Fighting jihad for Israel

Foreign fighters drawn from Europe and the US contribute to Israel's military occupation of the Palestinian territories.

Her name is Katie. She is from the Netherlands, and chose to serve in the Israeli navy instead of remaining in her country.

Will her government label her and the rest of the hundreds of Dutch youth serving in the Israeli military as jihadstrijders (jihad fighters), the name given to the hundred or so that went to Syria? Katie, a Dutch-
Israeli dual citizen, is after all a jihadist in occupied Palestinian lands.

Israel's genocidal campaign in the Gaza Strip is entering its second week. The death toll has risen to more than 600, with thousands more injured and displaced - alongside arbitrary arrests, the demolition of family homes and a policy of apartheid towards Palestinians both in the West Bank and within the state of Israel. What's more, these war crimes are directly supported by the recruits from Europe and the United States that land at Ben Gurion airport throughout the year.

The notion of Europeans and Americans serving in the Israeli army isn't new.

Before the creation of the state of Israel, thousands of western volunteers were recruited by the Zionist movement - in a process named Mahal or volunteers from abroad to take part in Zionist military operations in Palestine during the British Mandate.

In the 1948 war, as many as 4,000 World War II veterans from the US, Canada and Europe carried out military operations against Palestinians, serving the Zionist project with their expertise in warfare, artillery, naval and aerial combat.

A bigger role than fighting

Within the historical context of western support for the Zionist project, it wasn't the number of Mahal combatants that was significant. The role of foreign recruits was to be found in the political and demographic transformation of Palestine.

The late Israeli prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin, later attributed the successful outcome of the war to the support of foreign fighters: "They came to us when we most needed them, during those hard and uncertain days of our 1948 war of independence."

In supporting and developing Israel's military power, these western recruits deliberately contributed to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian towns, the dispossession and depopulation of Palestinian communities, and the massacres inflicted on them.

But Mahal recruitment did not end with the creation of the Israeli state. It continues to this day.

Thousands of volunteers, from more than 40 countries, stream to Israel to serve in all branches of the Israeli military - many in combat units. The online Mahal recruitment programme ostensibly aims to "defend" Israel and strengthen the connection of these volunteers to the Israeli military. Non-Israeli nationals of Jewish descent can join the ranks of the armed forces for an 18-month tour and be in the same front-line combat units as Israeli conscripts, including those operating in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Support groups

Around 100 British nationals are currently serving in the Israeli army. It's a significant number. British mothers even have support groups to exchange experiences of having a child serving in the Israeli military.

In 2009, Baron Ahmed of Rotherham asked Britain's House of Lords, the UK parliament's upper chamber, whether any British citizens were serving in the Israeli military or its reserves.

Lord Malloch-Brown, minister of state at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, responded, "Other than press reports, the UK government does not possess information about whom the Israeli government have called up to serve in the Israel Defense Forces or the Israeli Defense Reserves, including any dual nationals. Only the Israeli government would have this information... Anybody who has broken the fourth protocol of the Geneva Convention deserves to meet justice in some court or another." So much for the oversight of the British intelligence and security services.

In April 2014, a British parliamentary report outlined - in 246 pages - counterterrorism approaches towards British Muslims fighting in Syria, Somalia and Afghanistan. Nowhere did it mention the threat of indoctrinated British citizens returning home from serving in the Israeli military. Nor did it mention that serving in an occupying army remains a crime in violation of the Foreign Enlistment Act 1870, which criminalises British citizens who serve in the armed forces of another country.

Recruitment

The Mahal network spans the globe. Max Steinberg and Sean Carmeli were two US citizens enlisted in the Israeli military. They were taking part in the Israeli ground offensive in the Gaza Strip which resulted in the deaths of at least 70 Palestinian civilians in Shujayea when they came under fire. The US State Department announced their deaths on July 20. And yet recruitment continues.

In May 2014, the Israeli embassy in Paris informed the local Jewish community of the arrival of a representative of the military who would give a lecture on their recruitment policies, "followed by a question and answer session".

In November 2013, a Ukrainian citizen that had served for six years in the Israeli army stated nonchalantly on a Ukrainian television show that she had killed Palestinian children with full immunity from European and Ukrainian law - since Israeli law does not apply when Palestinian children are killed.

Approximately 5,000 Jews carry the title "Lone Soldier" - given in Israel to volunteers from abroad, new immigrants or orphans who have served in the Israeli army. Lone soldiers receive special rights and benefits, such as financial assistance, help with housing and time to visit family abroad.

In May 2014, the Tel Aviv Lone Soldier Center, where lone soldiers can relax and unwind together, was opened thanks to funding from a Dutch NGO named Israel Actie, which is affiliated to the Amsterdam Sar-El branch. Sar-El are civilian volunteer groups who undertake non-combat work for the Israeli military. Jews, non-Jews, and non-Israelis - eligible from the age of 16 - can volunteer their time, money and efforts, wearing army uniforms, to reinforce the Israeli military.

It is represented in more than 30 countries and hundreds of volunteers join each year.

Israel is applying outright treachery in its recruitment of young Jews worldwide, through tens of programmes. Israel Experience is a Zionist project that aims to create new allies for Israel. It targets western youngsters from the age of 13, recruiting them for what appears at first to be a programme of fun and amusement. But these children end up in a simulation, spending between one and six weeks exposed to guns, reproducing military manoeuvres and receiving "educational" classes on Zionism and the Israeli military.

Entertainment also features on the side. These indoctrinated children are then sent back to their parents and countries as advocates to justify occupation, apartheid and the defence of Israel at all costs. Israeli recruitment programmes have different dimensions but one and the same goal: the strengthening of the Israeli army and the networks of the state's mindless supporters.

Complicit in war crimes

The power dynamics of European countries is a game of constant duplicity. Western intelligence services turn a blind eye to citizens that decide to wear the Israeli military's uniforms and occupy Palestinian lands and resources, and commit war crimes in violation of international law.

Apparently, in the eyes of Israel and its western allies, having Jewish roots is adequate justification to defend an illegal occupation of territories - while it is unacceptable for Palestinians to resist the illegal expansion of Israeli settlements and theft of land and water resources. In its recent offensive on Gaza, Israeli troops have shown no respect for human lives and have breached the laws of armed conflict, indiscriminately attacking civilians and targeting civilian homes and institutions.

There are many faces to the Israeli occupation, some of which are well-known, and some of which are hidden. The indirect reinforcement of the Israeli army with European and American soldiers is one such opaque form of complicity.

If European leaders are serious about preventing international fighters crossing their borders, or returning home with weapons training and a grudge to bear, they should pay equal attention to all European fighters taking part in conflicts across the Middle East. European governments have a moral duty towards Palestinians. They have to stop the flow of European killers deliberately involved in crimes against humanity.

Israel has turned the Gaza Strip into an experimental laboratory for its high-tech weapon industry and chemicals. It is the obligation of the international community to sanction Israel, and enforce a military embargo in light of the Israeli violations of human rights.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/07/jihad-israel-201472272438651885.html

And that is the truth of it.

Sassy, without appearing to take "sides" if Hamas stopped firing rockets into Israel wouldn't Israel stop bombing Gaza?

No Nicko, they most definitely wouldn't because they have said they want the land and they want Gaza and the West Bank gone.   All Gaza is asking for is to be allowed to come and go freely in their own land, have the embargo lifted so that they can buy and sell as they did before and have the hundreds of prisoners that Israel used the pretext of the kidnapping of the children to take, something that is illegal under international law, returned.   Israel keeps on building on land that it is not it's to build on, and will not stop, and will not stop bulldozing legally held Palestinian homes.

Unbelievable, talk about indoctrinated, being as Israel pulled out of Gaza before and has had the capability and the opportunity many times over to wipe them out yet has never done so.

Are your eye's completely shut?

Sassy wrote:Are your eye's completely shut?

No its very much open, I condemn the settlements and as stated to you countless times, the way forward is not through utterly hate articles like this, if this had been about Muslims, you would have been defending their action. To me it is the people of each nation that can show the way forward, blame achieves nothing but more hate, and it is people wishing to have peace and reconciliation that is needed, not hate. Your argument is along the line of every extremists, wrongs done, vengeance and what they see as justice.

That is not a hate article, that is an article containing facts about what is happening which people like you try to pretend don't exist.

Sassy wrote:That is not a hate article, that is an article containing facts about what is happening which people like you try to pretend don't exist.

Yes it is a hate article, using blame again and with the intent to incite feelings against Israel

nicko wrote:Sassy,  without appearing to take "sides" if Hamas stopped firing rockets into Israel wouldn't Israel stop bombing Gaza?

In direct answer to your question, yes nicko.  The causes of this conflict lie directly with Hamas' firing of missiles on Israel.

Total bollocks from someone who doesn't have the first clue of what he is talking about.

Generally, the start of something is determined by timing: The one who starts something is the one who acts first.  Although it has happened several times since the November, 2012 cease fire, by renegade groups, on June 30, 2014 The Times of Israel reported that Hamas was behind the 16-missiles that fell on Israel on Monday, June 30th.  



http://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-fired-rockets-for-first-time-since-2012-israeli-officials-say/

Unless you are a Republican or a Tory, you go with the facts.

Original Quill wrote:

nicko wrote:Sassy,  without appearing to take "sides" if Hamas stopped firing rockets into Israel wouldn't Israel stop bombing Gaza?

In direct answer to your question, yes nicko.  The causes of this conflict lie directly with Hamas' firing of missiles on Israel.

Exactly, to excuse firing indiscriminate rockets at Israel which was in retaliation to the death of a Palestinian boy, which was clearly in retaliation to 3 Israeli kids being murdered showed where this all started, showing Hamas retaliated to the Palestinian boy dying and not any claims that they are now making. They thu clearly were looking for an excuse to start hostilities

Its already been shown that the Head of Mossad suggested the kidnapping of three teenagers a week before it happened, and they have not proved who did it, but then took hundreds of prisoners, including leaders of the Palestinians (not Hamas) which is illegal under international law and is collective punishment. It has also been shown that they had 'found' the bodies the next day but kept it quiet, using the time to whip up a frenzy of 'bring back our boys' which directly led to the Palestinian boy being burnt alive and of course produced a response (which is what they wanted in the first place). I have already given official links to all of that, but you put your fingers in your ears and go 'la la la'. Zack also gave the link that shows one of the reasons they want to take over Gaza now is Israel is desperately short of gas and a large amount is under Gaza, link given by Zack and quoted by me in another thread, but as normal you and Quill stick your fingers in your ears and go 'la la la'. The killing, burning, peppering with shrapnel of babies bodies, no matter how many times it happens, doesn't seem to effect either of you, which rather means there is something monsterous about you. Even the BBC Newsnight presenter was loosing her cool with the Israeli representative tonight. The tide is turning and the bullying by Israel is being shown in all it un-glory.

Suggested is not evidence, that is just again more claptrap to try an push blame onto Israel, again, it is Hamas that fired rockets and not Israel. As seen there are many conspiracies, but little evidence to point to any proof, as seen you just want to believe what you want to believe, but one fact remains, Hamas started this, by firing rockets, which is a crime against humanity

I didn't suggest, I posted evidence and you went la la la la again. Israel started it. And actually Hamas, under international law, have a right to defend Gaza, and under international law, Israel because they are classed as occupying it, have a duty to protect the civilian population, rather than killing babies and children.

You posted no evidence, just hearsay claims, made by those with an agenda against Israel, again one fact remains, Hamas started this conflict by indiscriminate rocket attacks, which you are now excusing.
Hamas have no right to fire indiscriminate rockets into Israel, the UN classes it as a wrong and rightly condemns it an is a crime against humanity.
Thanks you have just proven you are fine with civilians being attacked by Hamas in the guise of defending themselves, thus you have no argument against Israel using the same logic

Nope, they were admitted. Get it right.

As seen you have admitted it is okay to attack civilians based off the view to defend yourself, and people can see you did, where as I thankfully disagree with you

What?   Are you completely mad?   I said Hamas is allowed to defend Gaza, and its hitting MILITARY TARGETS , Israel has a duty to the civilians instead of bombing babies and children AND MISSING MILITARY TARGETS.

nicko wrote:Sassy,  without appearing to take "sides" if Hamas stopped firing rockets into Israel wouldn't Israel stop bombing Gaza?

very unlikely since Israel has been taking over the Palestinian territories bit by bit for over 30 years and Hamas has only existed for half that time.

Israel uses that as an excuse but as maps over time clearly show Palestine is not getting bigger   

Sassy wrote:What?   Are you completely mad?   I said Hamas is allowed to defend Gaza, and its hitting MILITARY TARGETS , Israel has a duty to the civilians instead of bombing babies and children AND MISSING MILITARY TARGETS.

Hamas is hitting military targets., when they firs rockets that are indiscriminate in their targets, wow you really do defend terrorism, by international law these rocket attacks are crimes against humanity!
You though have defended there use and thus by the same logic defend the right of Israel to attack civilians as well

Don't pretend you don't know, unless it was another la la la moment, Veya posted you the statistics the other night to show that they had a very high percentage that were military targets, whereas Israel had a very low percentage that were hitting military targets. You just ignore what you don't like.

Hilarious, the UN and every one else apart from a terrorist sympathizer states quite clearly that these rockets are indiscriminate, if they are lucky to hit a military target that is irrelevant, they are indiscriminate because they can and do hit civilian targets. Thus using your logic you thus back Israel to attack civillians