Fascinating. But is it authentic? And if it is, is it true? No-one has to feed the media anything if the UN are allowed in to have a look. The longer they are restricted access, the more the media will fill in the gaps for themselves. If nothing happened, then why not let the UN in?
will -----Original Message----- From: Judith Dinowitz [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: 01 May 2002 03:42 To: CF-Community Subject: Re: Fw: Letter from an Israeli soldier So how come we can't communicate this to the world instead of the claptrap that the terrorists are feeding the media? Judith >Ben, this is supposedly from an Israeli soldier who was in Jenin. > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Ami Isseroff" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "MEWDIALOG" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Tuesday, April 30, 2002 1:58 PM >Subject: [ShomerNet] Fw: Letter from an Israeli soldier > > > > > > This letter was sent from an Israeli soldier who was > > stationed in Jenin. > > > > > > 25/4/2002 > > > > I'm writing this email after having returned last night from > > the emergency army call up that sweetly interrupted my life > > 3 weeks ago. > > > > I'm writing this email for simple reasons, to tell you the > > truth about what happened in Jenin over the last 2-3 weeks > > and to share some of the stories and incidents that we had. > > > > Its pretty sad seeing and hearing the lies that CNN, BBC and > > all the others have been feeding the world when you have > > seen a completely different picture yourself. Feel free to > > pass this email around and send me any feedback or > > questions. > > > > Let me just get one thing cleared, there was no massacre in > > Jenin, I repeat no massacre in Jenin!!! (ill get back to > > this later) > > > > My reserve battalion was stationed on the northern and > > eastern border of Jenin with the purpose of ensuring the > > enclosure of the area during the Defensive Shield Operation > > took place. We were divided amongst a number of roadblocks > > and defensive positions with the main purpose of preventing > > terrorists leaving Jenin to carry out attacks inside Israel > > and also from escaping during the operation. We were also > > responsible for monitoring the entrance of the Press and > > humanitarian aid going into Jenin, and also Palestinians > > needing to leave Jenin for humanitarian reasons. I myself > > together with eleven other soldiers manned a small roadblock > > at the northern tip of Jenin, which was one of the main > > thoroughfares for traffic entering and exiting the area. > > > > Jenin is not a big town. The refugee camp is a small part of > > Jenin and the pictures repeatedly shown on TV are of a small > > section (10% -15%) of the refugee camp that was destroyed. > > The refugee camp is where the terrorists have mainly > > operated and harbored factories and storage facilities for > > weapons, explosive belts etc. Many of the recent suicide > > bombers have strapped themselves up in this refugee camp. > > What is also very fascinating is that UNWRA (United Nations > > Work and Relief Agency - part of the UN) has been > > responsible for the refugee camps over the last 50 years and > > has allowed terrorist infrastructure to flourish under its > > nose. > > > > In the fighting that took place in the refugee camp, > > children were used as human shields by the terrorists. One > > of the brigade commanders told us this last Saturday night > > that they were shot at in the small alleys of the camp. > > > > They returned fire only to hear the cries of young children > > to which they immediately stopped shooting and prayed that > > they had not killed any children. They hadn't. > > > > The armies respect and consideration for the life's of > > innocent civilians is of a high standard. For this reason, > > 23 of our own boys were killed in the Jenin fighting. If we > > had no regard for the life's of innocent civilians, 23 sons, > > husbands and fathers would be at home with their families > > now. > > > > They were the price we paid for the high moral and ethical > > standards upheld during the fighting. > > > > During the week of the incursion into Jenin the area was a > > closed military zone. However contrary to what was reported, > > humanitarian aid was allowed in and I myself personally > > checked many of the hundreds of trucks that were allowed in > > to deliver supplies to the Palestinians. This was carefully > > coordinated with the army to ensure that innocent civilians > > would receive the supplies and to minimize the risks of > > those entering the areas. > > > > For a few days after the fighting had stopped, the area was > > closed off to the press. This is when the rumors of the > > massacre began despite the army press giving detailed > > briefing sessions to the media on the situation. > > > > So why was the area closed to the press and what did we > > seemingly have something to hide? Simply, the refugee camp > > had been booby trapped by the terrorists and minefields > > awaited those that entered. Soldiers inside the refugee camp > > told me of not being able to move 5 meters at a time without > > having to diffuse another pipe bomb or mine. Many of the > > houses destroyed were done so by bombs planted by the very > > residents of the camp. Some of the dead bodies were also > > booby trapped with grenades and mines awaiting the Israeli > > soldiers. (The Palestinian death toll stands at below 40 > > with maybe another 20 or so buried in the rubble of which > > most has been cleared up. > > > > This was also told to us by embarrassed reporters who > > entered the area eagerly awaiting to report an Israeli > > massacre of Palestinians only to be disappointed to find > > minimal destruction.) > > > > The media. Last Sunday while myself and my good friend Ben > > were on duty at the roadblock at the time when no press were > > allowed to enter Jenin, we spotted a jeep trying to evade > > the roadblock through an adjacent field. > > > > We managed to stop the jeep and discovered a group of French > > Journalists who had managed to enter Jenin and were now > > trying to leave. We followed the normal procedure of > > questioning them, checking their vehicle and identification. > > This process sometimes takes a while because we have to > > phone another army base who then checks the identities with > > the Israeli authorities which includes the intelligence > > operations. Anyway, it turned out that one of the supposed > > French journalists is actually a Palestinian terrorist on > > Israel's wanted list. He was taken away by the police > > together with the other real French journalists. Bet you > > never heard about that one on TV. > > > > Last Thursday, friends of mine on duty at another outpost a > > few kilometers away from me spotted two young kids walking > > in the middle of the day with black backpacks on their > > backs. The two kids entered an abandoned structure about 800 > > meters away from the outpost and left without the bags. The > > kids thought they had gone unnoticed. It was later > > discovered that the bags contained weapons, explosives, an > > Israeli army uniform with a red paratrooper beret. The plan > > was for a terrorist to pick up the loot at night, dress up > > as an Israeli soldier and attack the outpost. We had already > > received intelligence reports 5 days earlier warning of a > > terrorist dressing up as a soldier and entering one of the > > outposts. > > > > Avi, a good friend of mine studying together with me at Bar > > Ilan was stationed in Nablus (Shchem) during this operation > > and told me the following: They took over a house in Nablus > > as a stronghold in order for the operation to clear out the > > terrorist infrastructure there. While in the house, they did > > not use the electricity to charge their cell phones. > > > > They did not touch or eat any food left in the house. They > > made a concerted effort not to use any furniture in the > > house. When they left the house a few days ago during the > > pullout of Nablus, they cleaned the house and left money on > > the table. I have heard this reported from soldiers that > > were also in Beit Lechem, Tulkarm, Kalkilya and Jenin. > > > > On Monday morning this week, a UN bus entered Jenin carrying > > a UN rescue team from Britain. The team included doctors and > > other rescue personnel who get dispatched around the world > > to help with rescue operations. Four hours later the bus > > returned through our roadblock and they stopped and we had a > > chance to chat a little. The first thing they said is that > > this was the biggest waste of time for them and they would > > be catching the next flight out of Israel. One of the > > doctors told us that one of the "massacred" bodies he > > examined was that of a man that had been dead for two years. > > What a shame that the Palestinians dug him up to add to the > > death toll. > > > > As my friends and I packed up yesterday ready to head for > > home we joked at how the whole world considers us to be > > monsters and how one day we might all be charged for war > > crimes. We felt good for having served our country once > > again and we hope that something was achieved in this > > operation. What lies ahead is still uncertain. > > > > What became so clear to me is the importance of seeing > > things in the right context and perspective. If all that > > happened these last 3 weeks was an Israeli incursion into > > the Palestinian areas, then yes, maybe we don't look so good > > in the worlds eyes. But looking in the context of the > > history of Israel and our longing to live peacefully side by > > side with our Arab neighbors, we cannot let terror to exist > > and destroy our dream. I pray and hope that new Palestinian > > leadership emerges that will want to make this world a > > better place for its people. > > > > Saul Kramer > > > > > > > > -----------------------------------------~-~> > > ShomerNet changes via email: > > Switch to digest: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Switch to normal: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Stop receiving mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Permanently unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ------------------------------------------_-> > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ Structure your ColdFusion code with Fusebox. 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