Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, CLXIV: "purity of arms"
mosque floor littered
with plaster and broken glass,
rows of Gazan men
with their hands bound behind ...
a soldier tears up a Quran
silhouetted
against pile after pile
of smoky ruins ...
soldiers take smile photos
with their selfie sticks
FYI: Haaretz, Jan. 30 2025:'Army of Militias': Reservist's Explosive Book on Gaza Exposes Israel's War Machine From Within
An ethos of revenge, and dysfunction: An Israeli lieutenant colonel in the reserves – and an anthropologist by profession – based his new book on his war diary, where he talks about an atmosphere of general collapse in the army and Israeli society as a result of Hamas' onslaught
Wikipedia entry: Purity of arms (Hebrew: טוהר הנשק Tohar HaNeshek) is one of the core values listed in the Spirit of the Israel Defense Forces. It is described as the following:
The IDF servicemen and women will use their weapons and force only for the purpose of their mission, only to the necessary extent and will maintain their humanity even during combat. IDF soldiers will not use their weapons and force to harm human beings who are not combatants or prisoners of war, and will do all in their power to avoid causing harm to their lives, bodies, dignity and property.
