Five IDF soldiers were suspended after physically attacking left-wing activists in Hebron, in addition, the Chief of Staff, Aviv Kochavi, released a statement on the matter. Nevertheless, a full-scale police investigation was launched against the protesters who are suspected of inciting the soldiers and undermining the military’s guidelines for protesters.
Much of the footage from the event shared by anti-Israel organizations shows a soldier forcing an activist to the ground and hitting him, while another soldier says to the camera "Ben Gvir will make order here" and "I don't like leftists." However, in an uncut video taken from a side angle shows the activist bending down to grab something just before the soldier forces him to the ground. It is worth noting that this video also shows what can only be described as a team of people videoing the event as if it was expected.
“What the Chief of Staff did was a show of support to the soldiers, to those that follow the army’s orders every single day” Brig. Gen. (res.) @RonenManelis on the Chief of Staff’s open letter following the Hebron incident.#SecurityandDemocracy pic.twitter.com/tK7YvCGoio
— Israel Democracy Institute (@IDIisrael) November 28, 2022
The soldiers who were involved in the incident filed a complaint for assault, after, according to them, "a group of leftists arrived in an area where it is forbidden to enter without a permit, we asked them if they had a permit and they did not answer. They ignored us and tried to enter anyway, by virtue of our position we tried to block them, and then the bullying began. One ran into the area he was forbidden to enter. Another female activist physically attacked a soldier and from there the events documented in the videos unfolded. The activist videos only show the soldier's reaction but do not reveal what happened before that.
Non-Governmental Organizations like 'Breaking the Silence' employ deceptive editing where the context is often lost in exchange for showing Israel Defense Forces soldiers in a bad light. In some cases, incidents are literally scripted and staged so that the desired outcome occurs. Some analysts speculate based on the soldiers' statements that this incident was one of those as it fits the strategy where they ignore orders and enter an area closed to civilians and end up with a video that shows soldiers manhandling activists.
Two #Israeli anti-occupation protesters get 5 days house arrest after widely reported visit to West Bank City of Hebron - where one of them was assaulted by an IDF soldierhttps://t.co/H2dV40szVP @hagar_shezaf
— Allyn Fisher-Ilan (@AFilan) November 28, 2022
Residents of Kiryat Arba, a nearby Jewish village, and the Jewish community in Hebron told reporters on the scene that these claims are detached from reality. According to the residents, "Left-wing activists hang around here twice a week, harassing the soldiers, documenting everything, and after months of documentation they found a soldier who lost his temper, they documented him and in this way discredit the entire army ."
Following the events, the Chief of Staff, Aviv Kochavi, issued a letter to all soldiers and wrote that "IDF soldiers are allowed to use force according to defined principles and laws, and they have the powers and tools required for this. However, they are absolutely prohibited from using force that is not necessary to carry out the mission, not for self-defense, and certainly not for losing one's temper or for revenge.”
Hebron, today, IDF soldier to Breaking the Silence activist: “Ben Gvir is going to make order in this entire place…you’re screwed, it’s over. You’re done making this place into a ‘whorehouse’…everything you do here is against the law. I decide what’s legal.” pic.twitter.com/Pv1Z284ETf
— Neri Zilber (@NeriZilber) November 25, 2022
“Any incident of this nature is serious, wrong, unethical, and illegal, such incidents tarnish the name of the unit in which the soldier serves, the IDF, and the State of Israel." The general further added "I am aware of the complex reality in which you [soldiers] operate and understand the challenge you must face. It is indeed complex, but the proper balance between the use of force and the restraint of force is part of the professionalism and values of a warrior and commander. The vast majority of IDF soldiers do not behave this way, on the contrary, abnormal behavior of this type requires condemnation and severe punishment."
