29 nov 2012
Two Israeli Policemen Face Charges Of Abusing A Kidney Patient
Israeli paper, Yedioth Aharonoth, reported that two Israeli Policemen are facing charges after they abused and humiliated a Palestinian kidney patient, including hitting him with their rifles, at a military roadblock in the occupied West Bank.
The paper said that, in 2010, the two soldiers, members of the Border Guard Units, repeatedly assaulted the patient by hitting him with their guns on his head, abdomen and kidneys despite the fact that they knew he was a kidney patient.
The soldiers, Le’el Shamir and Oren Levi, were sent to an Israeli court after the Palestinian, from the northern West Bank district of Nablus, filed a complaint with the Palestinian Police who then filed a complaint with the District Coordination Office.
The Palestinian victim was heading from Nablus to Heron when Israeli soldiers, stationed at the Container Roadblock, east of Jerusalem, forced him to step out of his vehicle and took him to a room used by the soldiers where he was violently assaulted.
A military surveillance camera at the roadblock shows the soldiers attacking the man. The soldiers kept beating the man until he started vomiting and could not breathe. A Palestinian ambulance was then called to the scene, and took the man to a hospital in Bethlehem.
The indictment against the soldiers state that they brutally attacked the man, and struck him with their guns despite the fact that he was screaming and trying to tell the soldiers that he is a kidney patient.
The soldiers “justified” the attack by claiming that the man bypassed a vehicle that was stopped at the roadblock.
There has been numerous similar assaults carried out by the soldiers against Palestinians trying to cross through military roadblocks, and in many cases fatalities has been reported, including when soldiers did not allow women in labor to cross, or ambulances trying to transfer patients who were seriously wounded, or who suffered heart attacks or strokes.
The paper said that, in 2010, the two soldiers, members of the Border Guard Units, repeatedly assaulted the patient by hitting him with their guns on his head, abdomen and kidneys despite the fact that they knew he was a kidney patient.
The soldiers, Le’el Shamir and Oren Levi, were sent to an Israeli court after the Palestinian, from the northern West Bank district of Nablus, filed a complaint with the Palestinian Police who then filed a complaint with the District Coordination Office.
The Palestinian victim was heading from Nablus to Heron when Israeli soldiers, stationed at the Container Roadblock, east of Jerusalem, forced him to step out of his vehicle and took him to a room used by the soldiers where he was violently assaulted.
A military surveillance camera at the roadblock shows the soldiers attacking the man. The soldiers kept beating the man until he started vomiting and could not breathe. A Palestinian ambulance was then called to the scene, and took the man to a hospital in Bethlehem.
The indictment against the soldiers state that they brutally attacked the man, and struck him with their guns despite the fact that he was screaming and trying to tell the soldiers that he is a kidney patient.
The soldiers “justified” the attack by claiming that the man bypassed a vehicle that was stopped at the roadblock.
There has been numerous similar assaults carried out by the soldiers against Palestinians trying to cross through military roadblocks, and in many cases fatalities has been reported, including when soldiers did not allow women in labor to cross, or ambulances trying to transfer patients who were seriously wounded, or who suffered heart attacks or strokes.
8 nov 2012
Uri Sagi quits Labor race over alleged sex scandal
Uri Sagi
Former MI chief cites health reasons but party insiders say real reason is alleged harassment complaint in his military past. Sagi dismisses allegations
Three weeks after announcing he will vie for a spot on Labor Party's Knesset roster, Brigadier-General (Ret.) Uri Sagi announced he was abandoning the bid.
Sagi informed Labor Chairwoman Shelly Yachimovich of his decision on Wednesday afternoon.
An official Labor statement cited that Sagi, 69, was quitting the race "over health and personal family reasons," and a statement by Yachimovich added that the former Military Intelligence chief "Had contributed greatly to the country and I respect his decision"; but according to Labor insiders, there is more to the story.
A party source said that the real reason for Sagi's decision was an alleged sexual harassment complaint made against him by a woman who was his subordinate during his military service, many years ago. According to a Thursday report in Yedioth Ahronoth, Yachimovich informed Sagi that she had learned about the case and asked him to withdraw from the race.
'Slander meant to ruin me' Speaking with Yedioth Ahronoth Sagi said that the allegations were "Slander meant to ruin my health and my family."
According to Sagi, he met with Yachimovich to tell her he was scheduled to undergo minor surgery and she told me, in private, that a woman approached her and complained against me. She didn't tell me who the woman was or what is was that I supposedly did. "I told her right away that this wasn’t going to work and that I can do without Labor. I don't have the time or the energy to deal with this nonsense." He stressed he had no idea who the woman could be. "If this happened so many years ago, I probably wasn't even married then. Who is this woman? Where has she been all this time? Why come forward now?" he wondered.
"I have a feeling this is some sort of a blackmail attempt by someone who wanted me to withdraw from the race," he stated. Sagi added that his legal counsel opposed his decision to drop his political bid. "He told me that was an idiot, that the complaint has no legal merit and that it was outright extortion. But I don't have the time or the inclination to deal with slander. I'm going back to my private life."
Sagi's departure poses a hurdle for the Labor Party, which is not left without a leading defense persona. The party does have three former senior IDF officers in its ranks: Former defense minister Brig.-Gen. (Ret.) Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Colonel (Ret.) Omer Bar-Lev, and Lt.-Col (Res) Nahum Ofri.
Former MI chief cites health reasons but party insiders say real reason is alleged harassment complaint in his military past. Sagi dismisses allegations
Three weeks after announcing he will vie for a spot on Labor Party's Knesset roster, Brigadier-General (Ret.) Uri Sagi announced he was abandoning the bid.
Sagi informed Labor Chairwoman Shelly Yachimovich of his decision on Wednesday afternoon.
An official Labor statement cited that Sagi, 69, was quitting the race "over health and personal family reasons," and a statement by Yachimovich added that the former Military Intelligence chief "Had contributed greatly to the country and I respect his decision"; but according to Labor insiders, there is more to the story.
A party source said that the real reason for Sagi's decision was an alleged sexual harassment complaint made against him by a woman who was his subordinate during his military service, many years ago. According to a Thursday report in Yedioth Ahronoth, Yachimovich informed Sagi that she had learned about the case and asked him to withdraw from the race.
'Slander meant to ruin me' Speaking with Yedioth Ahronoth Sagi said that the allegations were "Slander meant to ruin my health and my family."
According to Sagi, he met with Yachimovich to tell her he was scheduled to undergo minor surgery and she told me, in private, that a woman approached her and complained against me. She didn't tell me who the woman was or what is was that I supposedly did. "I told her right away that this wasn’t going to work and that I can do without Labor. I don't have the time or the energy to deal with this nonsense." He stressed he had no idea who the woman could be. "If this happened so many years ago, I probably wasn't even married then. Who is this woman? Where has she been all this time? Why come forward now?" he wondered.
"I have a feeling this is some sort of a blackmail attempt by someone who wanted me to withdraw from the race," he stated. Sagi added that his legal counsel opposed his decision to drop his political bid. "He told me that was an idiot, that the complaint has no legal merit and that it was outright extortion. But I don't have the time or the inclination to deal with slander. I'm going back to my private life."
Sagi's departure poses a hurdle for the Labor Party, which is not left without a leading defense persona. The party does have three former senior IDF officers in its ranks: Former defense minister Brig.-Gen. (Ret.) Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Colonel (Ret.) Omer Bar-Lev, and Lt.-Col (Res) Nahum Ofri.
21 oct 2012
Former MK convicted in sex case
Eliezer Cohen
Court convicts Eliezer Cohen of fondling EL AL flight attendant while on board flight from New York to Tel Aviv
The Rishon Lezion Magistrate's Court on Sunday convicted former MK Eliezer Cohen (Yisrael Beiteinu) of performing an indecent act on an El Al flight attendant.
The incident occurred while the MK was on board a flight from New York to Tel Aviv. Cohen reportedly touched a flight attendant's breast while his wife was sleeping next to him.
The stewardess, who was appalled at the former MK's behavior, shouted: "What are you doing? Touch your wife." Shortly after the plane landed, the distressed flight attendant filed a police complaint against Cohen. Cohen denied the accusations made against him, claiming that the stewardess did so in order for him not to be able to complain against the poor service she offered him on the flight.
After hearing various testimonies, Judge Sarit Zamir decided to convict Cohen of committing an indecent act. "These testimonies paint a clear-cut picture, leaving no room for doubt regarding the defendant's blame," she said.
Cohen served as a pilot, squadron commander, base commander and Sinai area commander in the IDF until 1974 when he retired as a colonel. In 1999 he helped establish Yisrael Beiteinu, and was placed fourth on the party's list for the elections that year. Cohen re-entered the Knesset in 2003 after Avigdor Lieberman resigned his seat after being appointed Minister of Transport. He decided not to run for re-election in the 2006 elections.
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Court convicts Eliezer Cohen of fondling EL AL flight attendant while on board flight from New York to Tel Aviv
The Rishon Lezion Magistrate's Court on Sunday convicted former MK Eliezer Cohen (Yisrael Beiteinu) of performing an indecent act on an El Al flight attendant.
The incident occurred while the MK was on board a flight from New York to Tel Aviv. Cohen reportedly touched a flight attendant's breast while his wife was sleeping next to him.
The stewardess, who was appalled at the former MK's behavior, shouted: "What are you doing? Touch your wife." Shortly after the plane landed, the distressed flight attendant filed a police complaint against Cohen. Cohen denied the accusations made against him, claiming that the stewardess did so in order for him not to be able to complain against the poor service she offered him on the flight.
After hearing various testimonies, Judge Sarit Zamir decided to convict Cohen of committing an indecent act. "These testimonies paint a clear-cut picture, leaving no room for doubt regarding the defendant's blame," she said.
Cohen served as a pilot, squadron commander, base commander and Sinai area commander in the IDF until 1974 when he retired as a colonel. In 1999 he helped establish Yisrael Beiteinu, and was placed fourth on the party's list for the elections that year. Cohen re-entered the Knesset in 2003 after Avigdor Lieberman resigned his seat after being appointed Minister of Transport. He decided not to run for re-election in the 2006 elections.
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17 oct 2012
Company commander, deputy suspended from combat posts, sent to military prison for 21 days for abuse of rookie soldiers 'in order to make them stronger'
Two senior officers, a company commander and his deputy, serving at the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps were dismissed and jailed for permitting the abuse of rookies by junior officers.
The senior officers were court marshaled following a series of complaints by new recruits, reporting that they have been subjected to beatings. The company commander and his deputy were both sentenced to 21 days in military prison and suspended from their combat posts.
The rookies claim that they were woken up in the middle of the night during training. They were then blindfolded and beaten by their commanders with wooden sticks "in order to make them stronger."
The rookie abuse case was recently revealed after several soldiers told their friend, who then called the company commander, demanding an explanation.
This recent case comes after a long line of rookie abuse cases in the IDF. Just several months ago, it was revealed that eight soldiers with the Kfir Brigade's Nahshon Battalion were suspended from their combat posts for beating a younger soldier from their company. The victim, a rookie soldier, was attacked for daring to touch the "seniority stick" – a bar with special markings which indicates the seniority of combatants who are soon to be discharged.
In another case, two soldiers from Givati Brigade's Tzabar Battalion were arrested on suspicion of physically and verbally abusing their comrades.
In response to the recent complaints made by rookies, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said: "After hearing the rookies' troubling testimonies, the IDF launched an investigation and found some abnormalities in training methods. The investigation's findings were brought before a military court which then sentenced the officers in charge to 21 days in jail."
Related stories:
Two senior officers, a company commander and his deputy, serving at the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps were dismissed and jailed for permitting the abuse of rookies by junior officers.
The senior officers were court marshaled following a series of complaints by new recruits, reporting that they have been subjected to beatings. The company commander and his deputy were both sentenced to 21 days in military prison and suspended from their combat posts.
The rookies claim that they were woken up in the middle of the night during training. They were then blindfolded and beaten by their commanders with wooden sticks "in order to make them stronger."
The rookie abuse case was recently revealed after several soldiers told their friend, who then called the company commander, demanding an explanation.
This recent case comes after a long line of rookie abuse cases in the IDF. Just several months ago, it was revealed that eight soldiers with the Kfir Brigade's Nahshon Battalion were suspended from their combat posts for beating a younger soldier from their company. The victim, a rookie soldier, was attacked for daring to touch the "seniority stick" – a bar with special markings which indicates the seniority of combatants who are soon to be discharged.
In another case, two soldiers from Givati Brigade's Tzabar Battalion were arrested on suspicion of physically and verbally abusing their comrades.
In response to the recent complaints made by rookies, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said: "After hearing the rookies' troubling testimonies, the IDF launched an investigation and found some abnormalities in training methods. The investigation's findings were brought before a military court which then sentenced the officers in charge to 21 days in jail."
Related stories:
