JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Israeli military is investigating an incident of a soldier who posted an Instagram photo of a Palestinian child seen through the sights of a sniper rifle.
The Israel Defense Forces told Ynet said that “this is a severe incident which doesn’t accord with the IDF’s spirit and values. The issue was brought to the attention of the soldier’s commanding officers, will be examined and properly handled.”
The soldier, Mor Ostrovski, posted the photo on his Instagram account last month. He removed the photo and closed his account over the weekend.
Ostrovski reportedly did not take the photo but found it on the Internet.
Other photos on the Instagram account showed Ostrovski in full army gear, and also on patrol in the West Bank. The photos from the now-deleted account were posted from a screen shot on the Electronic Intifada blog, which first publicized the sniper rifle photo.
Meanwhile, an Israeli soldier who posted a Facebook photo last week of himself standing next to four blindfolded Palestinians was sentenced to 14 days of detention in a military prison. He also was ordered to remove the photo from his Facebook page and cellphone.
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