A SENIOR Israeli army officer who was filmed smashing his rifle into the face of a pro-Palestinian Danish activist has been dismissed from his position.
Israel’s top general, Lt Gen Benny Gantz, after consultations with senior officers, decided to remove Lt Col Shalom Eisner from his post as deputy commander of the army’s Jordan Valley brigade, citing a “moral failure” as well as operational and command mistakes.
According to the decision, Lt Col Eisner, who was due to be promoted to full colonel, will not be allowed to hold any command position in the army during the next two years, scuttling his slated promotion to deputy commander of the Israel Defence Forces’ officers’ training school.
The video clip posted on YouTube showed the officer hitting Andreas Ias (20) in the face with his M-16 rifle after troops on Saturday stopped a bicycle ride of more than 200 local and foreign peace activists close to the West Bank town of Jericho.
The army initially suspended Lt Col Eisner. The military investigation is still continuing, with military police examining film footage taken by a Palestinian cameraman who accompanied the bike ride.
In reaction to the decision, the dismissed officer, whose finger was broken in scuffles with the protesters, expressed surprise at the decision and said he was “physically and emotionally hurt”.
He said he was considering his future in the army.
Israel’s channel 10 television news broadcast an audio recording of Lt Col Eisner in which he accused the army top brass of not being interested in his version of events and he rejected any accusation of moral failure.
“There is a question here of what is more important, to complete the mission or look good in front of the camera?
“We know the history of these anarchists – they came with sticks and broke my hand, but they won’t videotape that. I didn’t kill anyone and didn’t endanger anyone’s life. I acted in order to complete the mission and to prevent my soldiers from being harmed.”
However, defence minister Ehud Barak rejected the officer’s arguments. “Completing missions and maintaining army norms and ethics are not mutually exclusive.
“Statements made over the past few days, suggesting that the officer’s behaviour was prompted by operational necessity, are unacceptable.”
Some settlers and rabbis criticised the decision. Avichai Rontzki, a former army chief rabbi, said the dismissal “sent out the wrong message”.
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