In a rare move, Israeli Military Police last week arrested a sergeant in the paratroopers Brigade on suspicion that he abused Palestinians when he commanded the Hawara checkpoint near the West Bank City of Nablus.
The arrest came after an army Education Corps crew filmed the sergeant’s acts five months ago as they were documenting army activity at checkpoints.
The sergeant was questioned by the military police last week, prior to his arrest.
The sergeant was filmed kicking a Palestinian in the presence of the man’s wife and two children. In a second incident he hit and slapped a handcuffed Palestinian, then beat him inside a nearby tent. In a third incident, he was filmed shattering windows of Palestinian cab.
The sergeant, whose name was not reviled, committed all of the acts with the awareness that he was being filmed.
The sergeant claimed that using violence was the only way to control the check post, which according to his claim, went out of control.
Palestinians report dozens of daily acts of harassments at the hundreds of military check posts spread all over the Palestinian territories.
