Israeli soldier in GazaTake a look at this picture. It’s from an LJ comm for Russian-speaking Israeli soldiers engaged in the current Gaza offensive (found via a comment on Lenins Tomb).
The blog’s all in Russian, so I’ve looked at the pictures. This one, for me, really epitomises the obscenity of the war. A grinning Israeli soldeier sits comfortably making a V sign. Just look behind him – a cabinet full of family photos, books, ornaments, bric-a-brac, all carefully arranged and polished.
He’s sitting in somebody’s house. It’s clearly a house where an elderly mother or grandmother lives. Who else has old b&w photos on display in gilt frames? Who else keeps plastic flower ornaments in plastic to stop them catching dust? Who else keeps glass cabinet doors free of fingermarks? Who else makes sure her floors are clean and polished?
And here’s this grinning oaf sitting there, proud of himself. Behind him, the cabinet doors are all open – undoubtedly he and his mates been through them, and all the other cupboards in the house, pawing through precious mementos, laughing at old photos, giggling over underwear…

Meanwhile, where is the old lady whose pride and joy this house clearly is? Where is she while these idiots are demonstrating to the world their complete contempt for her and her kind? For me, this one picture captures all that is WRONG with the Israeli actions – far more than any number of pictures of dead babies.

Current mood: Blazing mad.