Media Release: Exalting war crimes

20 November 2024 – for immediate release

Tomorrow evening, two Israeli soldiers who participated directly in the ongoing genocide in Gaza will be lauded as heroes at an event hosted by WIZO Victoria and the St Kilda Hebrew Congregation. These soldiers were part of the IDF’s Paratroopers Reconnaisance Unit, which stands accused by human rights advocates of involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity during Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza. The event underscores a disturbing reality: the normalization and glorification of state-sponsored violence.

The operation these soldiers are set to recount—described as an effort to free four hostages—resulted in the indiscriminate slaughter of over 270 Palestinians, including 57 women and 64 children, and injuries to nearly 700 more. This was not a rescue; it was a massacre. Such actions epitomize Israel’s strategy of collective punishment, which is not only morally reprehensible but also a clear violation of international law.

It is crucial to emphasize that the deaths and injuries inflicted during this operation were avoidable. Hamas, in the early days of the war, offered to release all hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and an end to the assault on Gaza. Israel rejected this proposal, prioritizing its campaign of destruction over the lives of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians. This refusal underscores Israel’s prioritization of military dominance over peace and human dignity.

Since the beginning of the assault on Gaza, Israel has waged a relentless campaign that has decimated the enclave. Over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, the majority of them women and children, while tens of thousands more have been injured. Entire neighbourhoods have been flattened, over 2 million people have been displaced, and hospitals, schools, and refugee camps have been repeatedly targeted. The international community’s silence in the face of such atrocities enables Israel to continue its unchecked war on Gaza.

The decision to honour these soldiers is an affront to justice and humanity. Instead of recognizing the voices of Israeli conscientious objectors who have refused to participate in these war crimes—true heroes who risk imprisonment for standing against injustice—this event perpetuates the dangerous narrative that killing civilians is an act of heroism.

We must confront the absurdity of this glorification. Hosting soldiers who represent an occupying force responsible for widespread death and destruction sends a clear message: the lives of Palestinians do not matter. But their lives do matter and we must stand against this normalization of violence and demand accountability for the atrocities committed in Gaza.

Let us reject the narrative that violence and oppression are worthy of praise. True courage lies in opposing injustice, in standing with the oppressed, and in refusing to remain complicit in the face of genocide.

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