Hey Olmert, the Neo-Nazis are Kvelling!
I received this link in an e-mail by someone claiming that a neo-Nazi now in the Yassam police unit sent these pictures of Amona back home to Russia to brag.
I have no reason to believe that what this e-mail said was innacurate, but since I cannot understand Russian I cannot vouch for what is being written on the web site.
But it seems to me that if a neo-Nazi web site has posted these pictures, it is not to show how outraged they are. (Trust me, women just know these things.)
Update: 11:07 am. I received the following e-mail from a Russian speaker concerning the above web site:
"This is not just a skin-head website, it is a Russian Nazi website. These are not doped-up numbskulls, but professionals. From the other articles there, it is clear that they follow events here quite closely. They obviously were tickled pink to see Jews smashing Jews."
I received this link in an e-mail by someone claiming that a neo-Nazi now in the Yassam police unit sent these pictures of Amona back home to Russia to brag.
I have no reason to believe that what this e-mail said was innacurate, but since I cannot understand Russian I cannot vouch for what is being written on the web site.
But it seems to me that if a neo-Nazi web site has posted these pictures, it is not to show how outraged they are. (Trust me, women just know these things.)
Update: 11:07 am. I received the following e-mail from a Russian speaker concerning the above web site:
"This is not just a skin-head website, it is a Russian Nazi website. These are not doped-up numbskulls, but professionals. From the other articles there, it is clear that they follow events here quite closely. They obviously were tickled pink to see Jews smashing Jews."
posted by westbankmama at 11:10 AM
8 Comments:
And just when we thought there wasn't anything else to feel nauseous about.
translated from babelfish without any editing
Large-scale Jewish pogrom... in Israel The police of Israel conducted on 2 February the assault of the Jewish settling Of amona. Amona - this is the strategic height above Jerusalem, next to which is located the base VVS. The evacuation of this small settling (9 houses), elevated several years ago with the approval of Sharon, began on the resolution of the Supreme Court of Israel. The inhabitants Of amony and ultra-right Jewish organizations by number to 2000 people were concentrated in Amone for its protection. Against them were be casten approximately 2000 soldiers, also, about 3000 policemen. As a result the moving out became the scale Jewish pogrom, where in the role of pogrom-makers appeared... Jews. We propose to your attention photo report about the moving out Of amony. These are not Russian cossacks - the Israeli mounted police are:
J.
I'm taking a look at the photographs; here's my "take" on them, from top to bottom:
1) Mounted police appear to be stationary, except for horse in center of photo, who is taking a single step forward. Police batons are raised and ready, but no actual contact is being made.
2) Mounted police are attempting to clear protestors away from a building. No evidence of physical contact.
3) Several girls are attempting to prevent a bulldozer, reminiscent (to me, at least) of the Rachel Corrie incident - as the bulldozer driver can't see them. One girl is being forcibly removed, but there is no indication of unnecessary roughness.
4) A doubled line of policemen (or soldiers)advances in close formation. No violence or contact - in fact, the only protestors shown are in the background and are looking the other way. Clearly these protestors don't think that the police in the foreground of the shot are doing anything all that interesting.
5) Actual violent confrontation between police and protestors. Protestors are clearly fighting and not simply conducting "non-violent resistance". Nobody is on the ground and no blood is flowing.
6) This is a slightly strange shot. Note that the mounted policeman and the fallen protestor are separated from the other people in shot; note also that the mounted policeman is the only member of the security forces shown, and that nothing terribly exciting seems to be happening. I can't completely make out what posture the fallen protestor is in; but it's clear that the horse is not in fact stepping on the protestor. (Horses don't like to step on people, BTW - they're very protective of their footing, and avoid stepping anywhere that isn't solid.) The policeman is clearly reining the horse back quite firmly to bring it to a quick stop; note the splash of dirt in front of the left-rear hoof. I'm not completely sure, but my tentative conclusion is that the protestor fell or was knocked down by someone else, or possibly ran in front of the horse before the horse and rider could come to a stop and avoid the collision. The mounted policeman appears to be attempting to avoid harming the protestor.
7) Superficial injury to forehead, no indication of source. Victim is clearly conscious. Heavyset protestor in right of photo appears possibly to be flinging something with his right hand. Nothing much else is going on.
8) Protestors leaving (or being pushed out of) a building. No indication of violence.
9) Protestor on stretcher. No blood is shown; judging by facial expression, protestor may have been tear-gassed. Nothing else going on - everyone on both sides of the conflict is watching the stretcher.
10) Police in riot gear appear to be trying to push back a crowd of protestors. Three mounted policemen are stationary, one of them facing the police rather than the protestors. Some protestors appear to be throwing objects at the police; there is no evidence of any police violence. No batons are in evidence.
11) Single protestor (apparently in balaclava) looking upset. No security forces are shown; no blood or other evidence of violence.
Conclusions
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. The photographs do not prove that the police didn't act with undue or unprovoked violence. On the other hand, there is absolutely nothing in any of these photographs to indicate police brutality beyond necessary riot-control measures. They do show that a confrontation took place, and that some injuries occurred. They also show that at least some protestors were doing more than passively resisting the demolition. The photographs certainly do not support labeling the incident "a pogrom", and they do not support the charges that have been made against the police and the Israeli government.
There is nothing new under the sun.
Afterall, we've been giving the Arabs reasons for glee (i.e. Gush Katif) so it's only natural that we would give skinheads a reason as well.
Just the fact that there are these sites out there on the web and in existence at all- makes me sick.
the artist - yes, this is really awful
Jerusalem cop - thank you for the translation. Who is babelfish?
Don - you are completely missing the point of this post.
Tovya - yes, our enemies certainly have a reason to rejoice
Regina - it makes me sick also, and I hesitated about whether to link to them. But in the end it is important to see what is really going on.
It's correct that this post wasn't principally about the photographs themselves. On the other hand, I've seen an awful lot of very emotive stuff written about how awful things were at Amona as documented by various photographs and videos, but very little sober analysis of what those photographs and videos actually show.
From what I've seen so far (not only these photos), the case for extensive police abuse has not yet been documented. That may be slightly off-topic, but I believe that it's true - and worth noting - nonetheless.
Don Radlauer said...
1) Mounted police appear to be stationary, except for horse in center of photo, who is taking a single step forward. Police batons are raised and ready, but no actual contact is being made.
2) Mounted police are attempting to clear protestors away from a building. No evidence of physical contact.
....
you sure have an interseting way of interpreting motion in a still shot... i guess, painting of a naval battle would be interpreted by you as a sunday outing since there is not contact between the adveraries would be visible.
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