Collateral Conscience

Major General Eliezer Shkedy is the OC of the Israeli air force. This week he gave a talk about the "super-human efforts" made by the IAF to prevent the loss of innocent lives during targeted assassinations of terrorist leaders.

He said: “We haven't always been able to prevent harming bystanders, but we must remember that in 2005 one civilian was harmed for every 28 terrorists we hit."

I find that utterly astonishing.

Firstly I was not aware that even 28 terrorists were taken out of murderous circulation by the IAF last year. Kol Hakavod to them for this.

But secondly, the ratio of one collateral loss of life to 28 legitimate hits shows a degree of moral conscience and sensitivity that is perhaps matched only by the professionalism and skill of our pilots.

Samuel had it right.
“And who is like Your people, like Israel, the one nation on the earth.”