The invincible army

A group of fighters infiltrate enemy ranks and clash with soldiers at point blank range. They manage to kill some soldiers inside their guarded towers and their tanks. Some of the resistance fighters end up dying in the aftermath of the battle while others are able to put down their weapons and relax.

The Israeli army’s cameras recorded the above scene during the last attack on Gaza and it was shown on only two websites. It is unknown how many similar scenes of resistance the occupation forces recorded, but what we do know is that the camera has captured many scenes of resistance and it is possible that we may see more of them.

The leaks that were published portrayed the true nature of resistance in Gaza and were a fatal blow to the Israeli narrative on the overall events of the war. This is true both in terms of the strength of resistance as well as the harsh confrontation with Israeli forces. The scenes depicted in this video also brought into question Israeli claims regarding the number of injured and dead soldiers and the fate of missing soldiers in the Gaza Strip.

What these videos confirm is a sense of uncertainty among the Israeli public as to whether or not the Israeli army will be able to protect the home front in the event of a future confrontation and whether they will be able to prevent Palestinian resistance forces from gaining control of key military sites throughout the country. Why did the resistance hold back from targeting military sites during this recent confrontation?

It is quite expected that Israeli officials would be shocked to find that their narrative of the events that had taken place have failed to convince its audience, especially when compared to the detailed narrative that was recounted by the Palestinian opposition, which depicted the resistance point by point.

The Zionist legend that the Israeli army is invincible is nothing more than a myth that was created by Arab regimes and the Western media alike. This narrative was constructed to justify the defeat of seven Arab armies during the 1948 war, the Six Day War, the invasion of Beirut and the serial assassinations that took place in Beirut, Tunis, Dubai, Athens and Entebbe, Uganda. Generations of Arabs have been taught that Israel has an invincible army and that these historical moments are the explanation or confirmation of this myth.

Previous generations now find themselves in a state of astonishment as they witness this new generation of stone throwers advance in the ranks of resistance and lead sophisticated commando operations. This new generation is the by-product of the two previous Intifada generations and they are taught to resist by practicing a doctrine of combat.

The Palestinian resistance now penetrates the ranks of the occupation and the Israeli army’s camera records which show resistance fighters as they confront Israeli soldiers in their own homes and in their own tanks. Today’s Palestinian youth are able to resist and hold up their heads proudly at the fact that they are able to mock and ridicule Israel’s allegedly invincible army.

Translated from Felesteen newspaper, 16 December, 2014

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.