No, I don’t presume that IDF spokespeople read Kafka or Joseph Heller. But they might as well. The gobbledy-gook that passes for PR flackery from these people simply boggles the mind.
A few days ago, at the weekly anti-Separation Wall rally in Naalin, the IDF fired high velocity tear gas canisters at a lone American who was photographing the demonstration. Tristan Anderson, an unarmed International Solidarity Movement volunteer, not engaging in aggressive action or behavior, became yet another bloody statistic in the battle against the Israeli Occupation. He was hit in the head, ripping a hole in his skull, exposing parts of his brain, and likely rendering him brain-damaged. He may also lose an eye.
While four Naalin villagers have been killed by IDF and Border Police action at these rallies, this is the first time an American has been severely injured. Palestinian blood is cheap for Israel, but American blood is more expensive. You’ve got all that nasty PR in U.S. media outlets and the Obama administration is liable to take a dim view of Israeli soldiers deliberately targeting U.S. citizens with lethal force. Coincidentally, the last American killed by the IDF was Rachel Corrie, another ISM volunteer.
Israeli peace activists intend to keep the heat on the IDF:
The activists claimed that an illegal gas canister developed for dispersing crowds, and which was deemed forbidden for use by the military prosecution in 2001, was used during the protest during which Anderson was injured. They also maintained Anderson was shot at intentionally…
This is the money quote which would’ve made Joseph Heller proud:
The IDF Spokesman Unit responded to the claims saying, “Use of the Ruger ammunition (0.22) [high velocity tear gas canisters] of this sort in Judea and Samaria is done in accordance with procedures for aggravated situations, within the exact same limitations as are placed on ‘regular’ live ammunition.
“It will be noted that these are not crowd dispersal tools, but ammunition for which obligatory regulations of live fire apply. The use of said ammunition, even in situations in which live ammunition can be used, is meant to limit the injuries of those being fired upon.
“Use of this accurate ammunition limits wounds and decreases the risk for fatal injury. Operational experience until now shows that using such ammunition indeed decreases the severity of wounds.
In other words, the IDF treats use of the tear gas as just as seriously as using live ammunition. Which doesn’t really explain why a lone, unarmed American was targeted since he clearly didn’t constitute an “aggravated situation.” What really raises my hackles is the implication that by using tear gas they decrease the risk for fatal injury. Doesn’t this neglect the important fact that by using tear gas they put Tristan Anderson into a possibly irreversible coma that could lead to death or severe brain damage? Can someone explain to me how that jibes with a weapon that supposed “decreases the severity of wounds?”
H/t to John Dickerson.
I was at the protest against the Anderson injuries at the Kirya (will write something about it on my blog on Friday); one of the people protesting had one of the cannisters that had caused these injuries. One of the soldiers watching on warned him not to throw it, as it might injure someone. I think that’s what Alanis Morrisette was getting at when she wrote Ironic.
Good for you, I’m glad to hear you were there & that you’re distressed about this incident.
Richard — I don’t think he’s comatose. he’s been able to respond to questions by squeezing fingers, he moved his torso & toes when the dr. asked. If he manages to recover it will be an arduous road.
I’ve been in a number of demos in the WB & lost count how many times i’ve seen soldiers aim tear gas guns directly at protestors’ bodies, instead of shooting the canisters into the air, arcing them so they fall instead of smacking someone head on. especially as the shooter was only 60 meters away, and this new ordinance travels 500 meters, it is hardly surprising it made a hole in Tristan’s skull. Tear gas is supposedly for non-lethal crowd dispersal, not high velocity skull-crushing. and people are confused why palestinians dont go out and protest more….
Left-wing activists: IDF used excessive force in Naalin
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3687081,00.html
The activists claimed that an illegal gas canister developed for dispersing crowds, and which was deemed forbidden for use by the military prosecution in 2001, was used during the protest during which Anderson was injured. They also maintained Anderson was shot at intentionally, and not hit by a stray bullet.
addendum: despite the way the Ynet piece reads, i believe they are talking about two different weapons. I dont think Tristan was shot with the Ruger 10/22, which shoots a 22 round that penetrates the skin. its use against protestors was reintroduced around the same time this new canister tear gas munition was. but perhaps i’m reading it wrong.
He was hit with the tear gas munition.
My understanding is that the .22 Ruger can fire a .22 caliber bullet, but is also used to propel the tear gas canisters. Ruger is, of course, an American arms company.
The double speak about how this weapon, which is lethal, reduces injury is easy to understand. It reduces injury to IDF soldiers. Does anybody else in the situation matter? Of course not…
I have to ask that we not make Tristan’s condition more bleak than it is to suit our outrage. I’m asking for positive thoughts. I’ve known Tristan for 25 years, and I want to see him laugh and walk and talk again like the blithe spirit he is. Thanks for that.
-Carl Magruder
Of course, how silly of me to believe they might also be considering the lives of demonstrators. I forgot the [im]moral calculus of Occupation.
I agree with you wholeheartedly. But I want to make these injuries as graphic as possible so that those who defend Israel’s behavior will have to grapple with the enormous damage done by this unconscionable policy of deliberating targeting demonstrators for maiming.
Haaretz has testimonies of soldiers from the Gaza operation.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1072040.html
not that we didn’t know this, but still…
I only wish that more leftwing idiots like this young man would stand amidst the rock throwing hate mongers and bravely face down the IDF, and then die like the famous anti semite Rachel Corrie.
What filth you are.
Patrick is the type of person who makes me ashamed of being a human. I hope that someday we will outgrow such ugly people.
each night i pray for the peace of jerusalem.. Maybe just maybe somehow, someday this madness will end
shalom all
gp
Carl:what’s the understanding from? 22 is a tiny caliber; the gas cannisters are
huge…
Was the man individually targeted in fact?
Was there in fact not a group or crowd?
No, he was standing apart from others according to eyewitness reports I’ve read. There is also video of the incident which I haven’t seen but which you may find &Y view. Orgo, who commented on this earlier said he’s witnessed IDF firing such canisters directly at protestors bodies instead of into the air or at their feet. This is plain & simply using a crowd dispersal tool as a lethal weapon which is illegal even according to IDF rules.
The Ruger 0.22 refers to a ~.22in bullet, such as those seen here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.22_Long
The tear Gas canisters are 40mm grenades, such as those seen here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_40_mm_grenades
Both are employed by Israel to break up peace demonstrations in Palestinian territory.
not that witty can ever be convinced of anything, but here’s another example, from a few years back:
http://www.kibush.co.il/show_file.asp?num=1499
Update on Jonathan Pollack
ISM New relay
April 5, 2005
Jonathan Pollack, an Israeli activist, was released from Tel
Hashomer hospital in Tel Aviv today after being struck in the head by a tear gas canister at a demonstration against the Wall in Bil`in on April 3. Jonathan has several stitches and two small hemorrhages in his brain. He is conscious. However, he cannot sit or stand up due to dizziness.
Israeli soldiers fired tear gas canisters into the crowd at the protest on April 3, even though the tear gas canisters are intended to be shot into the air and not directly at people.
check this one out, Witty. Israeli troops, with no provocation, open fire on a peaceful demo in Bilin in ’06, shooting an Israeli lawyer in the head, seriously wounding him. The troops are clearly under no threat, the commander is not even wearing his helmet. What kind of a democratic state treats non-violent protests this way? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhNqikk71cY
And why are they doing this? In order to expand a settlement built by Lev Leviev, who you’ve said shouldnt be subject to a boycott. I’m glad the UK
didn’t listen to you, and has decided against renting their new Tel Aviv embassy from him. And now, The London Stock Exchange may delist Leviev because of his settlement-building:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-shtenderauerbach/whats-made-in-israel-shou_b_176701.html
There’s a video of the incident on youtube.
After he’s hit a couple of paramedics rush over carrying a bright orange stretcher. Of course, this doesn’t stop the Israeli “Defense” Force firing. At around 35 to 45 seconds into the video, you can clearly see another gas canister landing just feet away from one of the protestors.
Truely, the most moral army in the world.
Oops, here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov3Qs8CjPRw
In Village, Palestinians Face Gas With Rocks
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/21/world/middleeast/21westbank.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all
The protests inevitably end in violent clashes. The Friday before, an American activist, Tristan Anderson, 38, from Oakland, Calif., was struck in the forehead by a heavy, rubber-coated tear-gas canister fired from at least 300 yards away.
“They throw stones, iron bars, fireworks, tear gas of their own,” said Superintendent Sharon Manor, the Border Police company commander in the area.
Security officials here acknowledged that Mr. Anderson was not directly threatening the troops in any way. But they said that it was impossible to shoot tear gas with any accuracy, and that Mr. Anderson was in the vicinity of stone-throwing youths when he was hit.
International Solidarity Movement activists describe the rocks thrown by the protesters as “symbolic,” asserting that they generally do not reach the soldiers anyway.
At the very least the foreigners are accused of protecting the Palestinian stone-throwers, acting as a kind of human shield.
Soon it was back to the weekly cat-and-mouse chase through the alleyways and orchards on the edge of the village. Rocks from swirling slingshots bounced among the flowers; throats and eyes stung with tear gas. A car caught fire.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/21/world/mi…
Solidarity: Tristan and Palestine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BTkgadWuqQ
Video documenting the protest in San Francisco in solidarity with Tristan Anderson who was shot in the head with a tear gas bullet by Israeli troops on March 13th, 2009.
i’m working on a t-shirt now (i’m not much of a graphics person, but my neighbor is!) that will say “PROUDLY JEWISH: ASHAMED OF ZIONIST “ISRAEL”” on the front. Tristan and i were not especially close, but somewhow this has catapulted me into feeling like he is truly m brother and that the best way i can address this horror from here (berkeley. north Oakland) is to speak up against the hate and vioence that we went to the occupied territory to protest. my intention with the shirt, besides having something to say to th state of israel as to how it does not and cannot speak for ;’the jewish people”, is to donate any rofits from selling it to likeminded friends and comrades, half to East bay Food not Bombs and half to the Anderson family to elpreimburse them for their expenses in cming to tristan;s side and pursuing whatever seems best to hold the Israeli government accountable for this outrageous attempt to silence him.
“Can someone explain to me how that jibes with a weapon that supposed “decreases the severity of wounds?”
Yes, I can answer this question. The high velocity gas is only less deadly than live ammunition if you don’t aim it at someone’s head. To solve this problem, Israeli defense forces have learned to do just that: aim it at people’s heads. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaigDpojUAs. Where an Israeli soldier instructs a new soldier to “aim for the face and shoot.”
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