Herschel]

11. You two

Simply put, this boy should have been in school minding himself. I will leave it at that.

[Aidoneus]

12. And what of the tank and the sniper?

Where should they have been minding themselves?

[Darranar]

13. Perhaps so...

but does that justify him being killed?

[Herschel]

19. I do not know

all of the circumstances. I am simply saying his truancy and unruly behavior were factors.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

38. Boy, I'd hate to have you as a hall inspector. (nt)

[Herschel]

39. Indeed you would

-

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

40. And you would too, after facing the consequences

There's laws where I live. Hall inspectors were, therefore, civilized. Want a burger?

[Evil_Dewers]

15. this boy should have been in school

Traveling to school isn't very safe when you live in a war zone:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/world/newsid_1670000/1670097.stm

Palestinian children killed in explosion

Five children have been killed in an explosion near a school in the Gaza Strip. The children, all boys from the same family, were on their way to school when one of them apparently hit an unexploded tank shell lying on the ground.

The shell, thought to have come from an Israeli tank, exploded killing all five boys according to Palestinian security commander Colonel Khaled Abu Ola. A Palestinian farmer was also injured as a result of the blast.

The Israeli army say they are investigating.

[Aidoneus]

16. another was shot on the way to school a couple days ago

They should just sit in a pit they'd dug under the bathroom if they want to be safe......until, of course, the bulldozers come.

[Djinn]

23. oh my GOD

Herschel - seriously are you totally incapable of viewing ANYTHING from the eyes of a Palestinian - no-one on this board would ever try to argue that the deaths of Israeli civilians in suicide bombings are anything other than tragic - I have never seen a post suggest that these people should have just gotten ouit of harms way by NOT living in Israel????

It's OK to murder a child because he "should have been in school minding himself" - I really am speechless at that.

BTW - this isn't an "Attacking" post it's asking a question although I s'pose it'll still get deleted

[Herschel]

24. Highly unlikely this was murder

If stone throwing was all he was guilty of, he did not deserve his fate. However, being in school rather than being truant and causing trouble would have given a different result.

Has it ever occured to anyone the IDF must be quite tolerant of stone throwing children, as so many of them do not hesitate to do so?

[Evil_Dewers]

27. If stone throwing was all he was guilty of, he did not deserve his fate

Has it ever occured to anyone the IDF must be quite tolerant of stone throwing children, as so many of them do not hesitate to do so?

---

The penalty for beating a suspected stone throwing child to death is only six months of community service, as long as you didn't "mean to kill" the boy:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/1129829.stm

Israeli child-killer escapes jail

A Jewish settler convicted of beating a Palestinian child to death in the West Bank four years ago has been sentenced to six months' community service by an Israeli court.
The Jerusalem District Court said a plea bargain deal was reached with Nahum Kurman taking into account his claim that he "did not mean to kill" the boy, 10-year-old Hilmi Shousha.

Kurman, who had already had served eight months in prison during his trial, appeared relieved about the outcome of the day's proceedings.

"Thanks to God for helping me, thanks to all the people who were praying for me, and thank God again for giving me this wonderful lawyer, Yair Golan," he said.

At the time of the killing, the Israeli authorities said he had kicked Hilmi to the ground, placed his foot on his neck and beat him on the head with a pistol butt.

The boy died in hospital a day later after suffering a head injury and fractured spinal cord.

[Herschel]

34. Begging your pardon

You failed to mention the individual charged was acting in his role as security chief. Further, he did not intend to kill the suspect and had served eight months in prison. He also tried to revive the suspect. It may be asserted he was unduly harsh, yet this is certainly not premeditated murder.

[lefty_mcduff]

36. Well, lessseee.

Unduly harsh, you say.

Israeli dude beats Palestinian kid to death - get's eight months.

Palestinian dude is *accused - but only after the fact* of being connected to terrorists - executed (to great applause around here). His house is bulldozed (either as 'collective punishment' or to', make way for wall' or 'to find tunnels').

Mmm. Why do *they* hate *us*?

[Herschel]

37. You tell just part of the story

This may lead to people being misguided.

[lefty_mcduff]

42. Uh-uh. I'm interested in *both* sides.

Not just Likud propaganda.

[Evil_Dewers]

41. He also tried to revive the suspect.

Only after he had beat the suspect (a boy) to death!!!

You can't be for real.

[Djinn]

28. If I was flak jacketed and armed

I probably wouldn't give a fanny about a kid throwing a rock either.

Nice of you to say the kid didn't deserve to get shot - even though you do caveat it by "being in school rather than being truant and causing trouble would have given a different result." not quite saying it was really his fault but coming awfully close.

Wag school get shot - now why didn't my school think of that.

[Herschel]

35. Once again

If the facts are as presented, he did not deserve his fate. I simply prefer a child in school as opposed to a dangerous area, not minding himself.

[Evil_Dewers]

43. I simply prefer a child in school

What was the IDF (Israeli snipers) doing in that child's neighborhood in the first place?

[Herschel]

48. Battling terror

-

[Evil_Dewers]

49. Battling terror

Yeah, shooting kids armed with rocks in the neck will end terrorism, hatred and revenge/retribution.

Nice solution.

[Djinn]

44. alsxo think kids should get/stay out of dangerous areas

unfortunately there ISNT anywhere in the OT that's not.

This is also precisely why I can not understand people who leave safe countries and take their children to Israel/Palestine, personally for me my kids lives would come above my religious beleiefs, but that's just me

[lefty_mcduff]

33. Following your logic - The Boston Strangler wasn't a serial killer

because he could have killed more women???!!!

Because the IDF hasn't shot *EVERY* stone throwing youth is not some sort of illustration that they're tolerant of stone throwing youth! The fact that they've shot *MANY* stone-throwing (and alleged stone-throwing) youths is indicative of exactly the opposite.

The reason that it's never occurred to me is that it's not a particularly effective argument.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

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[drdon326]

17. Niiiiiice....

real nice.

[Djinn]

25. and when you get post that

you get "excited" at the murder of civilians that's OK???

[Aidoneus]

26. "aroused"

not to split hairs, but.. :)

[Djinn]

29. is that post still up?

I can't even look at that one it makes me that sick - if you make joke posts about killing your boss (with means such as death by stilleto and stapling) it gets pulled talk about death "Arousing" you and it seems to be OK????? still unfathomable to me and I'd suggest mental help.

[Aidoneus]

30. Indeed it is

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=124&topic_id=58192#58214

[Forkboy]

31. dont expect consistancy

you'll be happier that way.

[drdon326]

32. I'm honored everyone

Actually , I support the destruction of terrorists groups
such as Hamas, al-aqsa, PFLP and everyones favorite,
Islamic Jihad.

Djinn....thanks.:loveya:

[Name removed]

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