PHOTOS: Whose hands are really tied in the West Bank?

Text and photos by: Ryan Rodrick Beiler/Activestills.org

Just about every article covering the social media meme supporting the Israeli soldier caught on video cocking and aiming his gun at Palestinian youths in Hebron includes a line something like, “soldiers are tired of having their hands tied” when dealing with Palestinians. To help relieve any confusion, this is what having your hands tied looks like:

Israeli soldiers arrest a Palestinian youth, who shows signs of being beaten, following a demonstration in the West Bank city of Hebron, March 1, 2013. (photo: Activestills.org)
Israeli soldiers arrest a Palestinian youth, who shows signs of being beaten, following a demonstration in the West Bank city of Hebron, March 1, 2013. (photo: Activestills.org)
Israeli soldiers arrest Ahmad Al-Atrash of B'tselem for making videos as settlers harassed the Al Azzeh family who had just harvested their olives, October 22, 2012. (photo: Activestills.org)
Israeli soldiers arrest Ahmad Al-Atrash of B’tselem for making videos as settlers harassed the Al Azzeh family as they harvested olives, October 22, 2012. (photo: Activestills.org)

But wait for it–this sick joke has a punch line. As The Times of Israel reports:

‘The IDF regrets the erroneous reports on the punishment of the soldier and emphasizes that his imprisonment stemmed from violence against his officers and was not connected to the video in question, which will be investigated as a separate matter when he returns to duty,’ the IDF said in a statement. ‘Incidents of violence in the Nahal brigade are taken very seriously and are not consistent with IDF values.’

Israeli soldiers arrest a Palestinian man as they invade a protest village named Al Manatir on land belonging to the West Bank village of Burin, February 2, 2013. The village was established to protest Israeli settlement expansion and settler violence faced by neighboring Palestinian villages. (photo: Activestills.org)
Israeli soldiers arrest a Palestinian man as they invade a protest village named Al Manatir on land belonging to the West Bank village of Burin, February 2, 2013. The village was established to protest Israeli settlement expansion and settler violence faced by neighboring Palestinian villages. (photo: Activestills.org)

Despite the bizarre claim that violence is inconsistent with military values (perhaps they only meant against other soldiers), reports by +972’s Mairav Zonszein and Amnesty International’s recent report, “Trigger-happy: Israel’s use of excessive force in the West Bank” describe the reality faced by Palestinians:

Israeli forces have repeatedly violated their obligations under international human rights law by using excessive force to stifle dissent and freedom of expression, resulting in a pattern of unlawful killings and injuries to civilians. They do so with virtual impunity due to the authorities’ failure to conduct thorough investigations.

Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian activist during a demonstration near Bethlehem, West Bank, November 14, 2012. (photo: Activestills.org)
Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian activist during a demonstration near Bethlehem, West Bank, November 14, 2012. (photo: Activestills.org)

Read more:
A Palestinian has been killed every 4.2 days in 2014
When IDF aggression becomes civilian violence