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Last Thursday an IDF soldier entered an incident already underway in Hebron.
There were two terrorists lying on the ground with gunshot wounds.
One was dead and the other, in a zipped up jacket despite the very warm
weather (25 degrees Centigrade [77 degrees F]) with a bulge first appeared
to lay still.
In this soldier’s presence there was a repeated call not to approach the
terrorist in the zipped up jacket as he may have a bomb.
And then someone noticed that the terrorist was moving and called it out.
He was alive.
At that point, apparently instead of locating the commanding officer on the
scene and sharing his concerns with the officer that he thought that the
terrorist was trying detonate a bomb, the soldier took the initiative and
shot the terrorist dead.
There are two videos covering this incident. One by B’Tselem that shows the
terrorist on the ground and the terrorist being shot and another that
includes in its sound track the voices on the scene warning that the
terrorist may have a bomb as well as surprise that the terrorist was alive.
[For an excerpt from the second video with English subtitles see
https://youtu.be/LykFxG-47ok ]
Media coverage following the incident has provided the public with a unique
opportunity to judge the integrity of reporters, brass and other talking
heads.
It is a unique opportunity because the test of integrity is so simple and
straightforward.
It’s the “two video litmus test”.
Simply put, reporters, brass or other talking head covering or commenting on
the incident who ignore the existence of the second video have forfeited
their integrity.
To be clear: it is most certainly possible to take the position that the
soldier should have sought out the commanding officer on the scene. But
taking that position doesn’t require ignoring the existence of the second
video and the information that it provides.
In the past few days both the print and the broadcast media has been filled
with reporters, brass or others failing the two video litmus test.
Want an example?
If you are fluent in Hebrew I would like to suggest that you listen to this
audio recording featuring a very honorable judge and a top news program
anchor on Israel Radio Reshet Bet.
Retired Tel Aviv District Court Judge Amnon Straschnov served as Military
Advocate General of the IDF from 1986 to 1991. In this 30.3.16 interview on
Israel Radio with Aryeh Golan on the Hebron shooting incident the facts
supporting the soldier (the second video) are never mentioned while the
B’Tselem video is cited as the evidence that serves as the basis for the
judge’s observations.
Both the judge and the news anchor failed the two video litmus test.
When the dust settles will the public remember who demonstrated such an
overt contempt for the truth?
Only time will tell.
http://imra.org.il/story.php3?id=70368
