The Judea and Samaria Civil Rights Organization calls upon the IDF Yesha commander not to depose the reserves officer who was filmed hitting anarchist protestors.
Anarchists and Arabs arrived at a checkpoint west of Hebron on Wednesday in what appeared to be a purposeful provocation, complete with press cameras. They moved an IDF checkpoint, designed to prevent free mobility for Palestinian terrorists, and taunted the soldiers. The soldiers responded with force - on film - and dismissal of the site's commanding officer has been recommended within the IDF.
The Yesha Civil Rights Organization has asked the IDF Commander in the region to understand that the incident was the result of previous "go easy" policies on the part of the IDF and the police, and that these policies endanger life.
"Punishing individual officers is like abandoning soldiers in the field," the organization said. "The issue must be resolved on a much higher level."
"Punishing individual officers is like abandoning soldiers in the field"
"It is not acceptable," an organization spokesperson said, "that the mounted policeman who trampled demonstrators in Amona [in early 2006] and police officers who are standing trial for violence against right-wing protestors have not been dismissed from the police, while actions against left-wing activists are punished immediately."
More Kassams
In other security-related news, a Kassam rocket was fired early this morning (Friday) from Gaza towards Ashkelon; no damage was reported. The rocket landed near a strategic facility in the Ashkelon Industrial Zone, north of Gaza. This was the eighth rocket fired at Israel in the past several days. An Israel Air Force combat helicopter attacked an Arab car carrying rockets this week; it is not known if any terrorists were hit. No other IDF response has been reported.
Civil War Violence
Arabs in Gaza also attacked themselves. Eight of them were injured, one critically, in violent clashes between armed groups in northern Gaza on Thursday night. Among the hurt were three PA policemen. The violence began when armed men opened fire at a PA National Security vehicle and then commandeered it.
Anarchists and Arabs arrived at a checkpoint west of Hebron on Wednesday in what appeared to be a purposeful provocation, complete with press cameras. They moved an IDF checkpoint, designed to prevent free mobility for Palestinian terrorists, and taunted the soldiers. The soldiers responded with force - on film - and dismissal of the site's commanding officer has been recommended within the IDF.
The Yesha Civil Rights Organization has asked the IDF Commander in the region to understand that the incident was the result of previous "go easy" policies on the part of the IDF and the police, and that these policies endanger life.
"Punishing individual officers is like abandoning soldiers in the field," the organization said. "The issue must be resolved on a much higher level."
"Punishing individual officers is like abandoning soldiers in the field"
"It is not acceptable," an organization spokesperson said, "that the mounted policeman who trampled demonstrators in Amona [in early 2006] and police officers who are standing trial for violence against right-wing protestors have not been dismissed from the police, while actions against left-wing activists are punished immediately."
More Kassams
In other security-related news, a Kassam rocket was fired early this morning (Friday) from Gaza towards Ashkelon; no damage was reported. The rocket landed near a strategic facility in the Ashkelon Industrial Zone, north of Gaza. This was the eighth rocket fired at Israel in the past several days. An Israel Air Force combat helicopter attacked an Arab car carrying rockets this week; it is not known if any terrorists were hit. No other IDF response has been reported.
Civil War Violence
Arabs in Gaza also attacked themselves. Eight of them were injured, one critically, in violent clashes between armed groups in northern Gaza on Thursday night. Among the hurt were three PA policemen. The violence began when armed men opened fire at a PA National Security vehicle and then commandeered it.