MK (Yisrael Beitenu) Sharon Gal is calling on Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon to intervene regarding Nachal Chareidi soldiers punished after captured on video behaving inappropriately towards an Arab provocateur. The incident in question occurred on Friday, 25 Sivan, at a checkpoint when an Arab male provoked soldiers as the members of the press photographed.

The original video showed the soldiers knocking the man to the ground, beating him and making an arrest but it failed to reveal what led to their actions, that he tried taking a weapon from one of them. The full video reached IDF officials on Wednesday, 30 Sivan.

Gal explains the video that was released only shows part of the story, the behavior of the soldiers in Jalazoun, but after a subsequent video shows the events leading up to their actions, the soldiers should enjoy the backing and support of the IDF and defense minister. Gal stated that once again the soldiers were set up as the media stood by to capture them in a bad light and they succeeded in their mission.

On last erev Shabbos, the soldiers beat an Arab protester in Jalazoun. The video led to widespread condemnations against by the IDF led by the Israeli left-wing. In response, Kfir Brigade Commander Colonel Asher Ben-Lulu held a disciplinary hearing for the soldiers, who were officially reprimanded. The two seen beating the Arab man were sentenced to 30 days on base without leave.

The soldiers maintained the video had been edited to make them appear in a bad light but there were punished nonetheless.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)