5 IDF soldiers likely to face serious charges for beating Palestinian detainees
Military investigation reportedly reveals one of the servicemen filmed violence against suspects; commander set to be indicted for failing to prevent abuse
Michael Bachner is a news editor at The Times of Israel
Five IDF soldiers, including a company commander and a squad commander, are likely to be charged with serious crimes and face lengthy prison terms for allegedly beating Palestinian detainees, according to a report Tuesday night.
The two Palestinian suspects were arrested last week in the Ramallah area as part of the army’s efforts to locate a terrorist who opened fire at a bus stop outside the nearby Givat Assaf outpost in December 2018, killing two soldiers from the Netzah Yehuda Battalion and seriously injuring a third member of the unit and a civilian woman.
The five servicemen are suspected of beating the two Palestinian detainees as a form of revenge for their fallen comrades.
The IDF has refused to comment on the exact date of the arrest and alleged beating.
The five serve in the Kfir Brigade’s religious Netzah Yehuda Battalion.
All the soldiers have been remanded in custody until Sunday, according to the Ynet news site.
An investigation by the military’s criminal investigation division has revealed that one of the soldiers filmed part of the incident, the report said. The footage reportedly shows servicemen kicking and punching the Palestinian suspects, causing them injuries.
Quoting anonymous sources, the report added that the impending indictment is expected to charge the troops with serious violence and abuse offenses, and that they are likely to serve a significant sentence behind bars.
The military was said to be leaning toward filing charges also against a commander who didn’t actively participate in the violence, but allegedly did nothing to stop it.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit responded to the report by saying the investigation was ongoing and that its conclusions would be handed to the Military Advocate General.
Soldiers in the Netzah Yehuda Battalion, which operates mostly in the West Bank, have been at the center of several controversies connected to right-wing extremists and Palestinians, especially of late.
Last month, two members of the battalion were dismissed from duty after they fought with a group of Border Police officers who had arrested civilian friends of theirs for throwing rocks at Palestinian homes in Ramallah.
Also in December, the Military Police launched an investigation into the actions of Netzah Yehuda soldiers who shot dead an East Jerusalem man they said tried to ram them with his car at a West Bank checkpoint. An initial investigation into the incident found that no such ramming attempt had occurred.
In 2016, a soldier from the battalion was sentenced to 21 days in military prison for taking part in what was called the “hate wedding,” in which extremists celebrated the murder of a Palestinian toddler several months earlier.
Soldiers from the battalion have also been convicted in the past of torturing and abusing Palestinian prisoners.
The battalion was created so that ultra-Orthodox and other religious soldiers can serve without feeling they are compromising their beliefs. The soldiers do not interact with female troops to the same extent as other servicemen and are given additional time for prayer and study.
Judah Ari Gross contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.