So Sue Me

Five Israeli reservists who took part in the incursion into and destruction of a large part of the Jenin refugee camp in 2002 are suing the maker of a documentary for making them look bad.

Jenin, Jenin director Mohammed Bakri testified that everything in the film is true. The litigants claimed that selective editing made it appear that a tank purposefully ran over a group of Palestinians.

What a joke!

Judge Michal Nadav of the Petah Tikva District Court recommended the parties reach an agreement. The claimants want 2.5 million shekels in this defamation suit. Such a flimsy suit would never fly in places with defamation laws protecting free speech.

Italian filmmakers have organized a petition in defense of Bakri. Unfortunately, Israeli and Arab artists have done very little to support him. About the Italian petition, Bakri said, "I hope that this initiative will reach the hearts of the good people of Israel. I think it sends a message to Israeli artists, who should have stood by me, not one of whom, Arab or Jew, lifted a finger."

If the reservists suffered a loss of reputation for their involvement in "Operation Defensive Shield," maybe they should sue the Israeli government for making them do it. Jenin is under occupation, and such Israeli operations against refugee resistance fighters will always be seen as a crime of occupation. The IDF is what made them look bad.

They could also sue the bulldozer operator, also a reservist, who took pride in his 75 hour rampage bringing down as many homes as he could:

No one refused an order to knock down a house. No such thing. When I was told to bring down a house, I took the opportunity to bring down some more houses; not because I wanted to - but because when you are asked to demolish a house, some other houses usually obscure it, so there is no other way. I would have to do it even if I didn't want to. They just stood in the way. If I had to erase a house, come hell or high water - I would do it. And believe me, we demolished too little. The whole camp was littered with detonation charges. What actually saved the lives of the Palestinians themselves, because if they had returned to their homes, they would blow up.

Wow, he was so concerned for the well-being of the Palestinians. Isn't that sweet? If he really cared about them, he would advocate for ending the occupation.