It wasn't that long ago, and yet it seems as if an entire year has passed since Israel launched Operation Guardian of the Walls. Terrorists infiltrating Israel from Gaza, anti-tank missiles launched at Israeli soldiers, and 4,000 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip at citizens. A few Palestinians approach the border area, and a soldier receives the order to open machine-gun fire from a tank to stave off a threat. One of the Palestinians approaching the border is wounded in the fire.
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For some reason, an investigation was opened into the incident. It revealed the three Palestinians had been innocent bystanders. Of course, we don't want IDF soldiers firing at people for no reason, but I have a feeling they didn't do this out of sheer boredom or a desire to practice their aim. One must assume the fighters acted out of professional considerations, and we can also assume it would be difficult to tell just who is an innocent bystander in that kind of situation.
The investigation further revealed the shooting was carried out "in violation of the rules of engagement and directives." The surprising twist in the plot comes with its conclusions: The unit commander that oversaw the event was kicked out of the army, the gunner was removed from his position, and the company commander was reprimanded. In addition, the Military Police are now investigating the event.
If you were wondering what exactly is going on here, and whether a reprimand would have been enough to make clear the officer's error in judgment, you are probably normal people who love life. The problem is that this is now the reality.
The reality is that there is such a thing as the International Criminal Court, and it will rule on absolutely anything, and in particular issues pertaining to Israel. It makes no difference that thousands of rockets are fired at Israel, the Arabs started it, and they rioted in mixed Jewish-Arab cities, and so on and so forth. We will always be the ones that are ultimately found guilty.
We so dislike being the guilty party that we will do whatever it takes to avoid it. We will prove we have an active judicial system, that we look into every suspected war crime, and that we know how to investigate ourselves and engage in self-flagellation on a voluntary basis. All is well, we'll say, there is no need for intervention. And when an investigation such as this is launched, with such conclusions and publicity, it's clear we are sending signals to the ICC at The Hague.
Again, though, none of this makes any difference. We will be tried and we will be found guilty regardless of what we do. Even if the enemy engages in horrifying behavior and we kiss up to the ICC and kick the officers out of the army, no one of that will help. The ICC is a biased political organization, and we all know it.
This will cause immense damage: Beyond humiliating IDF officers and the state, it sends a message of deterrence to all Israeli soldiers. When our fighters have their finger on the trigger, we want them to think not of saving their lives, protecting Gaza's residents or Israeli citizens, or the current war on the battlefield, but the ICC, its polite and dignified antisemitism, and international interests.
We want our soldiers to be clean. Not for The Hague's sake, but for ours. We want a moral army, and just as we don't want to see our soldiers worry about the ICC in the field, our leaders must not bring that court's antisemitic considerations into play.
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