Nine more Border Policemen said arrested for abuse

[Scurrilous]

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/434465.html

<snip>

"One day after it was revealed that three jailed Border Police troops had admitted to striking and humiliating Palestinian youths they had detained, Israel Radio reported Wednesday that nine other Border Policemen had been arrested this week for beating and robbing Palestinians.

"The policemen, who serve in the northern region, were arrested after the Justice Ministry's internal police investigation division were informed that the troops had a practice of abusing, attacking, and beating Palestinians during operations to locate Palestinians in Israel without required permits," the radio said.

The nine have admitted to the allegations against them, which include having stolen money and property from the Palestinians, it said.

The troops were identified as members of the Border Police company serving in the Harish region near the Green Line border of the West Bank. The nine are currently under house arrest."

[dArKeR]

1. Abuse cases stun Israeli police authorities

Jerusalem, Israel

Stunned and embarrassed by revelations of new cases of abuse by Israeli border policemen toward Palestinians, the commander of the corps ordered a two-hour halt to operations on Wednesday for lectures to its members emphasising behavioural norms.

Commander David Tzur also convened an emergency meeting of the Border Police high command to discuss the phenomenon within his force of mistreating Palestinians.

The move followed the arrest of 12 border policemen this week who have confessed to abusing Palestinians. Nine of them confessed to beatings and theft of money and mobile phones during searches for Palestinians residing in Israel illegally.

Most of their abuses took place in the Arab-Israeli town of Baka al-Gharbiya, in central Israel on the border with the West Bank.

http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=67297

[tinnypriv]

2. To quote the recent Israeli press on the BG's:

This is from the Jan 16th edition of Kol Ha'ir (author: Amnon Birman, translated from the Hebrew). Note the title:

Intercity report, or: Short guide on how to raise animals

She was sitting next to me on the 405 bus from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. Even her uniform did not manage to dim her beauty and her fine features. One year of compulsory service with the border police with another year ahead of her, plus one more year in the regular force with a salary of 3,500 NIS per month. Conditions are by no means easy. A 12-hour shift, followed by eight hours rest, another 12-hour shift, and so on. You get to visit home every two weeks, from Friday to Saturday night:

“So how come you’re in the bus in the middle of the week?”
“I nabbed three, so I got a bonus.”
“Nabbed?”
“Arabs who are wanted for investigation. At the checkpoints.”
“For Shabak cross examination?”
“And sometimes there are criminal cases. Like family violence. But usually it is something to do with security.”
“Arabs only?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“How do they act?”
“Whoever does not act nicely gets beaten.”
“With bare fists?”
“Go on… We have clubs for that.”
“Give me an example.”
“Yesterday we stopped an Arab at the checkpoint. We saw his name on our file. We asked what he had done, and then he said he had beaten a military police person. So obviously he got a good one for that.”
“Is it only the insolent ones that get hit?”
“Sometimes I might just not like his face.”
“And then what?”
“And then he gets one too. Just a way of passing the time.”
“Just like that, beatings?”
“I have my personal registration number, so he can file a complaint at the police investigations office.”
“And have there been any of those complaints about you?”
“Four.”
“So what happened?”
“Three times, nothing. But last time I nearly ran into trouble.”
“Why?”
“The guy passed out.”
“And how did you get out of that one?”
“I made a deal with the officers.”
“Deal?”
“I agreed to do two additional shifts.”
“No sex, I hope.”
“No way. If anybody would dare to touch me – I might end up in jail, but he’ll die.”
“And what happened to that guy?”
“What guy?”
“The one who passed out.”
“You want to know? I haven’t a clue.”

The above all known at once by Israeli peace groups, and immediately brought to the attention of the likes of the ADL, Israeli embassy, etc.

There was no detectable response, so the claim of being "stunned" (translated into common language) must simply mean that these cases are so widespread and public that they can't be ignored, as is the usual practice (see: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=124&topic_id=62706#63125)

BTW, another interesting article on the BG's is in Ma'ariv, 9 April 2004 (Hebrew). In it the sister of the IDF Sgt who murdered Tom Hurndall (British ISM activist) laments the charges against her Bendoin brother, saying he is an "excellent soldier", the one who "persuaded her to enlist", waxing lyrical about how he was unable to see his family for some months, etc.

God forbid that should ever happen to a Palestinian.

[Scurrilous]

3. Army to probe allegations of Palestinian abuse by IDF

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/435175.html

<snip>

"Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Moshe Ya'alon is to launch a military police investigation into allegations of abuse against Palestinians in Hebron, as depicted in a photo exhibition titled Breaking the Silence, currently on display in Tel Aviv.

The exhibition was organized by three soldiers from the Nahal Brigade, who had been on active duty in Hebron until recently.

Israel Defense Forces is launching an investigation into the allegations in an effort to quell public criticism evoked by the 'hard to digest' photographs exhibited at the Tel Aviv exhibition.

In addition to the photographs, the Nahal troops reported that they recorded testimonies of abuse against Palestinians and unnecessary damage to Palestinian property. One of the testimonies gives an account of severe violent conduct toward a Palestinian resident by a Border Policeman. The Border Policeman allegedly forced his victim to recite songs in praise of the IDF and Border Police troops."

[newyorican]

4. probes or investigations...

same shit different day and a distinction without a difference at the same time...always "opened", usually during half-assed, insincere, day after, hand wringing done for show and little else.

To quote a long goner, "vomitous"...