JERUSALEM (VINnews) — An Israeli soldier was dismissed from his combat unit after footage showed him running away from an Arab terrorist and not attempting to prevent him from throwing a Molotov cocktail at him and escaping in his car. The terrorist was later apprehended by soldiers operating in the Kedumim region in Samaria.
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https://twitter.com/dvir_gopshtein/status/1340382781734567937
The OC of 98th Division, Brigadier-General Ofer Winter, asked officers to discuss with soldiers the incident and to warn them against such conduct.
“The soldier does not try and make contact. This is not the first case of its type to occur in our army. Why doesn’t he respond? Was he trained enough?” Winter wrote to his subordinates in a Whatsapp message.
According to the IDF investigation, the soldier was in a guard post when he saw a suspicious car driving back and forth. An Arab emerged from the car and walked towards the soldier. When the soldier saw him approaching he cocked his gun and tried to get closer as he thought it was a stabbing attempt. He didn’t expect a Molotov cocktail to be thrown. The report stated that the soldier acted correctly initially but failed to respond to the Molotov cocktail thrown at him
In the past year IDF soldier were forced to shoot in 590 cases of stonethrowing, 90 attempted stabbings and 20 cases of Molotov cocktails being thrown.
Right-wing politicians were quick to place the blame on the legal system in Israel. MK Betzalel Smotrich (Yemina) said that “this story is crazy, a Golani combat soldier is afraid to open fire at at terrorist who throws a Molotov cocktail at point blank range. However he is not guilty, the legal system which acts like Sodom is responsible. A system which puts Aryeh Shiff [an elderly man who shot and killed a thief stealing his car] on trial for murder should not be surprised if soldiers are afraid to shoot terrorists.”
Jerusalem Minister Rabbi Rafi Peretz said that “this should have ended with the terrorist neutralized, alive or dead. The response in the clip is very disturbing. The defence minister must ensure that the sector commanders learn the lesson and this kind of incident will not repeat itself. Such a response strengthens terrorists. The IDF must be victorious, we have no other option.”
MK Betzalel Smotrich is a 100% correct, this has nothing to do with the soldier, he and his gun were ready but he was afraid to pull the trigger.
The left have used a similar approach in the US where the cops are afraid to open fire on a black. Since it’s impossible to gauge in a split second if he would kill you with his bare hands with a single punch to the head.
He may not have panicked. He may not have been sure if he could justifiably shoot once the terrorist fled. He’s a kid.
Soldier did NOT run away.
Chose not to discharge his weapon, probably for the political reasons discussed here by others. His weapon was out and he “had the drop on him.”
If you wan’t soldiers to shoot you have to support them and not second guess actions taken in the heat of the moment.
Did it dawn on anyone in Israel that based on past experiences he may have decided that he prefers running away than facing a tribunal for defending himself, when they accuse him of using disproportionate force? The army and the government have forced soldiers into a difficult spot….
One should never conclude what is going through a soldier’s mind at the time. He panicked. Why? He needs to be placed in a position of less stress, and danger to himself and his fellow soldiers. The IDF is a volunteer force. Not everyone is capable. At the same time, perhaps call up the ultra-Orthodox to serve. Live in Israel, defend Israel.