Israeli government leaders are facing international backlash after prioritizing the search for those responsible for leaking a video allegedly showing Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reservists gang-raping a Palestinian detainee, rather than seeking justice for the victim. The disturbing footage, which aired on Israeli media this week, has sparked outrage and deepened concerns about the culture of impunity within the Israeli military.
The video in question reportedly shows IDF reservists assaulting a Palestinian man at the Sde Teiman military base and detention center. The reservists are seen attempting to shield their actions from view, using their bodies and equipment to obscure the camera’s line of sight. According to Israeli media, the victim was later hospitalized with severe injuries, including a ruptured bowel, broken ribs, lung damage, and a severe anal injury. These details have fueled demands for accountability from human rights groups and the international community.
Rather than addressing the alleged crime itself, key figures in the Israeli government have instead focused on finding and punishing those responsible for leaking the video. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was among the first to call for an investigation, taking to social media to demand “an immediate criminal investigation to locate the leakers of the trending video that was intended to harm the reservists and that caused tremendous damage to Israel in the world.” Smotrich’s comments were echoed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who described the accused reservists as “our best heroes.”
This reaction from high-ranking officials has sparked a broader political debate in Israel, with some viewing the government’s stance as an attempt to deflect attention away from the serious allegations of abuse. Far-right Israeli lawmaker Zvi Sukkot, who participated in a recent protest to support the accused soldiers, joined Smotrich in demanding an investigation into the leak, arguing that it compromised the legal process and public trust.
Public opinion in Israel is deeply divided over the incident. While many Israelis have condemned the alleged rape, others have rallied around the accused reservists, viewing them as defenders of the nation. Yehuda Schlesinger, a political reporter for Israel Today, made headlines with his inflammatory comments on a popular morning show, where he stated, “I don’t give a rat’s ass what they do to Hamas man. First of all, they deserve it. It’s great revenge that we need to give them.”
Schlesinger’s remarks, alongside similar statements from other media figures, have drawn sharp criticism from human rights advocates and journalists who argue that such rhetoric normalizes violence and undermines the rule of law. Etan Nechin, the New York correspondent for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, accused the media of being the “main culprit” in this situation, stating that it has “normalized the most extreme voices, letting genocidal brutes, racists, and messianic zealots into Israeli’s TV sets.”
The leaked video has also garnered significant attention beyond Israel’s borders, with human rights organizations calling for an independent investigation into the alleged rape and other abuses at Sde Teiman. Critics argue that the IDF’s history of inadequate investigations into alleged crimes against Palestinians suggests that a credible and transparent inquiry is unlikely to emerge from within the military.
In the United States, which provides Israel with billions of dollars in military aid annually, the incident has prompted a muted yet pointed response from the government. During a press conference on Wednesday, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasized that “there ought to be zero tolerance for sexual abuse, rape of any detainee. Period.” He added that while it is “appropriate” for the IDF to investigate the incident, the inquiry “ought to proceed swiftly” and result in accountability.
However, many critics are skeptical, pointing to the IDF’s track record. The Israeli rights group Yesh Din reported in late 2022 that less than 1% of Israeli soldiers accused of harming Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza were indicted over the previous five years, raising concerns about systemic impunity.
The incident at Sde Teiman is not an isolated case but part of a broader pattern of abuse within Israel’s detention centers. The Israeli Supreme Court recently took up a petition by rights groups seeking to close the Sde Teiman facility, often referred to as “Israel’s Guantánamo Bay,” due to widespread reports of torture and abuse. Former prisoners, including children, have provided harrowing testimonies of rape, electrocution, beatings, and other forms of mistreatment at the facility.
The court’s involvement follows a conditional order issued last month by Israel’s High Court, seeking to shut down Sde Teiman in response to the flood of reports of torture there. However, the Israeli government’s focus on the leak rather than the allegations of abuse suggests that meaningful change may be slow to come.
The handling of this case by Israeli authorities has significant implications for Israel’s international reputation. As the country faces growing scrutiny over its treatment of Palestinians, incidents like the alleged rape at Sde Teiman could further erode its standing on the global stage. Moreover, the failure to address such abuses adequately could fuel further unrest in Gaza and the occupied territories, where human rights violations are already a major source of tension.
The gravity of the situation was underscored by a statement from Hagai El-Ad, executive director of the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem, who remarked, “The systematic dehumanization of Palestinians has led to a culture of impunity within the Israeli military. The focus on punishing those who exposed these crimes, rather than the perpetrators themselves, is a chilling reflection of where the priorities lie.”
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