Israel Matzav: 3,000 soldiers from all units protest IDF soldier's dismissal over 'rules of engagement'

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

3,000 soldiers from all units protest IDF soldier's dismissal over 'rules of engagement'

On duty in Hebron, surrounded by three Arabs who were threatening him, an IDF soldier from the Nachal Brigade cocked his weapon. Unfortunately, the incident was being taped by activists of B'Tselem, which is funded by the charlatans of the New Israel Fund. The soldier was thrown out of the army. 3,000 other soldiers from every unit in the army have come to his defense. But first, the incident itself.

Let's go to the videotape.

Here's a description of what you've just seen:

The video shows at least three Arab youths behaving in a threatening manner toward the soldier, who was alone. The soldier warns one of the youths not to continue provoking him, after the youth pushes him, but the youth continues to behave in a threatening manner. The soldier cocks his weapon and points it at the youth and at another youth who springs toward him, with what appears to be a set of brass knuckles on his hand. The soldier kicks the first youth away from him.

The video does not include the provocations that preceded the incident. In a longer version he also warns the cameraman to stop videotaping the incident and calls for backup.

Arabs and their left-wing collaborators uploaded the video to the internet and notified the media. The IDF promptly announced that the soldier's behavior “deviated from the norm.”

Military sources said that the soldier used too much violence and acted hastily when he attacked the youth, and that he might be dismissed from his unit as a result. They also said that the soldier would no longer serve in combat positions.

Not serving in combat positions means a cut in salary. Among other things.

Here's what happened next. Let's go to the videotape.

News site 0404's editor, Boaz Golan, told the NRG website that following the story, he received two photographs from IDF soldiers who expressed identification with the Nahal soldier by holding signs that said “I stand with the Nahlawi” (“Nahlawi” is military slang for Nahal soldier).

Once he uploaded the pictures to the site's Facebook page, he was swamped by a deluge of similar photos from all of the IDF's units. “I do not remember such a widespread protest in the IDF, ever,” Golan said. “One can certainly say tht this is a protest that includes all of the soldiers and Border Police, all of the units countrywide. We got more than 3,100 photos with the caption 'I stand with the Nahlawi.'”

"The soldiers we spoke to – including pilots, naval commandos, members of Duvdevan, all of the mandatory service army units and even a battalion commander in an active combat brigade – demand that the Israeli government give them the ability to properly deal with the difficulties they encounter on the ground. They are protesting that their hands are tied and they are unable to respond properly to violence by the Palestinians. They stress that they are not against the IDF and that they are ready to serve and carry out any mission. The main protest is against the policy, which is not determined by the army.”

Here's hoping that this protest snowballs. It's long past time.

Labels: Hebron, IDF rules of engagement, Judea and Samaria