Soldiers fleeing from ‘unarmed’ Palestinian stone throwers embarrassing to Israel Defense Forces
What are Israeli soldiers to do? If they shoot stone throwers, the Israelis will be condemned by the international community. If they flee, the Palestinians will see the soldiers as cowards and that will only encourage more stone throwing attacks.
Right now Mexico is demanding that U.S. Border Patrol officers stop shooting at Mexicans who are pelting them with stones.
The Palestinians were not pelting Israeli soldiers with pebbles. They were throwing large stones which could seriously injure the soldiers and even kill them.
From Israel Today: “Typically, the soldiers will engage and arrest those who use violence. But some of the soldiers involved said their commander was frightened by the presence of foreign media cameramen and the inaccurate way they would portray any act of self defense on the part of the IDF troops. So, the soldiers were ordered to run away, and the Palestinian media hailed the confrontation as a major victory.”
VIDEO OF IDF TROOPS FLEEING PALESTINIAN RIOTERS CAUSES STIR
By Lilach Shoval and Efrat Forsher
Israel Hayom
December 11, 2012
Just one day after a video surfaced on YouTube documenting Israel Defense Forces soldiers running away from an angry Palestinian mob in Hebron, a similar event was documented in Kafr Qaddum on Friday.
A Palestinian cameraman caught on tape and uploaded to the Internet a clip of what appears to be a reduced-size battalion of the Combat Engineering Corps trying to disperse a demonstration in Kafr Qaddum, located west of Nablus. In the video, the soldiers first approach the crowd to subdue it, but a few moments later they flee from the Palestinians after being showered by stones.
The soldiers approached again to try to disperse the demonstration but again were met with organized resistance in what looked like an ambush. The soldiers, armed with riot gear, fled again, trying to take cover behind a wall. The wall however did not provide sufficient cover, so the troops fled back to their base, with the Palestinians in hot pursuit, shouting "Allahu akbar" (God is great).
The incident has caused great embarrassment to the IDF, which is investigating why the soldiers did not act with more decisive force.
In the video, one also sees a number of other videographers as they attempt to document the event, wearing masks as a defense against the possible use of tear gas by soldiers. The camera also caught Palestinian demonstrators celebrating their success in causing the soldiers to flee.
In light of the recurrence of such incidents, Interior Minister Eli Yishai issued a letter on Monday to Cabinet Secretary Zvi Hauser, stating that "Palestinian crowds pose a real threat to the safety of the forces" and adding that the threat could be "life threatening." The letter demanded an urgent cabinet discussion of the matter, with Yishai seeking official military guidelines on how soldiers should behave in such situations.
"The conclusion of these incidents without casualties is tantamount to a miracle, but we must not rely on this recurring in the future," Yishai added. "In my opinion, IDF soldiers should make full use of their weapons when they feel that their lives are in danger, and they must know that they will enjoy the full support and understanding of all institutions should they be forced to do so."
Kafr Qaddum is well-known to the security establishment, as every Friday there are serious disturbances in the area by young Palestinians attempting to provoke IDF soldiers. Last Friday, two soldiers and a border guard were injured in the demonstrations. The IDF is currently investigating whether the soldiers were injured in the conflict documented on the video or one of the other disturbances that took place simultaneously in the region.
One military source said on Sunday that the video aroused suspicion. "When one sees the video, one has to question what caused this behavior. It's true that the soldiers should show restraint and preserve human rights, but this does not mean they shouldn't act decisively. We need to find the right balance between the two right things and therefore the issue is being investigated."
Since Operation Pillar of Defense in the Gaza Strip a couple weeks ago, terror activity in Judea and Samaria has increased, with an emphasis on disrupting order and popular terrorism including Molotov cocktails and tire burning.
The IDF Spokesperson's unit issued a statement: "The incident will be investigated by senior commanders in the field. ... Following the incident, the guidelines for dispersing violent demonstrations with determination and professionalism have been sharpened, applying operational and moral considerations with respect to restraint of power."
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