Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., November 25, 2008 Cheshvan 27, 5769 | | Israel Time: 02:38 (EST+7)   Back to Homepage web haaretz.com Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate GA 2008 Travel Week's End Anglo File

Soldier jailed for yawning during Rabin ceremony given pardon, early release By Fadi Eyadat, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: yawn, Israel News, IDF  An Israel Defense Forces soldier who was jailed for yawning at a memorial ceremony for slain prime minister Yitzhak Rabin was pardoned by Israel Air Force commander Ido Nehoshtan over the weekend and released after spending 10 days in jail. He is expected to return to his base today. Sgt. Almog Amran's commanders shortened his 21-day jail term after he submitted a pardon request. Amran was sentenced on charges of showing contempt for the memorial ceremony after base commander Col. Ilan Bodinger caught him yawning during his speech at the Ramat David air force base and stopped speaking for several seconds. Amran, an aircraft technician who was sitting in the fourth row, said his yawn was not meant insultingly or maliciously. Advertisement "The commanders realized that my son didn't have any malicious intent, and the base commander played a decisive role in his release, and I appreciate that," said Amran's mother, Tali, who spoke with Bodinger before the commanders agreed to free her son. She said her son thinks the jail term was an excessive response to a yawn, adding that the other prisoners knew exactly what he was in for. "They all knew who he was and why he was jailed, and laughed about it," said Tali Amran. "But it still bothers Almog that this thing stuck to him. He feels he was done an injustice and that the imprisonment was unnecessary." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Spy chain Iran: We smashed espionage network linked to Israel. Poultry dilemma Will U.S. Jews have kosher Turkey this Thanksgiving?   1.   jail for yawning? 07:44  |  Chaim 24/11/08   2.   You remember me the dictatorship in Argentina 09:38  |  Ivan 24/11/08   3.   punishing ur own soldiers, מגעיל 09:57  |  Ivan 24/11/08   4.   Deliberate disrespect or accident? 10:13  |  x-ray 24/11/08   5.   Israeli Kim Il Sung,Rabin ..Even Col. Bodinger must see 10:48  |  Absolute Sweden 24/11/08   6.   It`s just like comunism... 10:59  |  Anonymous 24/11/08   7.   x-ray #4 I agree 100% with you!! 11:09  |  S 24/11/08   8.   israel has become a total police state 11:20  |  JL 24/11/08   9.   Sgt Amran`s 10 days in jail was a bad joke! 11:51  |  Michael J 24/11/08   10.   jailing IDF soldiers, freeing Hamas terrorists 12:30  |  Eddie 24/11/08   11.   "Jail" : a precision 13:16  |  David PERE 24/11/08   12.   Misguided command authority 13:58  |  H.H.M. 24/11/08   13.   Well, the point is... 14:10  |  Esther 24/11/08   14.   Couldn`t he look down or cover up? 14:16  |  Felafelhead 24/11/08   15.   # 6 You`re right! 14:49  |  Petra 24/11/08   16.   Well at least he serves unlike the Charideem 15:48  |  SJ 24/11/08   17.   SJ - Love, not hate 17:54  |  Peacelover 24/11/08   18.   Yawning 17:57  |  Abir 24/11/08

Read & React Yossi Sarid: Is Shas' Rabbi Ovadia Yosef also an ass? Responses: 42 Aide: Ex-IDF chief did not call for Ahmadinejad to be killed Responses: 170 IDF: Retaking Gaza will cost Israel NIS 17 million a day Responses: 127 Report: Gaza militants agree to cease rocket fire if Israel opens crossings Responses: 92 Poll: 70% of Israeli Arab women think slaps are not domestic abuse Responses: 57 More Headlines 22:10 Olmert to Rice: EU, U.S. officials starting to talk with Hamas 02:18 Documents obtained by Haaretz reveal split among Hamas leaders 23:14 Policeman filmed head-butting East Jerusalem residents 01:10 Report: Israel willing to release more prisoners for Shalit 01:09 ANALYSIS / Elections are Gilad Shalit's greatest hope 02:01 Attacks on Israel expected as UN marks Solidarity with Palestinian People Day 02:35 Now you can get the Koran on your cellphone 23:38 Settler leader: Hebron evacuation will be met with force greater than Amona 21:56 Germany pursues arrest of well-known Holocaust denier set free by U.K. court 23:16 Bank of Israel lowers interest rates to record low of 2.5% 16:17 'Scrubs' star Zach Braff falls in love with Tel Aviv 15:42 Iraqi court acquits legislator for making trip to Israel 15:11 Barak: Hezbollah has 42,000 rockets, some can hit Dimona 00:40 Reported cases of domestic abuse among immigrants in Israel at its lowest 23:40 Palestinian meet in Syria highlights refugees' right of return Previous Editions Select Day 24 nov 23 nov 21 nov 20 nov 19 nov 18 nov 17 nov 16 nov 14 nov 13 nov 12 nov 11 nov

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