2 American-born Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza fighting

[JI7]

Source: fox news

Two American-born soldiers for the Israeli Defense Forces were killed in fighting in the Gaza Strip, their families confirmed Sunday.

Stuart Steinberg confirmed the death of his Max Steinberg, 24, to The Associated Press on Sunday. Steinberg, whose family lives in Southern California's San Fernando Valley, was a sharpshooter for the Golani Brigade. He was one of 13 Israeli soldiers killed in fighting Sunday during the first major ground battle in two weeks of fighting between Israel and Hamas.

Earlier Sunday, the IDF said in a statement that Sgt. Nissim Sean Carmeli, 21, was killed in combat in the Gaza Strip. Carmeli was from South Padre Island, Texas, said Deputy Consul General of Israel to the Southwest Maya Kadosh. She said Carmeli moved to Israel four years ago and added that the consulate helped his family get a flight there Sunday.

Rabbi Asher Hecht of Chabad of the Rio Grande Valley, who is a longtime family friend, said Carmeli joined the Israeli army after finishing high school in Israel and was in the Golani Brigade. The IDF statement said Carmeli was from Ra'anana, Israel.

Steinberg was living in Beersheba, Israel. He attended Pierce College and El Camino Real High School in Southern California.

He visited Israel for the first time on a Birthright Israel trip with his younger brother and sister in June 2012, his father said. When he returned, he made an announcement to his parents that he was planning to return and join the IDF, Steinberg said. He made good on that promise less than six months later, making the move in December.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/07/21/2-americans-killed-in-fighting-in-gaza-strip/

[babydollhead]

1. my nephews are leaving tues. for birthright trip

my daughter went last summer and came home with an IDF t-shirt, and a head full of "Israel needs me"...
that wore off after awhile of lukewarm social response from her influences.
I didn't feel comfortable with her going last year, because I worried.
But right now, I cannot see taking a group of tourists to the front seat of war.

[Rhinodawg]

2. Absolutely tragic.

[Comrade Grumpy]

3. Yeah, these Americans went to Israel, joined the IDF, went to kill Palestinians, and died. Tragic.

[The Stranger]

4. Isn't there some law against signing up and fighting with other nations?

For one thing, the U.S. is going to get drawn into conflicts by virtue of its citizens fighting for these other countries.

If you want to go fight for other countries in other people's wars, that's fine, but leave the U.S. out of it.

Especially when that conflict involves atrocities being committed by the side your supposedly on.

[Iamthetruth]

5. Maybe I missed it

But it was the media that is talking about them being American, I hardly doubt they were wearing American flags. As for the atrocities, war is an atrocity and both sides are involved with that. But I am willing to bet one side wants peace more than the other.

[The Stranger]

7. You apparently have missed quite a bit.

There is one side committing war crimes and atrocities, and it isn't the ones locked into an open air prison camp.

So go figure that one out and then come back and talk to us.

[Indydem]

8. Yeah, because indiscriminately firing rockets at civilians is AOK

You people make me sick.

[The Stranger]

11. Then be sick. Be sick all you want.

You have flipped the aggressor and the victim here.

And it won't work any more.

[Indydem]

13. So Hamas is a victim?

The world stands in disagreement with you.

[Iamthetruth]

15. You're on the wrong side of history

If you can tell me Hamas wants peace than you have a leg to stand on. We know they don't and will never accept any part of Israel. Israel on the other hand has lived in peace with other Muslim countries. Your point is wrong, just as you are.

[The Stranger]

16. We shall see.

History is taking place (still).

[Iamthetruth]

9. So

the placing of innocent civilians in the line of fire purposely is not a war crime?

shooting rockets blindly into a civilian areas of Israel is not a war crime?

placing rockets inside hospitals, schools and residential areas is not a war crime?

By your beliefs Hamas has a blank check to do anything they want to Israel, correct. If you were such a supporter of the Palestinians the first thing you should want is hamas and their tactics to go away. They fight like cowards, use innocent people as shields all in the lie of a religious belief I doubt half of them follow.

[The Stranger]

12. You're wasting your time with me.

But that's fine. Keep wasting your time.

It's changing now, and you can feel it.

[question everything]

17. Right. One side is using rockets to protect its children

another is using children to protect its rockets.

Wouldn't it be nice if, as long as the Gazans are building tunnels, they would also build bomb shelters?

And when the Gazans follow Israel warning and are evacuating, that their "leaders" not forbid them to do so?

[happyslug]

6. The law is mucky...

John Walker Lindh is serving time for enlisting with the Army of the Taliban and fighting against an "Ally" of the US:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Walker_Lindh

Technically, Lindh was only convicted under a Federal Law that makes it a felony to disobey any Presidential order issued during an "Emergency" AND for carrying an explosive while doing so.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/1701

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/844#h_2

Lindl had also been charged with Murder and supporting a terrorist organization. Those were later dropped in a plea deal, for when Lindl joined the Taliban, the US was NOT at war with them and had accepted them as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. Thus a defense could be made that Lindl did not violate those laws because the Taliban (and Al Queda) were NOT viewed as Terrorist organizations prior to 9/11. Another reason the charge was dropped, was the actual crime was part of the post 9/11 acts passed by Congress long after Lindl has join Al Queda and the Taliban, thus a question of his violating it came up. i.e. if Lindl was charged under the act for an act he did BEFORE it was passed, that would make it an unconstitutional Post De Facto Law (The only ban on what Congress can pass in the actual Constitution as opposed to the later adopted Bill of Rights). On the other hand, when the law was passed, could Linhl comply given he was fighting in Afghanistan? The rule of law is simple, Ignorance of the law in no excuse, but an inability to comply is.

For more on "Providing Material Support for Terrorism":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provide_Material_Support_%26_Resources_to_Foreign_Terrorist_Organizations

Thus, an American Citizen can serve in the Army of another Country, but it can NOT be a terrorist organization, even if it only "becomes" a terrorist organization after you had joined that army. So far, the President (who gets to decide such things) has NOT ruled the Israeli Defense Force a "Terrorist" organization, through HAMAS has been. Thus as an American you can Join the IDF and shot at anyone in the Gaza Strip thus such a person is breaking no US Law, but if you give anyone on the Gaza Strip some bubble gum, you are aiding a Terrorist organization and can be sentence to 20 years in Prison (or if you provide a place for someone to take a shower in the Gaza Strip, that is providing material support for Terrorism and you can be sentence to 20 years in prison).

[warrant46]

10. It certainly is a thorny issue

It depends ultimately on who has the economic interests of the 1% and Jesus himself on their side

[Sunlei]

14. They were probably dual citizens of the USA and Israel. Thousands of USA 'born' are.

http://www.jewishagency.org/aliyah