http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D342216D-4EA6-4327-9E39-886A10C88C26.htm
Israeli soldier sorry for not shooting Arab
By Khalid Amayreh
Wednesday 31 December 2003, 10:03 Makka Time, 7:03 GMT
Soldier who fired said he thought protesters were all Palestinians
An Israeli soldier who three days ago mistakenly shot and seriously
wounded a Jewish demonstrator in the northern West Bank has told
interrogators he thought he was shooting a Palestinian, not a Jew.
"I am sorry, I never thought I was shooting at Jews, I would never
shoot a Jew," the soldier reportedly said.
The Israeli victim, Gil Nima'ati, was protesting against the
construction of the so-called separation wall near the northern West
Bank village of Mis-ha north west of Nablus, along with hundreds of
Palestinians and international peace activists.
Another protester, a woman from the US, was also lightly wounded in
the shooting which sparked off widespread acrimony and recrimination
in Israel because a Jew was shot.
The soldier who pulled the trigger - his identity has not been
released - reportedly said he could not recognise the identity of the
demonstrators, who were protesting against the construction of the
"separation wall" in the northern West Bank.
"The army deals differently with the Palestinians... soldiers feel
threatened by Palestinians and open fire when they feel threatened.
This is not the same when soldiers deal with Jews"
Unnamed Israeli soldier
" I thought the protesters were all Palestinians and non-Jews."
On Tuesday, the Israeli chief of staff and other Israeli officials
sought to give the soldier in question the benefit of the doubt,
arguing that he would not have opened fire had he known he was
shooting at a Jew.
"I am sure, the soldier didn't know he was shooting at a Jew," Moshe
Ya'alon said in response to a question from a Knesset member.
Shooting Palestinians is "different"
However, when another Knesset member further asked Ya'alon if shooting
a Palestinian would have been legitimate under the same circumstances,
he sought to dodge the question, arguing that "the army deals
differently with the Palestinians."
"Soldiers feel threatened by Palestinians and open fire when they feel
threatened. This is not the same when soldiers deal with Jews."
A wounded demostrator is helped
by comrades after the shooting
Israeli occupation troops have shot and killed hundreds of
Palestinians and a number of international activists in controversial
circumstances, prompting human rights organisations to accuse the
Israeli army of adopting a "shoot-to-kill" policy in the occupied
territories.
Earlier this year, the Israeli Hebrew paper Ha'aretz, published a
report showing up to 80% of Palestinians killed by the Israeli army
since the outbreak of Al-Aqsa Intifada, were either innocent civilians
or people who played no role in the hostilities between Israel and the
Palestinians.
However, the wanton killings of Palestinian civilians, journalists and
international peace activists by the Israeli occupation army arouse
little outrage in Israeli society.
Two days ago, a group of Israeli leftists demonstrated in the same
area where Na'amati was wounded.
They carried placards reading "first, they shot the Palestinians, and
we were silent... "
.
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