Two Israeli border policemen who were videotaped beating Palestinians at a roadblock in northern Jerusalem have been placed in detention.
The incident, which occurred several weeks ago, was recorded on video by a Palestinian who happened to be nearby. The video was broadcast worldwide this week.
The tape showed scenes of the two soldiers kicking and beating six Palestinians who had attempted to enter Israel without the proper work permits.
Israeli leaders were quick to condemn the incident.
“We cannot accept it. It is unpardonable,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters. “It flies in the face of the strict standards of conduct that are kept by the overwhelming majority of Israeli soldiers and police.”
He added that the two would be brought to trial and that “the full weight of the law will be applied against them.”
Palestinians and human rights workers said similar beatings by Israeli security forces were frequent.
Public Security Minister Avigdor Kahalani ordered the immediate suspension of the two soldiers, pending an investigation of the incident.
The two soldiers, David Ben Abu, 20, and Tsahi Shmaya, 19, were questioned for five hours Tuesday by the Justice Ministry’s division for the investigation of police.
The commander of the border police, Yisrael Sadon, disclosed that three other border police were transferred from their posts over the weekend for beating Palestinians near the West Bank town of Kalkilya.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
