IDF may try officers who justified violence against Palestinian civilians

Military Advocate General Avichai Mendelblit is considering legal steps against the commander of the Kfir Brigade, Col. Itai Weirob, and one of the unit's battalion commanders. This follows their testimony in a trial against another officer in the brigade justifying violence against civilians during operations in the territories.

Mendelblit will not make a decision on Weirob and Shimshon Battalion commander, Lt. Col. Shimon Harosh, before completing the trial against an officer and soldier in the Shimshon charged with assault on a Palestinian under aggravated circumstances. The delay is meant to avoid any insinuation that Mendelblit is interfering in the trial.

However, late last week the military advocate general backed the decision by GOC Central Command Gadi Shamni to issue a warning in the IDF files regarding Weirob and Harosh because of their testimony.

Mendelblit apparently brought the matter to Shamni's attention and recommended that he act on the "command level" to deliver a message to soldiers and officers that the comments made by Weirob and Harosh are unacceptable.

Shamni spoke with Weirob and sent a message to all officers with a rank of battalion commander and higher in the GOC Central Command. He emphasized that it is forbidden to use violence against Palestinian civilians.

Weirob told the court in support of the officer in his command that the "use of violence and aggressiveness to prevent an escalation of the situation ... is not only permissible, but often necessary. A blow, a shove, even when people are not involved in an operational situation in a way that can contribute to furthering the completion of the mission is certainly something possible."

Shamni and Mendelblit said Weirob's views affected many of the officers in the field, so it was necessary to issue clear instructions against this attitude of violence, even though a related trial was underway.

The IDF is keen to avoid legal proceedings against Weirob, which it believes will undermine morale among the troops in the field.

However, political and human rights groups are pressing the IDF to take severe measures in the matter to counter the violence by soldiers in the territories.

The human rights organization Yesh Din demanded that Mendelblit suspend Weirob and Horush from service and that they be placed on trial in civilian courts.

Yesh Din says that the two officers admitted to serious crimes during their military service. "Every day that goes by where people with such a worldview command soldiers who come into contact with a civilian population is a disgrace for the entire state of Israel," the group said.