Acting to appease civil rights organizations, the Supreme Court on Tuesday, in a rare move, opted to interfere in legal proceedings in the IDF against Lt.-Colonel Omri Borburg, the former commander of the 71st Battalion who was compelled to step down after he was captured on video ordering a soldier to fire a rubber bullet at a bound Arab suspect.

The petitioners, four organizations, are calling on the chief military prosecutor to bring a more severe criminal indictment down against the officer, unsatisfied with the army’s handling of the matter. The court issued a restraining order freezing the legal process against Borburg, giving the military three weeks to respond to the high court on the matter.

The petitioners reject the IDF’s indictment which does not carry the possibility of a criminal record. They maintain the Chief Prosecutor Brigadier-General Avichai Mandelblitt’s handling of the case is proof of the “light-handed attitude” the military takes when the rights of Arabs are violated. They also feel this sends a “dangerous” message to soldiers and officers alike.

Justice Ayala Procaccia accepted the petition and issued the order, compelling the IDF response in the case.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)