Israel sniper to get 45 days over Gaza war shooting

[Lars77]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hBaiqPMbOuZd4GJPpYjJxB6VBQbQ?docId=CNG.4c48ced992b0b19ea4208b7a3ff09d55.5d1

(Hope this link works, its from AFP via google).

JERUSALEM — An Israeli soldier implicated in the killing of two Gaza women carrying a white flag faces a 45-day jail term under a plea bargain approved by a military court on Sunday, local media said.

The sniper, identified by Israeli media as "staff sergeant S," was charged with manslaughter in 2010 over the fatal shooting of an unnamed individual, which Palestinian witnesses linked to the killing of 64-year-old Riyeh Abu Hajaj and her daughter Majda Abu Hajaj, 37, during Israel's "Cast Lead" Gaza offensive.

But the Israeli military said the charge had on Sunday been reduced from manslaughter to using a weapon illegally.

"Following a mediation process and upon examination of the evidence with the recommendation of the military court, both sides have reached a plea bargain in which the indictment will be adjusted, and he will be convicted of using a weapon illegally," a military statement said.

___________________________________________
Yep. Kill two women showing white flags, get 45 days for "USING A WEAPON ILLEGALLY".

[polly7]

1. So disgusting. nt.

[Ken Burch]

2. If he'd only killed one, would the sentence have been 22 and a half days?

(Now of course...somebody's going to jump in here and say that the lightness of the sentence is justified by "terrorism".)

[Lars77]

3. This is proof that a palestinian life is not worth a whole lot in the eyes of the Israeli state.

There is no excuse for this.

[oberliner]

6. The sentence was not in relation to killing these two people

If you actually read the article, you would see that they dropped that charge entirely since there was not enough evidence to convict him of the crime.

The 45 day sentence was for an unrelated incident.

[azurnoir]

4. I've seen this soldier called one of Goldstones victims

after all he was just doing his job and if memory serves at the time I remember a DUer who defended this because those Palestinians are known to put grenades in babies diapers or something

[oberliner]

7. Memory does not serve you very well

Otherwise, I am sure you would have a link.

[oberliner]

5. Your comment contradicts the article

The punishment for killing two women showing white flags is not 45 days for using a weapon illegally.

If you read the actual article you posted, there was not enough evidence to convict him of killing those women. In fact, he denies having done so.

In Israel, much like in the United States, there are actual trials where crimes have to be proven in order for there to be a conviction.

There are some details you seem to have missed. Here is an excerpt from a BBC article covering this sory:

But on Sunday, the Israeli military announced that an investigation had found problems with the evidence which meant prosecutors believed it would not be possible to prove the sergeant had fired the fatal shots.

Prosecutors said the women's bodies had not been presented for examination, and that many Israeli soldiers had been shooting in the area at the time. There were also discrepancies between the accounts of Israeli soldiers and those of the Palestinian witnesses, they added.

Instead, the sergeant agreed to a plea bargain that saw him convicted of the illegal use of firearms relating to the killing on 5 January 2009 of an unidentified individual - not Rayah or Majda Abu Hajaj - and sentenced to 45 days in prison, his lawyer Oded Saburai told reporters.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19243246

[azurnoir]

8. Perhaps you missed this in the article did you even read it?

Israeli rights group B'Tselem, said that if the military had been unable to prove that "S" fired the fatal shots at the women, who were carrying a white flag when they were killed, it must reopen its investigation and find the guilty party.

"If the military prosecution accepted the claim brought by the soldier's lawyers, that there is no connection between the shooting he admitted to, and the killing of the Palestinian mother and daughter, this means that the investigation into this incident was never completed," the group said in a statement.

but it is indeed 'nice' to see you defend this action

[oberliner]

9. Boy are you confused

I'd love for you to read that paragraph a few more times. That might help sort things out for you (As it confirms what I wrote above).

Namely, he wasn't convicted of killing those two women.

The 45 day punishment was for another crime.

I agree with B'tselem in that they ought to re-open the investigating of that incident and bring to justice the person who actually did kill those two women if they have enough evidence to convict.

More importantly, though, there needs to be a change in the military structure itself to do a better job of ensuring that this does not happen in the future (another point that B'tselem makes if you actually read their full report on the subject).

[azurnoir]

10. no I am not confused but I do see some obfuscation being attempted here

as usually the investigation is completed prior to sentencing but I would guess where IDF is involved there is a different standard

[Fantastic Anarchist]

11. He wasted too many bullets?

Disgusting.