An Israeli defense statement against a Palestinian plaintiff has claimed to the effect that an officer convicted of beating five demonstrators suffered more than the plaintiff. It further claims that the injured should receive no compensation. Lieutenant Colonel Shalom Eisner was recently convicted, in a military court, of having beaten five Palestinians and international activists with both his rifle and his fists at a protest, in April of 2012, to the point of leaving some of the victims in need of medical treatment.
According to the Palestinian News Network (PNN), in June, one Naim Shakir, age 36, from Al-Sawiya, filed a law suit demanding the amount of 16,000 shekels ($4,620) in medical bills, in addition to 60,000 shekels ($17,320) for lost wages; he is reportedly requiring further physiotherapy, as well, and is still in enough pain to affect his work in construction.
In addition, though the military court confirmed that Eisner had beaten Mr. Shakir in the back, with the butt of his rifle, Israel has denied Shakir’s right to compensation, saying the state of his injuries are ‘exaggerated and not related at all to the actions of the defendant’.
Eisner, however, who sustained a broken hand during the confrontation, was deemed eliglible for damages ‘including pain, suffering and emotional distress.’
PNN further reports that the court declared that because he was protesting, Shakir should not only be held accountable for his own injuries, but also for ‘much greater bodily damage’ inflicted on Lt. Col. Eisner.
Mr. Shakir’s attorney drew attention to the court’s way of twisting the facts into making the attacker appear to be the victim.
Eisner was convicted, in a court of law, of exceeding his authority to such an extent that life and health were in danger, in addition to ‘unbecoming conduct’.
The court then sentenced Lt. Col. Eisner to two months’ community service.
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