Israeli Commando Up for Medal?

S'13 Insignia

There is a report that the Israeli commando who killed six of the activists aboard the Mavi Marmara may receive a medal for his actions. The Times:

Six of the nine passengers killed in an Israeli raid on an aid convoy bound for Gaza were shot by a single Israeli commando, who is being considered for a medal of valour for saving his injured comrades as passengers attacked them with clubs, knives and even guns they had taken from downed Navy Seals.

"Passengers" seems a bit innocuous to describe those pipe wielding, axe wielding, knife wielding and, at least eventually, gun wielding individuals who attacked the Israeli commandos!
I wondered at his usage of "Navy seals", whether or not the writer was confusing them with Navy SEALS?
He was a member of the elite commando unit Shayetet 13 (literally Flotilla 13). Apparently, Israelis are not as superstitious as some. And as the wings on their emblem above suggested to me, they come at you like a "bat out of Hell".

According to wikipedia:

S'13 is the unit that specializes in sea-to-land incursions, assassinations, counter-terrorism, sabotage, maritime intelligence gathering and maritime hostage rescue. Only a handful of Shayetet 13 missions have been publicized or otherwise missions publicly attributed to the unit.

The Times continues:

The Israeli commando who killed six of the passengers of Mavi Marmara, the Turkish ferry owned by the IHH charity, said that he had been the last of 15 soldiers to rappel down the rope from an overhead helicopter on to the decks of the ship, which he described as “a battlefield”.

Identified for security reasons only as Staff Sergeant S, he said that contrary to initial Israeli Army reports, the shooting had started within minutes as he and his comrades were set upon by a “mob of mercenaries”.

As he landed on the ship’s top deck, he said he saw three of his superior officers who had landed ahead of him lying wounded, one with a bullet wound to the stomach, another shot in the knee and the third beaten unconscious.

Taking charge, he formed his men in a perimeter around the wounded, pulled his 9mm Glock pistol and opened fire on passengers he accused of shooting at the boarding party with guns taken off the first soldiers, who had been overwhelmed as they landed one by one.

“When I hit the deck, I was immediately attacked by people with bats, metal pipes and axes,” the sergeant recalled. “These were without a doubt terrorists. I could see the murderous rage in their eyes and that they were coming to kill us.”

He said he saw one of the passengers holding a seized pistol to another Israeli commando’s head.

If the Israelis had come with murderous intent, they certainly could have brought with them tools better fitted for the job. I love my Glock 23 (.40 cal), but a few of the infamous Uzis in full auto or a few Street Sweepers (12 ga.) would have sent that message more forcefully. The 9mm was a backup weapon, a weapon of last resort, which the quickly escalating violence on the deck of the Mavi Marmara called for all too soon.

New footage released by Israel, and apparently filmed by activists before the boarding had started before dawn on Monday, showed an Israeli assault craft full of helmeted commandos pull alongside the Mavi Marmara, where men waving metal pipes and a chain leant overboard to ward them off.

Others were emptying fire hoses at the Israeli boat below, while a stun grenade was dropped into the vessel, exploding among the soldiers.

Stun grenades?? What the well dressed "peace activist" is wearing these days!

I don't doubt that this story will generate increased outrage over the incident, but personally? I'd pin the medal on the sergeant's chest myself, given the opportunity.

Cross posted at Left Coast Rebel, Say Anything

Update: I have been informed that “13” may constitute more of a lucky number to Israelis rather than unlucky, perhaps because that is considered the age at which a boy reaches manhood, the number of principles of Jewish faith according to Maimonides , the number of attributes of Mercy of G_d in the Torah, numerical values of words or from teachings in the Kabbalah (or some combination thereof), etc.
I stand corrected.