Leaked Video of Palestinian Prisoner Mistreatment Sparks Inquiry in Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin netanyahu has described the publication of a video purportedly showing the mistreatment of a Palestinian prisoner at the Sde Teiman prison as “possibly the worst attack” on Israel’s image as the state’s founding. the video, captured by a surveillance camera, allegedly depicts soldiers mistreating a Hamas Islamist militant.
The incident has led to the arrest of Jifat Tomer-Jeruschalmi, Israel’s former top military lawyer, on suspicion of obstructing the investigation into the leak. Tomer-Jeruschalmi submitted her resignation on Friday, reportedly taking duty for sharing the video, stating she aimed to “counter false propaganda against the military justice authority.” The former chief prosecutor of the military was also taken into police custody, facing similar accusations of obstructing justice. Police initiated an investigation to determine if other employees within the military prosecutor’s office were involved in the video’s release.Netanyahu has called for an independent investigation into the allegations.
Five reservists were charged in February in connection with the incident. Reports indicate the prisoner sustained serious injuries requiring hospitalization, though the extent of the injuries is obscured in the video by soldiers using protective shields. Claims of sexual abuse against the prisoner have been strongly denied by legal representatives.
The Sde Teiman prison camp also held fighters from an elite Hamas unit. Human rights organization Amnesty International has accused Israel of mistreating and torturing Palestinian prisoners from the Gaza Strip.
Several of the soldiers accused of mistreatment have appeared before the media, masked and wearing black clothing, claiming they were court-martialed and prejudged following the video’s publication. their lawyers have reiterated calls for the charges to be dropped,arguing the trial is ”tainted.”
Commentators,including one from the left-liberal newspaper Haaretz,suggest the affair could be exploited by members of Netanyahu’s inner circle to discredit the Israeli judicial system ahead of next year’s parliamentary election.this could potentially serve to rally support, pressure judges and prosecutors involved in Netanyahu’s corruption trial, and advance efforts to remove Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara.
Source: dpa/cvb/dp
