Gaza Crisis Brings Israel's "Dronification" of State Power into Full View

The use of drones by Israel in the current Gaza crisis is bringing into full view the leading role of Israel in changing the way the U.S. and other countries assert state power against people everywhere.

Israeli drone pilot describes how assassinations are carried out

As this Wall Street Journal video points out, the U.S. previously criticized Israel for carrying out assassinations using drones . . . before adopting "the same deadly tactic" in its own killing program in Pakistan and elsewhere.

Israel has created its own peculiar ethics: it's all exerting power "without risking human lives" i.e. the "human lives of pilot or aircrew." The "infantry feels more safe." As for people on the ground, the words "militant" or "terrorist" condemn them to execution.

People in Chicago were treated to an elaborate description of this ethic when leading Israeli military thinker Amos Guiora spoke there about "good" targeted killing. (See "Targeted Killing" - The Heart of the U.S.-Israel Relationship )

On top of defining the new ideology of drone killing, Israel is the top exporter of drones. As the WSJ video points out, five NATO countries are using Israeli drones in Afghanistan, and Turkey and Brazil are importing Israeli drones.

"Dronification" . . . Made in Israel!


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Amos Guiora, an Israeli "counter-terrorism expert," held forth on the difference between "good" targeted killing -- i.e. the kind Israeli practices (!) -- and "bad" targeted killing -- namely, the kind the Obama administration carries out. But what this talk was really about was conditioning the public to accept the idea that "targeted killing" is a legitimate activity of a government.

(See "Targeted Killing" - The Heart of the U.S.-Israel Relationship )

No Drones Illinois has endorsed the following call by Anti-War Committee – Chicago, Jews for Justice in Palestine, U.S. Palestinian Community Network and 8th Day Center for Justice: Protest Boeing Death Machines in Gaza: Demand Chicago Drop Boeing from Air and Water Show!

(See No Drones Illinois Endorses Call to Drop Boeing from Chicago Air and Water Show)

The movement to publicize and bring an end to drone warfare customarily focuses on U.S. actions in four places: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia. Is it time to add the Sinai Peninsula to that list, considering drone executions being carried out by Israel there?

(See Should We Include Sinai in the List of U.S. Drone Target Zones? )