Inexpensive fiber-optic drones are challenging Israel’s high-tech defenses, shifting the military balance in the Middle East.
A recent video showing an explosive-laden drone striking an Israeli Iron Dome battery couldn’t have been more symbolic: Israel’s famous air-defense system, which cost billions of euros, looked powerless against a small aircraft that cost a few hundred euros.
While the video’s authenticity has not yet been verified, experts believe it is genuine.
The footage was published about a week ago by Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based pro-Iranian militia, which Germany, the US and several Sunni Arab states have classified as a terrorist organization.
The drone strike, if genuine, would mark propaganda victory for Hezbollah and reveal a significant vulnerability in Israel’s military capabilities.
I’m honestly not sure what you’re saying. The article is doing exactly what you say it isn’t doing–given the state-based definition of “terrorist,” and I’m not assuming the reader personally knows anything.
I also don’t see that you are defending the omission of Israel’s invasion.
Beware of choosing arbitrary distinctions that support what you already believe. Here, I see people who support Israel make a distinction between state and non-state actors because it cloaks state violence and decontextualizes (and implicitly condemns as unjustified) non-state violence, while at the same time giving the reader LESS information and a skewed view–the opposite of the goal of true journalism.
For instance, I saw a great video on music theory and how some white supremacists in the West decided that contrapuntal harmony (or some shit) was the PINNACLE of intelligence. Why? Is it just a coincidence that Western Classical music does very well relative to other music in the world? Rhythmically, Indian music mops the floor with Bach. Obviously, a chauvinist Indian would pick whatever Indian music does uniquely well as the pinnacle of musical evolution.
“The footage was published about a week ago by Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based pro-Iranian militia, which Germany, the US and several Sunni Arab states have classified as a terrorist organization.”
It points out the players, their location, their actions, their purpose, and who’s using what spin to justify why what one side is doing to sway public opinion to justify their action.
“Terrorism” is a broad term that has lost its meaning. There are people and groups that use the power of violence and fear to try and influence public opinion and behavior for their own selfish gains or worldview, or revenge. Some are state sponsored, like ICE or the IDF, some exist outside state control but when push comes to shove end up being a useful tool for the state agenda, like Proud Boys storming the US Capitol or Hezbollah defending Lebanon. The job of journalism is to point out who, what, when, where, how, and why. Readers then make their own judgement calls about the validity and form their opinions about who is more just and if their actions in that conflict are acceptable.
Personally, I think any action taken by an individual that can and is willing to sacrifice their life in defense of another from a ideological or selfish motivated oppressor is noble, if the person defending does so trying to purely in defense of the ones incapable of defending themselves. The moment groups start dragging gods and politics into the purpose? Fuck ‘em all. By all means, kill one other for your gods but spare the rest of humanity who’s caught in between and just trying to live, maybe indulge in a bit of personal spirituality, the fallout of ideological hubris.
The article text doesn’t mention Israel as an actor at all–only a victim.
Are we having a miscommunication of some kind? Are we reading the same article? Are you AI? Disregard this comment.
“Israel’s famous air-defense system, which cost billions of euros, looked powerless against a small aircraft that cost a few hundred euros.”
It frames them as exactly what they are, a bunch of self-proclaimed victims who though their wealth would protect them from having to face the consequences of their behavior, because fuck knows no god is going to save them, but for all their investment they prepared for last century warfare and are getting their zealot asses turned to paste because of it. Good.