Online Facebook protest backs Israeli soldier

More than 120,000 Israelis, including many uniformed soldiers, covering their faces to avoid a court martial, have joined an unprecedented online campaign in support of a soldier whom they believe was disciplined for pointing his gun at a Palestinian teenager in the West Bank city of Hebron.

What has been dubbed the “cyber revolt” was seen as a sign of the frustration felt by soldiers forced to confront civilian Palestinian protesters in the West Bank where their actions are often filmed by local residents, many with video cameras distributed by human rights groups.

The soldier, identified only as "David from the Nahal brigade", was sentenced to 20 days in military prison after he was shown in a YouTube clip loading and pointing his rifle at two young Palestinians who approached him during guard duty and argued with him. He also kicked one of the youths and swore at them.

Instant hit
A Facebook page entitled "I also back David from Nahal" became an instant hit and included dozens of photographs from soldiers from different units holding placards in front of their faces with messages of support. The page explained that soldiers were fed up of having their hands tied" when dealing with Palestinian "provocateurs" in the West Bank."

Among the photographs of support were combat soldiers from elite units, women combatants and even Israeli backpackers travelling in the Far East. Politicians also backed the campaign.

Economy minister Naftali Bennett, head of the right-wing Jewish Home, who himself served in an elite combat unit , said the soldier acted correctly.

“He did the right thing. He was alone, surrounded by a number of violent Arab provocateurs. He did not shoot; he took reasonable measures to defend himself and those around him and he brought the incident to an end.”

The army's top general, chief of staff Lt Gen Benny Gantz, criticised the social media protest saying Facebook was not the place to voice such views. "Facebook is here and that is a fact, but it does not replace nor even equal the discourse between officers and their soldiers."

Investigation
At the same time he ordered a military army investigation into the Hebron incident and the social media protest, and promised that the army would draw the necessary conclusions.

The army spokesman clarified that the soldier was removed from duty for assaulting a superior officer, and not for the Hebron incident. He called on soldiers to direct complaints to their commanders, rather than on Facebook.