Last update - 00:00 06/08/2007
Reserves captain demoted for beating left-wing demonstrator
By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent
An Israel Defense Forces reserves captain was relieved of his commanding duties on Monday, after a military tribunal found him guilty of inappropriate behavior in the form of beating a left-wing protester in southern Mount Hebron in May.
Captain (res.) Yair Amihai was videotaped kicking and shoving protesters from the left-wing group Anarchists Against the Wall and jabbing one of them violently in the chest with the muzzle of his loaded assault rifle.
Amihai was officially reprimanded Monday by Commanding Officer Noam Tivon and ended his term as commander of his reserves unit because of the incident.
Amihai expressed his desire to continue active service in the reserves corps.
A military inquiry was launched shortly after the incident and focused on how familiar soldiers at all levels of the IDF were with the procedures for dispersing demonstrators.