6 soldiers suspected of beating Druze comrades

Soldiers repeatedly kick Druze soldier who was late for guard duty; his friend also beaten up. Military judge: Incident has racist overtones

Taken from Ynet news, Israel, Hanan Greenberg
20.10.07,

Six IDF soldiers have been detained by Military Police over the past few days on suspicion of beating two of their Druze comrades at the Samaria Division headquarters in the West Bank, Ynet learned Saturday.

One of the Druze soldiers testified that he sustained blows to his entire body and that his friend was also beaten after trying to come to his aid.

"I'm very scared, because I believe they will try and take their revenge; they are very dangerous," the soldier told army investigators.

During a court hearing on the extension of five of the six soldiers' remand, Jaffa Military Court President Colonel Avi Levy described the incident as "a vile act" and said it had "racist overtones."

In the next few weeks Military Police will apparently file an indictment against the five soldiers whose remand was extended.

'Stab him, stab him already'
The scuffle broke out following an argument over guard duty. Apparently, one of the Druze soldiers was late in replacing one of his comrades and hurled insults at another soldier who confronted him on the matter.

A few hours later, one of the soldiers on the base approached the Druze soldier as he was coming out of the shower. According to the Druze soldier, the soldier who approached him summoned one of his friends and then said to him, "Is this how you talk to my brother?"

"Then he cursed me and headbutted me," the Druze soldier told army investigators. "I felt dizzy and then fell to the ground; I was kicked in the neck, back, stomach, hips – wherever – they kept kicking me all over."

The soldier said the assailants spewed racial epithets and threatened to "butcher" him.

Eventually the battered soldier managed to run toward the base's commissary while screaming for help, but the soldiers chased after him.

At a certain point one of the soldiers who took part in the beginning of the fight appeared and proceeded to throw the Druze soldier down on the ground and beat him along with the others.

"They continued to kick me, and one of them said 'stab him; stab him already'," the Druze soldier recounted.

The Druze soldier then fled to a nearby Border Guard base, where he informed an officer of what had transpired.

Immediately following the incident an impromptu lineup was set up, during which the Druze soldier identified his attackers. He was then transferred to a hospital for treatment.

"I'm still in need of additional medical treatment; I have nightmares," he told Military Police.

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Well it was only a few months ago that Senior IDF officers & Israeli government officials gatherd in Carmiel to honor IDF's Druze soldiers (there are currently 110,000 Druze soldiers in its ranks). The truth of the matter is that anyone that is not a Jew in Israel is considered an outsider even those who have lived there (includes occupied areas) for centuries. Non jews are prevented from proper medical, eduction and even jobs in the state. They have little hope in a country where European and American jews are First Class Citizens, followed by Jews who have lived in the Middle East for centuries (second class citizens), then Christians are third class, then follwed by Eithopean black jews, then Druze, then Muslims are the lowest class. So much for Democracy in the Middle East and all that!