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What I Saw During Operation Pillar of Defense

(American Thinker) 2nd Lt. Nira Lee - I participated in last week's Operation "Pillar of Defense" as an officer in the IDF. When I moved to Israel and enlisted, I joined a unit called the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which is devoted to civilian and humanitarian issues. My job is International Liaison Officer in the Gaza office. There were IDF officers who stayed up all night under a hail of rockets, brainstorming ways to import medical supplies and food to the people of Gaza. I can tell you it is true because I did it every night. I work closely with representatives of the international community, and although our perspectives may differ, we maintain relationships of mutual respect born of a common goal; I am here to help them succeed in their work improving the quality of life in Gaza. I learned over the past ten days that the true test comes with crisis. At exactly the point where most militaries would use the heat of war to throw out the rulebook, we worked harder than ever to provide assistance wherever and whenever possible. The world talks about "disproportionate" numbers of casualties as the measure of what is right and wrong - as if not enough Israelis were killed by Hamas. I spend many hours with the UN, ICRC, and NGO officers reviewing maps to help identify, and avoid, striking civilian sites. One of our pilots who saw a rocket aimed at Israel aborted his mission when he saw children nearby - putting his own civilians at risk to save Gazans. Every day, I coordinate goods with a young Gazan woman who works for an international aid organization. Last month we forged a bond when we had to run for cover together when Hamas targeted the Kerem Shalom Crossing - attacking the very aid provided to its own people.
2012-11-30 00:00:00
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