The IDF has launched a probe into the conduct of soldiers who were caught on camera two weeks ago shooting a rubber bullet at a blindfolded and handcuffed Palestinian in the West Bank.
The incident took place on July 7 near the village of Nil'in which has been the scene in recent weeks of almost daily violent demonstrations against the construction of the West Bank security fence nearby.
According to the videotape, which the military said was reviewed by Judge Advocate General Brig.-Gen. Avichai Mandelblit, a Palestinian demonstrator - Ashraf Abu Rahma - is seen handcuffed and blindfolded and being led to a jeep by a high-ranking IDF officer
The video clip shows a soldier aim his weapon at the demonstrator's legs from about 1.5 meters away and then fire a rubber bullet at him. Abu-Rahma said the bullet hit his left toe and that he received treatment from an army medic and was then released by the soldiers.
The shooting took place in the presence of a lieutenant colonel, who is seen holding Abu Rahma's arm when the shot is fired.
A fourteen-year-old Palestinian girl from Nil¹in filmed the incident from her house in the village, and B'Tselem received it this morning and immediately forwarded a copy to the Military Police Investigation Unit, with a demand that an immediate investigation be launched into the incident.
In response, the IDF Spokesperson's Office released a statement calling the incident "grave" and saying that it was in "direct contradiction with IDF values and principles."
"Military laws forbid inflicting harm on detainees and obligate soldiers to show them respect and ensure their safety. Incidents when detainees are harmed are, in accordance with IDF policy, forwarded to the Military Police for investigation. As in this case, after reviewing the videotape, the JAG Brig.-Gen. Avichai Mandelblit ordered the opening of a probe into the incident. It should be mentioned that the Palestinian was inspected at the scene by an IDF doctor and was found to have sustained a light injury to his right toe. The Palestinian was released to his home without requiring medical treatment," the statement read.
12 Comments
westyForget the rubber bulit WTF is that music
SagemindHa, I thought my cell phone was going off, then I realized that wasn't my ring tone...
honkeytonk73A supposedly free and fair democratic government in action.
Think torture doesn't happen at the hands of the US and/or Israel? Think again.
I wonder if magic-man (Jesus) or whatever fairy tale god they blindly worship would approve of such things. Of course he/she/it would!
moodoniaThe "rubber bullets" that the Israelis use are actually metal coated with rubber. Pretty big difference if you get hit by one.
phelixianThat cell phone sounds like the theme music to Leisure Suit Larry 4.
ShakyJakeHonestly, I thought this video would be a case of the gun accidently being discharged, or perhaps the palestinian would be resisting somehow. Instead, this was very intentional, very deliberate, and against someone doing nothing more than obediently standing where they put him. What reason could they possibly have had to have done this? Interrogation? Answer our questions or we'll shoot you in the leg with a rubber bullet? I'd be interested to hear more about this incident.
Pprtsays...Wikipedia entry on Pallywood
Documentary on one particular incident
lavollrubber coated metal bullet
Farhad2000Pallywood?
Hah! Believe that shit. There are thousands of these videos. Clearly all of them were created.
OctopussyRe Pallywood (thanks Pprt, I'd never heard the term before), to be honest: I learned not to watch television during meals when I was in the Middle East, because my European stomach couldn’t deal with all the lively images of Palestinian dead babies with only half a skull left. So there is a lot of propaganda out there. (I still don’t know whether the PA’s contribution at the World Fair in Tripolis, Libya, existing solely of gruesome pictures of wounded and dead Palestinians, plus the remains of Arafat’s crashed aircraft, was extremely sad or funny.)
But the problem is not so much that it is staged, as that images are shown in a certain context. However, no matter how much it makes you feel sick or angry, it is all part of free speech. I mean, will anybody seriously claim that the major news networks around the world don’t do the same?
MINKthey don't stage that shit for fun, ffs.
and they don't always stage that shit.
OctopussyAn Israeli commander and sergeant face trial for "unworthy conduct" over the shooting of a bound Palestinian prisoner, Israeli officials say.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7547003.stm
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