Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon backed a statement on Thursday made a day earlier by IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot, warning forces not to become “trigger-happy.”
Eizenkot told high school students in Bat Yam on Wednesday that the IDF rules of engagement remain adequate to deal with terror threats. He said forces must shoot to kill attackers, but only if the circumstances are life-threatening.
“When there’s a 13-year-old girl holding scissors or a knife and there is some distance between her and the soldiers, I don’t want to see a soldier open fire and empty his magazine at a girl like that, even if she is committing a very serious act,” Eizenkot said. “Rather, he should use the force necessary to fulfill the objective.”
On Thursday, Ya’alon told students at Tel Hai college pretty much the same thing, according to a report broadcast by Channel 2 television news.
“We must act calmly, judiciously and with discretion in order prevent hurting innocent people and to avoid creating a situation in which our outrage causes us to lose our humanity, and ultimately, lose sight of justice.
“We must not allow our senses to be dulled and must not become trigger happy simply because our blood is boiling,” the Defense Minister added.
“We need to know how to win and still remain human.”