Israeli terrorist embedded within the army in Nabi Saleh

by Abir Kopty - April 21, 2012

Last Friday, the Israeli army adopted, for the first time in the village of Nabi saleh, the well known US military communication tactic of embedded journalism during its was on Iraq. This is probably another desperate attempt by the Israeli Hasbara, that is failing to keep dominating, distorting or hiding facts.

Embedded foreign and Israeli journalists arrived with military jeeps to Nabi Saleh village’s weekly protest, including Hagai Segal, who was a member of the “Jewish Underground”, a terrorist organization that was active in the 1980s. Two Israeli activists, who attend the weekly protests of Nabi Saleh, recognized Segal and confirmed it was him.

In 1980, Segal took part in a series of car bomb attacks against Palestinian mayors, Bassam Shakaa, the mayor of Nablus lost both of his legs and Karim Khalaf, the mayor of Ramallah, lost one of his legs and Ibrahim Tawil, mayor of Al-Bireh, who was not hit.

In 1984, Segal was convicted by Israeli court for his terrorist activity and sentenced to five years in prison, he was then granted reduction into three years, and then got released in two years (after a third cut of his term). Segal is currently a columnist in the right paper ‘Makor Rishon’ and in Maariv newspaper and website.

The presence of Segal inside the village under the army protection is in itself an inciting action, let alone the army presence. But needless to explain, that if the army has no respect to Palestinian’s lives, why would they have respect to Palestinian feelings or dignity.

One have mixed feelings about this. Why would I care about one terrorist while we have the state terrorism agents every week in the village. On the other hand, this is someone who was convicted by his own country as a terrorist, but still respected to the extent he gets the army protection to enter Palestinian villages. The question remains: why would the army bring this terrorist with them to Nabi Saleh????

Dutch TV embedded too

NOS correspondent, Nabi Saleh, 20.4.2012

Another embedded journalist was the correspondent for NOS, Dutch Radio and Television, whom I spoke with and asked why would she accept the invitation of the army, while she could come cover Nabi Saleh demonstrations whenever she wishes without anyone’s custody. She said she was interested in this new army’s method and wanted to speak about it in her report. Myself and another protester explained to her that today, and probably because of her presence, the army is behaving with some restraint and that is not the usual scene here.

Indeed, the army showed some restraint in the beginning, and used different tactics like deploying in the middle of the village instead of the entrance as they normally do. But soldiers couldn’t hold this restraint much and they turned again into shooting tear gas, rubber coated bullets and spraying skunk water at protesters and houses. Later on, they starting beating and arresting protesters, including Bilal Tamimi, the local photographer who is doing a great job in documenting the weekly demonstrations and the regular army night raids to the village. Tamimi was beaten by the army (see min 7:35 in this video), his camera and glasses were broken and he is still under detention at Ofer military prison.

Bilal Tamimi’s arrest, Nabi Saleh, 20.4.2012

Court Orders Release of Palestinian Based on Video of his Assault by Israeli Officer

by Popular Struggle Coordination Committee: 22 April 2012

A judge at the Israeli Ofer Military Court ordered the release of Palestinian videographer, Bilal Tamimi, after a video presented in court proved he was the one attacked by an Israeli Border Police officer.

Violence against West Bank protesters continues: Merely a week after a senior Israeli officer was caught on tape hitting an international activist, another Israeli officer is caught on tape again using excessive force against peaceful demonstrators. Following the event in the Jordan Valley last week, large  army and Border Police forces were sent to confront protesters in the village of Nabi Saleh, headed by the army’s division commander, Brig. Genral Haggai Mordechai, in his person. The forces took over the center of the village before the march had even began, in a display of force that included military jeeps, many soldiers on foot and a watercannon.

At some point, the soldiers and Border Police officers confronted a group of women and children, who were standing at the village’s main junction, chanting slogans. For long minutes, and at the presence of the devision commander, one of the Border Police commanding officers began assaulting the protesters around him for no foreseeable reason. The officer snatched a flag from a girl who walked in front of him, hit women with his baton, attacked a photographer and eventually charged at a Palestinian woman who stood in front of him.

When the woman’s husband, local cameraman Bilal Tamimi, tried to protect his wife, he was himself punched in the face, pushed to the floor and arrested. Despite the fact that the officer’s violence spanned over several long minutes, the division commander, who, as the video shows, stood only meters away, did not deem it right to intervene. The video also proves very clearly that throughout the whole time, the protesters were completely peaceful and could not possibly have been perceived as posing any threat to the soldiers.

After watching the video presented at court by Tamimi’s lawyer, Adv. Nery Ramati, the military judge ordered release on bail – an unusual step in regards to Palestinians in the military court system. Tamimi intends to sue for false arrest and assault.

Israeli military attack unarmed women, children and journalists in Nabi Saleh

Video by Israel Puterman