IDF soldier posts images of blindfold Palestinians on Facebook, from 'best time of my life'

[azurnoir]

A former Israel Defense Forces soldier has raised a storm on the internet after posting photographs of herself posing next to blindfold Palestinian prisoners on Facebook.

<snip>

Because Eden was discharged a year ago, the army has no power to prevent her from publicizing the photographs.

The pictures have since been removed from the site - but not before being duplicated across the web by a variety of bloggers and news sites.

The IDF said in a statement: "These actions are ugly and callous; details of the incident have been forwarded up the chain of command."

Israeli blogger Lisa Goldman contacted the former soldier via Facebook, who replied: "I don't speak to leftists."

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/idf-soldier-posts-images-of-blindfold-palestinians-on-facebook-from-best-time-of-my-life-1.308402

[pleah]

1. K&R

[shaayecanaan]

2. those photos have spread like fire...

They're in the newspapers here, and all across the web.

http://reider.wordpress.com/2010/08/16/the-best-years-of-her-life-fond-memories-of-blindfolded-prisoners/

Not a bad looking girl I suppose although something strange is happening with her hairline. She does look a bit frumpy below the neck as well. I can't imagine she'll be doing much travel in the near future.

[IndianaGreen]

3. The IDF version of Abu Ghraib's Lynndie England and Charles Graner

At least we don't claim to have "the most moral army in the world."

[Shaktimaan]

18. This is hardly similar to what happened with those two.

The similarities between these instances only serve to highlight the vast differences.
This girl was acting young and stupid. Those two US soldiers were torturing people.

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. Smiling Israeli soldier posed with bound Arab, posted pics on Facebook

Edited to remove images to allow post to remain in I/P forum. Lithos DU Moderator

On Facebook: Israeli soldier posed with bound Arab
By DIAA HADID, Associated Press Writer

Associated Press August 16, 2010 05:40 PM

A former Israeli soldier posted photos on Facebook of herself in uniform smiling beside bound and blindfolded Palestinian prisoners, drawing sharp criticism Monday from the Israeli military and Palestinian officials.

Israeli news websites and blogs showed two photographs of the woman. In one, she is sitting legs crossed beside a blindfolded Palestinian man who is slumped against a concrete barrier. His face is turned downwards, while she leans toward him with her face upturned. Another shows her smiling at the camera with three Palestinian men with bound hands and blindfolds behind her.

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"These are disgraceful photos," said Capt. Barak Raz, an Israeli military spokesman. "Aside from matters of information security, we are talking about a serious violation of our morals and our ethical code and should this soldier be serving in active duty today, I would imagine that no doubt she would be court-martialed immediately," he told Associated Press Television News.

It was not clear whether the army could punish the woman, because she has finished her compulsory military service.

The comments by the woman and her friend in an exchange below one photograph suggested how casually the picture was treated, including jokes and sexual innuendoes.

"You're the sexiest like that," her friend wrote.

"I wonder if he's got Facebook!" the woman in the photograph responded. "I have to tag him in the picture!"

Aberjil did not respond to reporters' questions Monday.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/08/16/international/i094502D47.DTL#ixzz0wox29xaM

[rocktivity]

5. Lynndie England, eat your heart out!

:eyes:
rocktivity

[shaayecanaan]

8. I think this is ripe ground for a "Summer of 69/best days of my life" parody -nt-

[Fumesucker]

6. They have clothes on ..

No electrodes attached to their genitals.

And they are not on leashes..

USA.. Still numbah one!!!

[Brooklyns_Finest]

7. She's kind of cute

People need to really learn to keep their "special" pictures offline! I made it a point not have a facebook, twitter, myspace, linkedin and the sort. I also try to avoid being in pictures where friends are acting silly.

Watching CNN, they are suggesting that the Isreali military make an example of her.

[shaayecanaan]

9. Her friend is a lot hotter than her...

the girl on the phone I mean, not the old Arab grandpa, who by the way must be bloody fast off the mark in order to justify being blindfolded and handcuffed.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[PDJane]

11. They may deny it,

but the evidence proves otherwise.

[Bobbieo]

12. That woman appears to have some serious problems! Am glad she was with

the Israeli Army. We had one of our own, Lyndee something and one is more than enough.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Arrowhead2k1]

14. Just an isolated incident I'm sure...

:sarcasm:

[MilesColtrane]

15. Rank amateurs compared to Abu Ghraib.

She's merely a Lynndie England wannabe.

The U.S. still holds the title.

WE'RE NUMBER 1! WE'RE NUMBER 1!

(on edit: I see this was quickly shunted off of Latest Breaking News)

[whosinpower]

16. IDF facebook photos are the norm

http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=185045

In a Facebook group titled "the norm that IDF spokesman Avi Benayahu denies," the organization writes: "Unsurprisingly, the IDF spokesman released a 'shocked' statement saying that this is the 'shameless and ugly behavior of one soldier.' This picture is not the ugly behavior of one person, but a norm throughout the army...that is a result of military rule over a civilian population over a long time."

Breaking the Silence collects testimonies of soldiers who served in the West Bank, that discuss cases of abuse towards Palestinians. The organization describes its goal as to "portray a different and grim picture of questionable orders in many areas regarding Palestinian civilians."

[azurnoir]

17. Facebook scandal escalates as group posts new photos (Breaking the Silence)

An Israeli human rights group has released pictures of Israeli soldiers and border guards alongside blindfolded and handcuffed Palestinian detainees -- some of them dead.

Breaking the Silence set up a group on Facebook entitled "the norm denied by Avi Benayahu," an Israeli military spokesman who described the recent release of photographs by an ex-soldier next to detainees as exceptional.

"The new campaign came into being in the wake of the publication of Eden Abergil's photos, in order to show the prevalence of this phenomenon among IDF ranks," Breaking the Silence said in a statement to the Israeli news site Ynet.

"The photographs that had been published are merely the tip of the iceberg. Many people possess thousands of photos, but only a small part is being published … we turned Eden into a scapegoat, while the norm is what needs to be targeted."

<snip>

"Occupation is unjust, immoral and, as these pictures show, corrupting. It should end and Palestinian rights and dignity be respected. We call upon all human rights defenders to make all efforts to end the Israeli occupation and close this dark era for humanity," the statement added.

http://maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=308772