Israeli army is 'bullying and uncivilised', say recently released British files

During a major military assault in the occupied West Bank in the 2000s, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s government accused Israeli forces of acting more like the “Russian army than that of a civilized country”, according to newly released official files reported by The Guardian.

“The Israelis were trying to fight a 21st-century war with 20th-century techniques. Sending tanks into alleyways was simply a PR disaster," said the assessments revealed in papers released by the national archives.

A British officer who had observed Israeli military operations in the occupied territories said that despite its reputation as a “competent and effective” force, the reality was very different. His verdict was that it was “a second-rate, ill-disciplined, swaggering, and bullying force”.

This assessment has parallels with Israel's onslaught in Gaza, which has left more than 39,000 Palestinians dead, mostly women and children.