But it was a sponteneous act of youthful bravado and defiance. In time these children can learn appropriate demeanor from role models like the late American peace activist Rachel Corrie 
Posted on 07/24/2006 8:53:24 AM PDT by MikeA
In the public relations battle brewing on-line, there is a new eye to the center of the storm surrounding the war with Hizbullah - a series of photos showing Israeli children writing messages on shells meant for targets in Lebanon.
Questions over the photos' authenticity have been put to rest by authorities that were present during the incident, which occurred on July 17 near the northern border. The mostly local children had been brought to see the shells by their parents. Although it remains unclear who encouraged them to write the messages, their colorful scribbles, including a Star of David, hearts, and "From Israel, with Love," have appeared in dozens of blogs, or on-line journals, and on-line photo hosting sites.
Although the IDF has failed to issue a response to the incident, a spokesman from the IDF said it "appeared as though the situation occurred unofficially." Although an officer was present during the incident, the soldiers, and the IDF as a whole, did not condone or condemn the incident.
An official close to Israel's public relations campaign said that there was "no way" to spin the incident in a positive light. "Some people are simply irresponsible," said the official.
On-line, the photos are being called "horrifying," "disgusting" and "despicable." "I still cannot understand why or how anyone would allow their young children to walk up to missiles or other explosives. The militarization of children is always a crime," said one user by the name of "aviv2b" on the Guardian Web site, which ran a lengthy discussion about the photos.
Another reader, by the name barbicanangel posted that "I still say Israel is right in this war, however, the picture of young Jewish girls signing the shells is quite disturbing."
Although the photos were first taken by professional photographers from AFP, Associated Press, and Haaretz, they were circulated on-line through the popular photo-hosting Web site Flickr.com. That site republished the photos, bringing them to the attention of hundreds who later posted them on their own personal sites.
Many users on both the flickr and Guardian Web sites said that the images proved how difficult it was for a country to control their public relations image on-line. "There is no way to tell how, when, where, or why these photos were taken," said one anonymous poster. "We have to rely on the people hosting the Web sites, who have no official accountability hanging over their heads at all."
Over the years, there have been a number of photos that have been popularized by the on-line community such as photos of young Palestinian babies dressed as suicide bombers, or Israeli children in Purim costumes mocking Palestinian political officials.
Okay, so you have changed the question? LOL
This is my whole point that you fail to grasp. How can anyone judge a whole continent when neither side has the evidence, except by individual countries?
This is why I asked which part of Europe is pro- or anti- american?
When you ask this question you find that there is NOT a body called Europe or a European opinion anymore than there is an Asian or South American opinion.
There is ONLY individual countries!!! Some like America some don't!
LOL!
You can add Germany to the list of countries that seem to be dealing with a sweeping pacificism.
But it was a sponteneous act of youthful bravado and defiance. In time these children can learn appropriate demeanor from role models like the late American peace activist Rachel Corrie
europe
The KKK must really not like the jews, to trudge all the way out to the middle east!
You're being overly defensive. I don't think that person you were responding to understands the British use of the term "mate" to describe a friend. Here in the US it's used to describe a marital or romantic partner. He wasn't mocking anything. It was a simple language misunderstanding. Turn down the sensitivity meter just a few clicks would you?
So Britain and Poland are anti-American? Foreign policy isn't a strong point is it? ;)
I think it annoys many Britons that the UK is up with America fighting (and dying) alongside them for what is right and yet we are treated the same as the French.
You can see this on this very post.
Many, many are. There is no debate about that at all.
To my reply....Europe.
Not true.
I am still burned that a Brit told me the other week that we should get out of Iraq and quick wasting HIS money.
I should have trounced on his toes.
we are allowed to change and formulate our own questions, that's what is known as dialogue. we are telling you how europe is being perceived by the majority of americans. we feel that GENERALLY speaking, and of course, we ALL speak in generalities, it is COMMON to do so, europe is not supportive of our efforts on the war on terror. yes, of course, we realize some countries are more supportive and others less so and there are probably entire villages of individuals who ARE supportive, but GENERALLY SPEAKING, i think if you polled the continent, those who are NOT supportive, would prevail in a majority vote.
and believe me, we are not failing to grasp your point. what you cannot get around is that the PREVAILING SENTIMENT in europe is that of non-support for the WOT.
What the...???
"Spin the incident in a positive light? How could anything be more positive? I would hope that schoolchildren all across Israel, particularly those who have lost classmates to Muslim terrorist schoolbus bombings, would be in line to scrawl messages on artillery shells and missles.
"When you ask this question you find that there is NOT a body called Europe or a European opinion anymore than there is an Asian or South American opinion."
You're the one changing the question. We were speaking pacificism. With that on many comes a latent anti-Americanism, yes. But we were not speaking strictly in terms of anti-Americanism. You are the one changing the terms of the debate here. We were discussing the spread of pacificism. I never claimed that translates into anti-Americanism for everyone with those opinions. But there is no shortage of articles, or polls, out there noting that trend in Europe as well.
And yes, on issues of war and peace there does seem to be an emerging strain of common thought within Europe, less pronounced in some places like the former East Bloc, more so in others like central Europe such as Germany and France. We are far from the only observers to note this. Does that mean Europeans have a commonality in all areas of debate? OF course not, but this is an emerging consensus in Europe, that simply cannot be denied.
Again, I have asked you to disprove this thesis other than your own desires it not be true. So far you've not.
One of the single most annoying things about FR is our willingness to believe the foreign media and its "polls" while we treat our own with scepticism and contempt.
Shyla
This is my whole point. Individuals believe individual things. They cannot be representative of others.
xsmommy
You are still falling into the trap of using the term Europe when it just cannot be done. The are ONLY individual nations. By your logic most North Americans dislike George W. Bush!
APFel
Most couldn't care less, because they don't have the same views. Is that not my point? LOL
some of us actually know Honest to God Europeans and aren't relying entirely on the media's representation. fancy that/.
Anyone who equates British resolve with French lack of resolve is an idiot. And I and most Americans I think are deeply appreciative of the British sacrifice in Iraq. As I mentioned earlier, I believe Tony Blair to be nothing less than heroic. But I will say again, I don't believe for a moment that Blair could be re-elected and if he weren't it would be all because of Iraq. Does that mean I think you Brits are as self-serving, nationalist and anti-American as the French? No. But I do believe the British government and the British military has greater resolve in this conflict than the general population of the UK. The same is true of the US. As I say, this is an equal opportunity criticism here.
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