I just love the BS spokeswoman response "despite being a swollen toe injury, we're taking this very seriously"...whatever

Israelis have always been very charming.

Homicide bombers blowing up innocent Israeli civilians = Good and righteous freedom fighters!

Israel shooting some trouble-causing punk in the toe with a rubber bullet = OH THE HUMANITY!

Think of it this way.

Jews have been ousted and persecuted for roughly 2000 years, from Babylonian occupation in the BC era to the Holocaust and recent Palestinian efforts today, with plenty of juicy events in between. They are a nation of people who have known war and conflict for much of their existence.

Is it any surprise to anyone, therefore, that when it comes to war and conflict, Israelis do not fuck around?

When you've done something for 2000 years, you tend to get really, really good at it.

AP is missing the point.

Some background: The demonstrations at Naalin are a steady weekly occurrence, involving hundreds of Palestinians and Israeli and foreign peace activists marching against the fence, and IDF forces trying to contain them and making sure no one steals the fence (which they have done dozens of times in the past). These confrontation invariable turn violent, and often involve the same people, especially on the IDF's side, with the same battalion bearing the brunt, and the same auxiliary forces backing them up. Tensions build, frustration grows, weekend leave gets fucked up, careers are ruined etc, so a certain amount of violent outburst and abuse of power is expected though not accepted. That's why we have rules, and officers to enforce them, checks and balances, separation of power etc. We try to diversify the responding units as much as possible (different cores, services etc) to encourage snitching.

BUT...

The bald dude on the right holding the Palestinian's arm who seems to be directing the fire is a Lieutenant Colonel (aka Battalion commander). This is not a guy losing it because he won't see his girlfriend on the weekend, but purposeful - and probably systematic - physical abuse to create deterrent, and simply to disable the guy for a few days so they don't have to deal with him again for a while.

At least, that's what I think it is, but it's hard to tell with so little information. But it's deffinently bigger then the video makes it look. It'll be interesting the see what the investigation turns up.

Which piggy was it?