'Facebook photos of soldiers posing with bound Palestinians are the norm'

I think there are more serious issues to be solved. Plestinians and israelis have to sit and setlle all issues. We are really fed up with the delays and the lack of confidence between them.

The only person who should be "pissed" by the photo is the female soldier. She should be upset with the person(s) who placed her photo on facebook!!! Why the israelis want to imitate the amercans is beyond me?

Mark you haven't seen the IDF abusing prisoners, detainees, appears you haven't been in the IDF. While not the norm, it is widespread in some units.

facebook is the correct place to view the face of the soldiers of the "most ethical army in the world"

I think it safe to say that the pictures present us with a view of the tip of the iceberg. The problem is not the pictures, per say, but the fact that Israeli soldiers feel themselves to be privileged to relate to detainees as chattel, as tools for their amusement. PCATI regularly submits complaints based on detainee affidavits that speak of violence, cruelty and humiliation at their arrest. This soldier gave us a snapshot and insight into an attitude that allows this to continue. Is this a case of one "bad apple"? How did the soldier get to the detainees? Did none of her commanders see her? did she not show the pictures previously to her buddies? Did they all keep silent? Is this acceptable?!? One of our programs, using film to discuss oppression and root it out and to develop a culture of human rights would be a welcomed learning tool for soldiers... It seems the army continues to fail in its obligation to teach human rights...

The pic showing soldiers standing next to a wounded, bloody Palestinian laying on the floor is simply disgusting.

Palestinians used as props by empty-headed soldiers? Welcome to the produce of occupation and illegal settlements! it is urgent that Israel evacuates the West bank and East Jerusalem, to put an end to this moral collapse.

What's all the fuss. Israel has been abusing Palestinians collectively for over 40 years.

The truth is whatever Israeli's Military and Netanyahu choose to make it. Truth and justice only have meaning for Israel's self-interest. The ends-justify-the-means for a Country which as lost its way.

To all of you Israelis who are saying there is nothing wrong with the photos, would they still be OK if the roles were reversed? You are not helping Gilad one bit.

One more evidence up to why Israel’s will go to hell will Palestine go to heaven . I will pray to God, so that you can stop humiliating your enemies publicaly instead of loving them

When Jews were treated this way, no one complained. Even Americans do worse.

in the end that is all that matters to israel complete US support and no media critisim out of the US..

This is against the Geneva Convention

Were you all outraged at this? Or was that Israel's fault for enraging Muslims by living in Jerusalem.....That's a REAL crime..... this is someone taking a photo..... big deal!!!!!

The media takes pictures of detainees all the time. "We shocked, shocked to find gambling going on here"

This non-story is not only pathetic, it just underscores the double standard that Israel has to suffer. The photos show Arab prisoners being treated humanely. One even shows the life-saving efforts of an Israeli ambulance crew. But all the anti-Zionists can do is scream about the immaturity and bad taste of a small number of Israeli soldiers who think it's cool to be photographed with prisoners. Supposedly the motivation behind all the screaming is a devotion to human rights, but the screamers are all hypocrites - every last one of them! Not one feels outraged by the murder of Israeli prisoners by Arabs; not one protested against the Arabs continued holding of Israelis without allowing the Red Cross to visit -- in utter violation of Int'l Law. Oh sure, the screamers "agree" that Israeli soldiers should not be tortured and murdered, and they all "agree" about the IRC visits, but my point is that the screamers never *scream* about Arab abuse of Israelis. And there isn't even abuse in the current photos, just bad taste, but the screamers are screaming. And that's why I say they're all hypocrites. Maybe that's not even the term. Perhaps the correct term is perverts, since they pervert the truth.

One thing comes to mind is all the comments about Hizbollah leader hidding. This pictures are of much braver breed of moral so-called human beings. Not much different to Taliban pictures

Just think If It was the other way around a Palestinian solider doing the same with Jewish or Israeli soldiers what would be the reaction?

i know this is imoral but at same time at least we show something of the prisnors unlike the pals holding our soldiers shaleit and arad we our lucky if they we get the bodies or let red cross see them lets be fair

I can't believe people are still paying attention to 'breaking the silence' and 'B'tselem' and 'Amnesty Intl' and 'Human rights watch' and 'Richard Goldstone' and etc...I thought Israel, Israelis, AIPAC and ADL managed to marginalise these organisations. I guess they'll just have to work harder. In doesn't really matter... This will be old news in a few hours... the world will forget about it and the same thing will happen tomorrow morning. Sorry everybody for being a pessimist. The only way things will change is if Obama makes ultimatums: no peace, no money. Israelis will then smarten up, vote a leftist party and maybe in 10 years will catch up where we left off before Rabin died.

every country on the face of this earth detains people for questioning,hearing or summons.......its not new!!!!!!!! this girl got jokes....."i wonder if he has a facebook"....lol

What this woman did was stupid. Israel has mandatory conscription so no doubt there are some less than intelligent people in the army. Generalizing that Israel and the IDF is like Hamas because of a few pictures is a super stretch. Fro those of you in other countries in the world, unless you have lived in another person's shoes please don't judge too quickly. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

This certainly isn't a crime against humanity, nor torture of any kind, merely a modern young guys new tradition to post your life on the web. It displays the occupation, in which a young soldier control a whole family. This is a sad situation and all Israelis want to end this occupation and have peace. The pictures merely display a sad reality, maybe there's an international law against these pictures, but the picture in itself, is certainly not "torture" "dehumanization" or the like. The IDF will certainly take this into account, and further remind soldiers about respecting the value of life in any circumstance. Thus, the IDF will further improve. On the other hand you have no critics toward your Islamic "humane" friends like Hamas, Hizballa, Iran. So they will not improve. They will keep their people in the stone age, and their women even worse. If there are any good liberal decent people in Gaza (and I'm sure there are) and if they hope to find a voice in you for democracy and freedom, they are going to be disappointed. With your help, Arab dictatorships will continue to flourish. And we will improve. Then go and ask, how come the Jewish people contributed so much to world culture. Its only due to your antisemitism.

I mean you can't show Israeli tanks rolling into Gaza unopposed. You can't show Israeli jets pounding an undefended Gaza City. The only thing I can think of is what the Americans do. Build houses and schools in Gaza. Fix the infrastructure. Repair the power plant. Really, there are all kinds of things. This is really good propaganda. Israel could be happy in knowing that the small amount of good they would be doing for the Palestinians would be more than offset by the favorable opinions it would generate for the IDF. The problem is that Israel can't even bring themselves to do good for the Palestinians even when it is fakery designed for propaganda purposes.

IDF spokesmen have been on news channels last night and today saying that if Abergil was still in the IDF she would be court-martialled - that this goes against the 'morals' of the IDF. So can we expect a flood of court-martials against these soldiers who are still in the 'most moral army in the world'

I'm just hoping Hezbollah will come quickly and deal you a lesson that you'll never forget. Just like we in Europe dealt you a nice lesson you'll never forget!

It is just a collateral damage , all of this for the security of the chosen people of Israel who are always under the threat of minor injuries and shock injuries . It is a pitty how irrespectful the israeli soldiers are to human dignity .

I have more pictures posted by soldiers like this, u may find hundries on facebook and other social networks.

These soldiers are among the future leaders of Israel..

To the Israelis, the Palestinians are not people. They are objects to be used, discarded, or whatever you do with objects. This girl illustrates the mind set perfectly. As an added bonus, she can't even see the problem with what she is doing. This is not the worst crime committed against a Palestinian by an Israeli, but it makes you wonder from who the Israeli Jews learned to act like that.

Dehumanize means "to deprive of human qualities, personality, or spirit." Therefore there is a degree of 'dehumanization' involved in keeping anyone a prisoner. The question therefore is there an inhumane degree of dehumanization involved in the photos we have seen? "Humane" implies a degree of compassion and sympathy. The IDF kids do not seem too compassionate or sympathetic. What they have done does not seem to constitute gross dehumanization of the prisoners or a testament to the humanity of their captors. While depravity is not displayed in the photos; there is a mutual degradation going on due to policies established by others long before any in the photos were born.

NOT!!!!!

Kids. Young, with power over 'enemies' and savoring it. Imprudent, exuberant and childish. That's the story folks. Anyone see any photos showing torture, humiliation, abuse, or the use of prisoners for propaganda purposes? I have not. I have seen no 'war crimes' just kids acting like fools.

I see these photos are still on facebook, I think that not only is these pictures typical of the attitude of isreal as an all, but soemthing more important is wrong here in that facebook does not seem accountable to censorship. Just a few weeks ago all hell broke loose as facebook refused to remove a page that was a tribute to a killer here in the Uk who had been on the run and had shot soemone dead as well as injuring two other people, one who was a police officer who is now blind.

As a Jew and someone who loves Israel, this is UTTERLY DISGUSTING!!!!! Regardless of how we are treated in the world, we should NEVER EVER disrespect Palestinian prisoners in public. Not only is it a violation of Torah, it puts the State of Israel in a bad light when individual IDF members post these types of pictures. If the IDF wants to post these picture--so be it. Individual IDF members should know alot better. All these pictures do is create anger towards individual israelis instead of towards the Israeli government,

That's ridiculous. Either blur them both, or just the person who is not actively doing something wrong. The soldiers don't deserve to have their identities protected while their detainees are recognizable.

That the former soldier apparently cannot understand the vulgarity of her posting shows the kind of people the world is dealing with, on a regular basis. These casualty-shy personnel, the most elite of whom get manhandled by a group of civilians and cry like colic-ridden babies, have not an ounce of decency or humanity. They best know how to leech another people's taxes, with ingratitude and indignity.

So Crystal, I'm sure you wouldn't mind if your father was blindfolded, with hands tied behind his back, sat on "something" (could be a cement pole for all we know), and then have some teenage girl snap photos of her gloating over her prize. And then have her post those pics on facebook.

#21 Michael - the picture you are referring to has been deleted (the original posting was 8 photos, now there are 7) - I wonder why. Could be you are right and that it was faked. Makes you wonder about the rest, not?

'Trophy' photos taken with sick and injured Palestinians - probably just shot at by the soldiers in the photo. A 'trophy' photo of a group of soldiers with one young Palestinian girl while a rifle is pointed at her neck. What other 'trophy' photos have you hidden? You are a bunch of psychopaths.

war stinks, at any place in the world it did, it does and will do

The question is........how masses perceive Palestinians in Israel.......do they even consider humans.........

....Other times, they are simply "moderated" or lost. The result is here .... only anti-Israelis. The hell with it

I do find these photos inappropriate, period. Each of us can think through why we feel and hold the opinion that we do. On a different note, my question is where are articles titled " Deaths resulting from suicide bombers of Israeli citizens are the norm'???

Where is the sense of civic responsability towards our country and its people?!!! Do we really have to offer our enemies their arguments on a silverplatter? Facebook is not only a means to communicate with our personal network.

or perhaps her G-d told her to do this?

It seems to me that the only thing the soldiers did wrong was to post the pictures on Facebook. I wish Hamas would take smiling pictures of themselves with Gilad Shalit and post the pictures on Facebook.

US police is also posing whit arrested people. Like Police in many countries.

Nothing new on these photos that we did not know before. The surprising thing is that the Israeli soldiers face is pixelated - but then maybe that is because the powers that be have decided to collude and hide her identity. Abu Ghraib a la Israel.

I don't think that this is what they had in mind, but give the girl points for honesty. She will never do well in the world of PR though.

This is what you get when you are forced to maintain a standing army and conscript young people to protect their nation against 60+ years of attacks by Arab/Muslim neighbours.

This is a joke. How quickly everyone forgets how the Palestinians, Hamas, the Muslims, etc. treat their prisoners and unjustly accused prisoners. This is not even newsworthy.

She responded no.

Soldiers are paid to do such work: to capture suspects and to hold them, occasionally to kill. What this girl does, is claiming a part of the laurels for herself. Isn't she an ideal soldier: Her personal identification with the orders of the state goes so far as to think that her work can be presented to the eyes of the whole wide world. By the way, there are things happening to prisoners that are far more ugly. If those photographs show the worst she did, she can still put them on her future job applications under the rubric "supervising experiences". "Dehumanising"? Ordinary nationalist minds, that's all.

I´ve been defending Israel with love for decades, as a true, non-religious friend. This year Israel blew all the chances of improvement and I still defended. I have visited a lot but now I´ve had it and am considering not returning. Why not show her face? It´s shown in Europe.

I have had pictures taken of myself at work with people sitting behind me. Where is the problem ???

One can only hope that in this media storm you will come to understand the unethical behaviour you have shown in posing for mug-shots with prisoners. When you are in uniform, at all times, you must operate professionally.

i know you've heard it before.in a situation like this occupation,gruesome happens.the posters are those cheerfuly willing to pay this relatively small price,and those not.of course,this is far from being the only price.

Why do you blur the face of the soldier who obviously consented to the photo and posted it on her Facebook page and not blur the face of the prisoner?

This woman has followed the IDF's direction but with her own twist on it. I like the innocent arrogance of the girl, thinking it is OK to use "detained" people as props in her photos. As she gets older, the innocence will disappear and the arrogance will develop into that of a mature Israeli.

Israel has dehumanised an entire Palestine as similar way the Nazis dehumanised the Jews. Do you know who is real victim is? Jews, Jews?????????????? Pales tines are always traitors from baby to old

Breaking the Silence is a radical political group with a clear agenda. Whether you agree or not with that agenda, please be honest and do not let them hide behind the false label of "human rights."

Israel picked out one of the small fish and uses it to show off how moral the israeli army is, that they are following up and persecute all unright their soldiers are doing. Leave this poor girl alone who did not worse than all her army colleagues and stop using her and start fixing your occupation policies, stop the apartheid and let jews and arabs live as equal israeli citizens.

This is not the first case of trouble with posting in the Internet. "Hi, I know who you are and where you work. I can read it on your security badge. I can see the control panels of the military control centre you’re standing in front of." Whether it's snapshots of friends taken in high security locations or instances like this, Israelis have a real problem with understanding or managing the Media. Eden Abergil has taken the photos down from her Facebook page. How helpful, now that they are copied on millions of computers all over the Globe. Israel's enemies must be gloating over Eden 's shooting Israel in the foot.

As an Israeli native, its hard to criticize Israel, but criticize i must. how can we hold ourselves to be better then others, or how do we expect good treatment of our own soldiers in captivity, when we behave in such low life manner? i would have expected better from our soldiers and their leaders. has society in Israel sunk into such low depravity?

and the de-humanization of your own people is what lead to the holocaust cant these people see this it is the abused becoming the abusers

And Mr Arbejil had to get the usual antisemetic accusation in there too... Remember Abu Ghraib! Showing off with the prisoners is a real trend these days. You go girl. You're God's chosen people, all you do is blessed by him. Nothing to fear love, only the non-jews have no privileges and are subject to a different set of rules.

The fact that most are released after a few hours, is immaterial. The fact that in other places they are just killed and nobody sees them (take Hamas dealing with the population in Gaza), is immaterial. This shows, first how Israel is a paradise for journalism: the news come to you and you only have to edit them. And second, the left-hypocrisy: I didn't see those left-critics complaining about Saddam Hussein torturing 15,000 in his private jail, yet immediately after the US entered they managed to find a couple of mistakes done by US soldiers and made a world chorus out of it. Well these IDF young soldiers are defending us against terror, most of the time they are bored, and they all have gadgets to take pictures like every young guy. If their only crime is to take pictures, fine!, I am quite satisfied. Want a comparison? think if someone in your neighborhood would try to stab a policeman with a knife or throw a stone at him - then see if the worst that's going happen to him is "a picture taken".

The first picture of the eight on this page makes no sense; the image certainly seems to be of Israeli soldiers bound and blindfolded whilst people in civilian clothing stand around watching! Please can someone explain?

I liked picture number 4 as it shows five "brave" israeli soldiers detaining a girl. I am impressed!

you will see more and more of this shameful army in reality. More pictures are coming out showing the ugly face of the occupation and then what happens? You find people defending the "most moral army" in the world. This must be called the "most criminal army" in the history of humanity. International organizations must investigate these incidents and shall put the so-called IDF in the terrorists list. And for those who would argue: Hamas and whoever do the same things shall be held accountable...Occupation in 2010 is a shame for all civilizations!

Haaretz blur the pictures bot not of the victims... That's more than weird to me. If you wan to protect people, then blur ALL faces! This way it looks like Haaretz is a part of this disgrace....

Without going into the morals and ethics involved in soldiers posting photos on the internet, I have some questions about the photos. If you look really carefully you will see there is something wrong with the 8 pictures presented here. (1)the two blind-folded men are wearing what looks like (clean) IDF uniforms/boots and seem to be play-acting - one has his head on the shoulder of the other. The people surrounding them are out of uniform - the picture looks staged. (2) what you see here is someone detained and blind-folded and a soldier but without knowing the circumstances or seeing the expression on the soldier's face it is difficult to determine anything. (3) this one appears to be genuine. (4)blind-folded girl, looks staged photo - look at where it was taken. (5)wounded blind-folded prisonner in ambulance with soldier in attendance - anything wrong with that or with (6)? Photo (7) is hard to look and (8) also looks faked. I hope the IDF investigates this whole issue quickly; it does Israel no honour. Sadly.

Worse things were done to Jews over the last 2,500 years. Why can't they have a little fun with the murderers who want all Jews dead? If you can't take it, don't dish it out. Wimps!

In picture #1 of 8 it is clearly a picture of IDF soldiers not Palestinian detainees. The so called 'detainees' are wearing IDF uniforms and combat boots with their pants properly tucked into the boots. This is clearly an exercise of some sort. Breaking the Silence is so intent in making Israel look bad they ignore the obvious.

Hello Haaretz, you don't protect the identities of the perpetrators while disclosing those of the victims! You have it backwards.

That the apologists for this kind of abusive repugnant behavior, who were always telling the world what a moral army Israel had, of their policy of "purity of arms" are now in a position where there only defense is in telling us that others are worse. Be that as it may, they are not able to place Israel in the same company as the militaries of Scandanavia, Ireland, France, but with the banana republics and regimes with horrific human rights abuses. At least with the Abu Ghraib abuses, those carrying out these abuses were held accountable. It was made public and they were tried. In Israel, it is simply denied or called an "anomaly". Breaking the Silence proves otherwise.

I am 62 yrs old and have been witness to the end of WW11 , Korean War, Vietnam, Cambodia etc etc. In each and every war there have been pictures of prisoners being paraded around or just sitting there. Why is it that only the IDF is on trial here ? Have we changed the rules about bad taste this week ...or is it just another IDF bashing week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=hN8CKwdosjE

This is an absolute disgrace! I wonder why so many people have no sympathy for the jewish nation. Makes me sick that these people are being 'occupied' by a pariah state. Total disgrace!

By killing Itzhak Rabin Israelis did not shot into their feet but into their heads and hearts. The status quo is dehumanizing the entire nation.

Your comments under the soldiers picture is wrong.....this is a soldiers party at a base....please Haaretz..stick to the facts , and don't create your own...

the Pal the girl-soldier had would have been naked, bound and wearing a dog-collar and on a leash a la Abu Ghraib...

Looks like a soldiers' game to me, trying to push each other over without hands or something, rather than prisoner abuse.

I highly recommend a difficult but courageous film by Tama Yarom which addresses the traumatic effects of army service on Israeli women. The issue of images is also discussed : To See If I'm Smiling (Lir’ot Im Ani Mehayechet)

Took less than 24 hours to be exposed to the world. "The World's Most Moral Army"?

IGF actions are reflective of the corrupted values that have crept into Israeli society. It is considered honorable to treat Palestinians with disdain and violence. Israel's view themselves as superior and entitled to whatever the Palestinians have, whether land, homes or dignity.

good job haaretz... printing yet another anti israel story. proud? the piles of your paper get higher and higher in the stores... nobody in israel takes your rag seriously... now for the anti israel haters on this site, friends of haaretz, you americans have done worse. haaretz=trash=anti semitism= anti israel ===> close up shop and move to europe where your owners in germany are.

The world is talking about Eden's photos where the Pals are sat on concrete. It's hard to tell what's happening here, but it looks like two Pals have been sat on kind of narrow pole, and have been forced to rest against each other, presumably to take the wait off the pole for a while. If so, that could amount to torture. On the other hand, are we actually sure those are Pal detainess, not IDF soldiers just playing some game?

The world is talking about Eden's photos where the Pals are sat on concrete. It's hard to tell what's happening here, but it looks like two Pals have been sat on kind of narrow pole, and have been forced to rest against each other, presumably to take the wait off the pole for a while. If so, that could amount to torture. On the other hand, are we actually sure those are Pal detainess, not IDF soldiers just playing some game?

Oh yea, they already are! Who let those dasdardly zionists create an army anyway. Don't they know if they have an army it means there's going to be war. So the reason there's conflict in the Middle East is becuase some fool let them create a state.

And of course never for just cause. Enough to make a grown man blubber like a child.

Time has come to stop Israel.

and put on on facebook. Now that is sexy or what FAT MISS Eden

Already attracting world wide attention now this new tidbit of information appears. This story is snowballing so I suggest Israel and its self-proclaimed moral IDF best brace themselves as one very big international storm is brewing.

cannot understand what she has done wrong. As all her friends have the same photographs in their albums. Abergil's mistake being that she was stupid enough to post it on Facebook. Israel has dehumanised an entire people just as the Nazis dehumanised the Jews.

Most Israelis look down on Palestinians (and Israeli Arabs). They view them, in many instances, as untermenchen. These photos are merely the tip of the iceberg, and reflect a real perversion of the Zionist vision.

Some are trophy photos to prove they have beenn there done that, others are simply for their own personal use. here is another single purpose group making much about nothing and their members if they served probably did the same damn thing. A classic kettle calling the pot black

This is against IDF and Israeli judicial policy. But unlike an Israeli captive, these captives know that they will come to no harm, and will get to go home again.

The reality is that Israel's elite must ask itself, what kind of human being do we want to create in this society? For the ramifications from that answer will be profound for the countries future. Israelis have little regard to human beings, namely, the Palestinians, and they carry this attitude throughout the world, but unlike the defenseless Palestinians, we don't put up with it, in fact, we too have our right wingers, as world war 2 and it current followers eloquently point out. The problem is that there are FAR more Jews living among non-Jews, than there are non-Jews living with Jews, so the damage will be felt far more deeply (as they are) by the diaspora, than by the Israelis. But in time, the rot of within Israel will also cause it collapse. This attitude by the IDF is not that distant from the attitude that the South Africans had, especially, before the fall. This is not a sign of confidence, but rather, a sign of loss morale, a nation with laws (as Israel is, no constitution and even supreme court ruling are ignored, settlements are built by any religion zealot and protected by the IDF) has no moral compass, pride before the fall.

Now let the world know. The most moral army in the world! Purity of arms and all that zionist hype. Twisted and drunk on their sense of hubris and national arrogance.

the content is of course shocking (though to me not surprising). I would suggest to revise the English translation, though. Some sentences are not clear at all..... thanks.

No other army takes pictures with prisoners? The problem we have today is technology, every soldier can be a photo journalist. Just look at the NATO soldiers in Afghanistan and US soldiers in Iraq. Though unlike Iraqi captives the Palestinians aren't being tortured. They're just bound and blindfolded like any other POWs would be.

DON'T DO TO OTHERS WHAT YOU WON'T LIKE HAPPANING TO YOU! 40 yeaars of occuopation build these kind of monsters. Self-reflection will be at its place.

"Facebook pictures depicting Israel Defense Forces soldiers depicted alongside handcuffed Palestinian detainees represent the norm" So Israeli soldiers guard over handcuffed and blindfolded security prisoners? What kind of army is the IDF? What are they going to do next, shoot their weapons when an attacker is approaching them? Shame on the IDF.

human rights are for all, not just some.

"We will always be attacked". Well, if you don't see a problem with these images, then yes, that's a distinct possibility...

Of course this is not the policy of the IDF please give me a break!! And what about Hamas putting time and time again insulting pictures or short movies of Gilat Shalit? No this is not big news when they do it but if one soldier is stupid enough to have these insulting pictures placed on face book the world is up in arms. She is a stupid racist but breaking the silence offends the israeli public by stating this is common policy in the IDf sorry we do not buy this