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Last update - 08:16 28/06/2009
Second IDF soldier refuses to serve over violence towards Palestinians
By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: violence, Palestinians 

A second IDF soldier has refused to continue following orders unless his complaints of violence toward Palestinians are investigated, Haaretz has learned. As with another infantry man from the same brigade - who was sentenced to 30 days in military prison last week after refusing to participate in his unit's operations in the territories - the second soldier, who can only be identified as A., came to his decision following a raid by the brigade's Haruv battalion in the village of Kifl Hares in the West Bank on March 26.

A. told his friends that soldiers from the platoon acted with unusual violence toward the residents of the village. "We were sent to look for firearms, but didn't find any weapons," the soldier said. "So we confiscated kitchen knives. But what I was most shocked about was the looting. One soldier took 20 shekels. Soldiers went into homes and looked for stuff to steal."

A. also told of an assault on a mentally handicapped civilian. "He was just shouting at soldiers but then one soldier decided to attack him, so they beat the hell out of him - riffle butt to the head".
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A. informed his commanders he will no longer participate in battalion activities, after which he was not court-martialed, but was transferred to guard and kitchen duty. A. then left for home - to be arrested and so to attract greater attention to his claims. He was sentenced to 17 days of detention for absenteeism by battalion commander Lt. Col. Ilan Dikstein, and upon completing the sentence was reassigned to maintenance works in a rear base of the brigade.

The battalion is already being investigated by the Military Police following earlier reports in the media about its conduct.

The IDF spokesman's office said in a statement that according to its information, "The soldier had been convicted of absenteeism, and after completing his sentence met with the battalion commander and informed him he wished to resign from combatant duty on conscientious grounds. The commander relocated him to administrative work at the battalion headquarters."

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      1.   Hardly the most moral army in the world 05:06  |  Natallie Durson 28/06/09
      2.   Bravo 05:13  |  peacelover 28/06/09
      3.   A. a soldier with ethics 05:23  |  Arieh Zimmerman 28/06/09
      4.   Quite right - balance needs to be struck 05:35  |  vernon marriott 28/06/09
      5.   2nd IDF Soldiers Refuses to serve 05:45  |  hgadban 28/06/09
      6.   most moral army in the world. 05:55  |  dr.joji cherian 28/06/09
      7.   Must be self-hater right? 06:17  |  Adam 28/06/09
      8.   Haaretz should find out what happened 06:19  |  bronxite10 28/06/09
      9.   rubbish 06:30  |  bob 28/06/09
      10.   Must be Paliwood! 08:00  |  Husam 28/06/09
      11.   Finally Two Soldiers In The IDF With A Conscience 08:12  |  Boyd 28/06/09
      12.   2nd refusal 08:27  |  rm 28/06/09
      13.   A real mensch 08:41  |  wibism 28/06/09
      14.   Lies 09:29  |  David 28/06/09
      15.   Cmon Now 09:39  |  Guy from NYC 28/06/09
      16.   in the presence of "hate" and the lack of "moral courage" 09:51  |  eric 28/06/09
      17.   # 8 bronxite10 in "standard" denial 09:52  |  eric 28/06/09
      18.   # 9 and bob implying "cowardice" 09:52  |  eric 28/06/09
      19.   Hero. 09:54  |  John E. Smoke 28/06/09
      20.   # 10 so tell us, david 10:09  |  eric 28/06/09
      21.   Case closed 10:43  |  Apa 28/06/09
      22.   IDF soldier refuses 10:59  |  Julie 28/06/09
      23.   It is so good... 11:00  |  Anne 28/06/09
      24.   this story has its dark side and its bright side 11:06  |  Meir Gush Etzion 28/06/09
      25.   A righteous person 11:31  |  Chris Linthwaite 28/06/09
      26.   Second IDF soldier 12:06  |  Arie Heide 28/06/09
      27.   #11 The problem with having to face your victims every day 12:22  |  Jane@amazon.com 28/06/09
      28.   Thank you A 12:29  |  Sami 28/06/09
      29.   brave. 12:47  |  ali 28/06/09
      30.   The only new twist in this story.... 13:08  |  Johnboy 28/06/09
      31.   This is getting serious 13:08  |  Chris Linthwaite 28/06/09
      32.   #9 Thanks for the insight, Bob. 13:10  |  Johnboy 28/06/09
      33.   Wilhelm Hozenfeld 13:13  |  Marlene N. 28/06/09
      34.   He`ll soon get a Phd scholarship ,like this traitor who gave Syri 13:27  |  Absolute Sweden 28/06/09
      35.   To #1 13:34  |  Alon 28/06/09
      36.   To 9 rubbish 13:41  |  David 28/06/09
      37.   NO FIGHT, NO WIN. 13:55  |  Petra 28/06/09
      38.   Excellent news but sad too 13:57  |  Ronald 28/06/09
      39.   Because Israel is Perfect 14:04  |  Dean 28/06/09
      40.   To Alon, #21 14:16  |  Arieh Zimmrman 28/06/09
      41.   Self-hating (to No. 7) 14:17  |  Marlene N. 28/06/09
      42.   # 21alon you missed the point.Other armies do not 14:20  |  zero tolerance 28/06/09
      43.   The most moral army in the world 14:54  |  Charles 28/06/09
      44.   A soldier with a conscience 14:57  |  Julia Chaitin 28/06/09
      45.   Occupation Army 15:02  |  David 28/06/09
      46.   Reflections of government values? 15:03  |  Mark Lincoln 28/06/09
      47.   ACTUALLY the most moral army took casualties in Gaza instead of 15:25  |  PETER SM 28/06/09
      48.   #30 By the way, can you give up your "absolute sweden ? 15:37  |  Ardi 28/06/09
      49.   ZERO TOLERANCE then you must really love "religion of peace" 16:08  |  PETER SM 28/06/09
      50.   to # 1 natalie 16:24  |  Irwin 28/06/09
      51.   He`s In A Difficult Legal Position 16:51  |  Jeff Northridge 28/06/09
      52.   David Ben Gurion told the truth 17:09  |  Tony Silver 28/06/09
      53.   Einstein and Bernstein 17:09  |  DR X 28/06/09
      54.   to #49... do you still believe in religions? 17:14  |  Tony Silver 28/06/09
      55.   tony silver 17:31  |  patriot 28/06/09
      56.   Irwin 17:35  |  Natallie Durson 28/06/09
      57.   to Dr.X......Ultra right fanatics 17:47  |  Tony Silver 28/06/09
      58.   us 17:52  |  oz 28/06/09
      59.   A brave and honest soldier 19:19  |  Janice 28/06/09
      60.   #14 David 19:23  |  Janice 28/06/09
      61.   Bronxite10 you are a denyer of the truth 19:52  |  justis 28/06/09
      62.   Tony Silver 20:15  |  Dr X 28/06/09
      63.   To Irwin # 50 20:44  |  justis 28/06/09
      64.   To #50: always the same justification for Israeli violence 21:57  |  lior 28/06/09
      65.   at a tiem when the Basij security forces are gunning people down 22:05  |  ks 28/06/09
      66.   SILVER Do you still believe Jews had not always been in Palestine 22:49  |  PETER SM 28/06/09
      67.   DR X What kind? amongst the highest ratio of Uni. degees in 22:55  |  PETER SM 28/06/09
      68.   DR X Did American Jews produce Einstein? 23:01  |  PETER SM 28/06/09
      69.   idf 23:47  |  bob 28/06/09
      70.   To: Jeff Northridge 00:09  |  Chet 29/06/09
      71.   Again Natalie Dursen 00:11  |  Hilda 29/06/09
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      74.   To John E. Smoke #19 01:05  |  Chet 29/06/09
      75.   Well said Sami 01:06  |  Chet 29/06/09
      76.   #14 Lies 01:27  |  Edwin 29/06/09
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      79.   Peter SM Eienstein was 03:53  |  Chet 29/06/09
      80.   SILVER Which Palestinian country was Ben Gurion referrring to? 04:13  |  PETER SM 29/06/09
      81.   soldier`s attitudes towards Palestinians 04:46  |  al 29/06/09
      82.   # 1 Natallie 05:22  |  Matt Dillon 29/06/09
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      90.   soldier`s refusal to buy in to BS 18:14  |  mad ranger 29/06/09
      91.   Who are the cowards No. 71?? 01:59  |  Marlene N. 30/06/09
      92.   CHET Einstein was a lifelong supporter of Israel.He held a post 08:56  |  PETER SM 30/06/09
      93.   Natallie The Righteous American 10:15  |  Victoria 30/06/09
      94.   Bravest soldier in the IDF... 17:29  |  Silvienne 01/07/09
      95.   emigration 18:17  |  mystic 28/09/09
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