Israeli Judge: Soldiers at Bil’in more violent than protesters
From Haaretz, about the weekly protests at Bil’in, which I’ve written about and attended:
… For the past two years, Bil’in residents and anti-fence activists have been holding demonstrations against the separation barrier in the Palestinian village, near Modi’in Illit. The fence cuts through the village, severing it from about half of its land.
… “The video … shows the soldiers used more violence than the demonstrators,” the judge concluded, releasing Borant under restriction. “The video is no credit to the defense forces. Even though they see the cameras, the soldiers do not restrain themselves from displaying the ugly face they adopt toward people at a democratic protest.”
This is not the first time judges have criticized actions of soldiers. The real test, though, is whether this will lead to any change in the soldiers’ behavior. Judicial pronouncements typically have little impact, leading to the reasonable conclusion that the “ugly face” is intentional.
