Clashes broke out in the West Bank city of Hebron on Friday between IDF soldiers and a left-wing activist, resulting in the suspension of the troops.
Activists traveled to the West Bank city to meet with Palestinians following last week's clashes with Israelis during the annual Jewish pilgrimage to Hebron for the reading of a specific Torah portion. One man was reportedly accosted by an Israeli soldier who attempted to detain him.
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IDF Chief of Staff Major General Aviv Kochavi and the soldier involved in the incident
(Photo: Shaul Golan, Twitter)
Videos showed the left-wing activist being pulled into a bus station by a soldier, who then grabbed the activist from behind and threw him to the ground before punching him. Another soldier can be heard cursing at the group of left-wing Israelis.
Shortly after the incident, the Israeli military released a statement condemning the soldier's actions: "The conduct of the soldiers is serious, and the violence used is not consistent with the values of the Israeli military."
Footage of the incident
(Video: Twitter)
According to the IDF, the events will be investigated, and upon completion, the findings will be forwarded to the military attorney's office for examination. The soldiers involved were suspended from operational activity until the end of the investigation.
IDF Chief of Staff Major General Aviv Kochavi also strongly condemned the use of physical or verbal violence by Israeli soldiers. Kohavi concurred that violence is "contrary to the values of the Israeli military."
A separate video from Hebron on Friday showed a soldier from the same squad confronting an activist while mentioning far-right lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir's new role in the upcoming coalition.
“Ben-Gvir will sort things out in this place,” the soldier said. “That’s it, you guys have lost … the fun is over.” Earlier on Friday, it was announced that the lawmaker would take on the role of public security minister, which will be expanded specifically for him.