Israel Pulls Battalion From West Bank After Soldier Talks of ‘Revenge’
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- The Israeli military has suspended a battalion of reservists in the West Bank after soldiers detained CNN journalists and one soldier admitted on camera that their actions were motivated by "revenge" against Palestinians.
- A CNN cameraman was put in a chokehold, and the journalists were detained for about two hours while covering the establishment of an illegal Israeli settler outpost in the Palestinian village of Tayasir.
- The soldier involved claimed the West Bank was "for the Jews" and cited revenge for the killing of an Israeli teenager in a collision with a Palestinian driver as their motivation.
- The battalion, largely composed of veterans from the Netzah Yehuda Battalion known for strict religious observance and past accusations of abusing Palestinians, is undergoing additional training following the incident.
- Israeli military Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir condemned the incident as a "grave ethical incident," emphasizing that weapons must not be used for revenge, and reiterated the military's commitment to ethical conduct despite the battalion's importance.
