But we don't have anything to snuff out the match. Actually, the IDF is facing a dilemma about non-lethal weapons, since one element of the unrest in the territories is live fire from the Palestinians. The lower end of the non-lethal scale was seen in Somalia in 1995. US forces used sticky foam to glue demonstrators to the spot. But the Somalis quickly learned that if they spread newspaper over the foam they could walk over it, which caused cynics to blame the media for the weapons failure.
Lasers can cause temporary blindness.
IDF troops are currently being equipped with special combat goggles to protect its soldiers against lasers. But the problem with this sort of weapon is its range setting. If it is set for a non-lethal range but encounters someone closer, the sound waves could literally rip the internal organs to pieces. So much for non-lethality. The weapon may also affect different people, such as children and pregnant women, differently.