[VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]
A few hours after the video was posted to the internet showing Lt.-Colonel Shalom Eisner using his weapon to strike a left-wing anarchist in his face, the media in Israel was abuzz with the story, with the left-wing calling for “appropriate action against the officer”. The victim is a male, 20, from Denmark, a member of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), one of the anarchists who come to Israel to take part in anti-government activities. He is living in PA (Palestinian Authority)-occupied Shechem during his visit to Israel.
In this case, the leftists take up position alongside soldiers at a checkpoint and continue to taunt them in the hope of one loses his cool, and others are on hand to capture the moment on video. In this case, the deputy battalion commander was sucker punched, and he fell for it big time.
As seen in the video, the officer did indeed lose it and his response was inappropriate, but those who stand behind him explain the video fails to depict the events before he struck out. Opponents want the officer ousted from his position, perhaps from the IDF.
One should remember for one to achieve the rank of the lt.-colonel, one must serve in the IDF for some 15 years to hold such a combat command post. Eisner is the deputy commander of the Jordan Valley region.
The shouts for and against dominate the media airwaves in Israel, some accusing the left for coming out harshly against him because he wears a kippa. Others simply feel his actions are inappropriate and he should be held accountable, calling upon the IDF to deal with this internally and to remove it from the media spotlight. Others feel the ISM, Machsom Watch and other left-wing extremist organizations are committed to interfering with IDF soldiers and portraying them as an “occupation force” and they get what they deserve. Some feel the military’s senior command is simply too patient with these types of occurrences and the leftists are indeed a threat to the military, despite the fact that they are unarmed, for their cameras are readied to shoot soldiers and officers in a disparaging fashion and therefore, they should not be permitted to protest as they are.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz stated the incident was very serious and it would be dealt with appropriately. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu also condemned the actions of the office and Central District Commander Major-General Nitzan Alon has suspended Eisner pending the outcome of the probe of the incident and his actions.
One officer, Major Chaim Snir, who serves as a company commander in the reserves told Israel Radio the actions of the officer were simply wrong, but then again, one must keep things in proportion. He explained that for him, he serves 25 days annually and goes home but officers in the standing army must deal with these anarchists daily, and it is time that something is done to oust them. He explains “If I go to Denmark and see a policeman or soldier and I am told ‘stay there. Do not come closer’ any normal person would stop in his tracks but these folks come to Israel for the expressed purpose of engaging the army in these types of activities to show the world Israel is wrong, and it is time to get rid of them”.
The incident has also prompted a growing audible call to remove the IDF from these situations and place them in the hands of border police, the proper agency to address these matters.
President Shimon Peres made a point of condemning the incident, adding a probe is necessary.
Colonel (reserves) Rav Hager Lau, who heads an IDF mechina preparatory yeshiva added that during the disengagement in 2005, when Jews were ousted from Gush Katif, then Major-General Elazar Stern smashed a Jewish youth with his weapon and nothing was said or done while Stern is now one of the critics against Lt.-Colonel Eisner.
Rabbi Chaim Druckman Shlita has come out publically in support of Eisner along with Rabbi Avichai Ronsky, a former IDF chief rabbi, who hold the rank of brigadier-general in the reserves. Ronsky explained that he cannot understand the IDF chief of staff, since he is the supreme commander and therefore, his reaction should be one of support for his commanders until a probe is conducted and an outcome reached. Ronsky stated the IDF commander is out of place voicing his condemnatory statement before the matter has been investigated.
Click HERE to watch this video from a mobile device.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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14 Responses
The IDF has nothing to apologize for except for the ignorance of people who watch the video and incorrectly judge what transpired. If a protester antagonizes an army official and fails to heed reasonable requests to disperse, the protester puts themselves in harms way. The fact is that “peaceful” protests of this sort can readily turn gruesomely violent, and the IDF doesn’t have to wait for an escalation before taking action. If the crowd fails to heed reasonable requests to disperse, one should anticipate the use of all but the deadliest force to disperse the crowd. IMHO…
So the the left-wing is calling for “appropriate action against the officer”.
I agree.
Appropriate action would be to give him a medal!
#1 & 2:
Would you be saying the same thing if the guy was haredi? They regularly antagonize and fail to disperse. But THEN the authorities are called Nazis.
Hmm.
When will Netanyahu and Peres learn that they will score no brownie points with world opinion by contorting and tripping over themselves in their haste to offer dripping apologies for every incident involving the IDF regardless of fault???
Sadly, I believe the answer is Never.
Nebach…
They should give a medal to this brave officer. Watching this I felt a little bit vindicated. A blond blue eyed European Nazi got machine gun’s butt in his nose. This brave Jewish warier made my day. Ken Yerbu. Can we open some online petition to protect this officer because now probably they would start a court case against him and he can lose Has-ve-Sholom his job or he even can be put to jail . Is there anything we can do, like a petion or a complain of phone calls to Knesset to protect this officer?
This article leaves out that the officer had his fingers broken first and that the video was deceptively edited.
2pence…
“But THEN the authorities are called Nazis”… And sometimes they (“they” usually being the police or mishmar hagvul, NOT the army) DO act like nazis. BUT NOT THIS TIME.
In this case this soldier acted totally apropriately. These punks davka come there to cause trouble. Like the saying goes, “if you wanna play, ya gotta pay!” These radical left-wing anti-Jewish punks are looking for trouble and this punk found it. What you do not see in this arab edited video is that just a minute before what they let you see, “the deputy battalion commander was sucker punched” by this “peace-loving activist”.
Now he can go to hi-tech (LOL) arab medical facility to get his face fixed.
#4 Rebyid39
You are wrong. The proof is Barack H Obama does the same thing (apologizing for everything American) and he will probably be elected for a second term! 😉
Yeah I guess you’re right about the NEBACH!
Even though Arabs edited it, I actually enjoy watching it because in this video soney Ehudim are getting it and all the moments where we got it they edited out. It is a pleasure to watch 🙂 Anyhow, nobody commented on how can we help this officer, let say start some online petition or a phone call compain ?
#7:
Guess what, the meshuganers in Meah Shearim that get beaten are deliberately instigating trouble too. They throw rocks at police.
Not saying the guy didn’t get what he deserved, but guess what, maybe some other people have too…
#3 2Pence – Good point. I guess here we suspect the protester’s motives have no bearing to a good cause, whereas we assume that a Gcd fearing Haredi is fighting for, perhaps mistakenly, his concept of a Torah truth which he may be obliged to protest under Torah law.
#10, You’re wrong. In Meah Shearim totally innocent people are beaten and even murdered (R Pinchas Segalov HYD) out of sin’ah. The same thing happened at Amona. There is no comparison between them and these antisemites who are deliberately waging war against Israel and the Jewish nation.
#5
There is a petition u can sign online at http://www.atzuma.co.il/rozimshalom
Over 18 thousand have signed in the past 2 days.
Col. Shalom Eisner has devoted his life to the army and has risked his life daily to protect our people, he deserves support.
To #13 tytyty:
Thanks, I signed the petition.
Please everybody else, sign this petition to help this brave Yid.