About one third of the Israelis killed and taken hostage on October 7 were active duty IDF soldiers. That doesn’t excuse the terrorist attacks on Civilians but it is important to point out that Israel has a much worse combatant to civilians killed ratio than Hamas or Hezbollah.
That is not fair. “Active duty IDF soldier” is everyone in Israel once they reach a certain age. Even the ultra-orthodox are no longer exempt.
You’re talking about 18-year-olds who were conscripted taking some R&R to go to a music festival.
Again, this doesn’t excuse anything that has happened subsequently or anything Israel did before either, but it’s not like we’re talking senior leadership here.
That is not fair. “Active duty IDF soldier” is everyone in Israel once they reach a certain age.
It’s completely fair to judge a fascist society by their fascism.
Do we excuse the nazis because many were indoctrinated as nazi youths? No of course not. It might give us some understanding and compassion but it’s a completely fair judgement to say it’s a sick society.
Soldiers in military bases along the border fence are not taking some R&R going to a music festival.
And if they are armed at the border of a region they siege, being 18 years old is not an excuse not to be considered a soldier.
Some of them were taking R&R, some were along the border fence.
When every single person in your country is required to be a soldier when they turn 18, I don’t think suggesting they’re fair game in a situation like what happened in October 7th.
If they’re actively fighting, that’s a different story. But they weren’t. The people sending them to war should be the targets considering they do not have a choice in the matter.
I assume you don’t blame Russian conscripts for the war in Ukraine despite that also involving genocide.