The attacked soldier
Druze soldier beaten into unconsciousness by fellow servicemen, family says
Family of Druze soldier accuses two fellow soldiers of assaulting him, then beating him again for refusing to keep silent; family accuses base commander of failing to have soldier taken to hospital; IDF: 'CID investigation underway.'
A Druze soldier was attacked by fellow soldiers this past Wednesday in a base in northern Israel where he's stationed, his family said in a Facebook post.
The IDF confirmed the soldier was beaten and said, "A Criminal Investigation Division (CID) inquiry is underway. We denounce any incidences of violence."
"He was savagely kicked and punched by two soldiers for refusing to vacate his dorm. The following day, they attacked him again, until he lost consciousness and lay prone, bleeding and humiliated on the ground," his family wrote and accompanied the post with photos they said showed the aftermath of the beating.
The assaulted Druze soldier
The Facebook posting read, "The photo you see here was not taken at the scene of a terrorist attack, not in (Jerusalem's) Damascus Gate and not in a kasbah (old city) in the territories. The soldier depicted in the photo was savagely attacked in his base by two soldiers—two criminals in uniform."
"He was beaten by two fellow soldiers for refusing to vacate his bedroom. He was attacked with chairs and mops being thrown at him and with kicks and punches. The soldier felt like the attack may kill him, but luckily other soldiers and officers nearby stopped the attack, or who knows how it might have ended," the post said.
The soldier is hospital
The soldier's family also voiced their displeasure with the base commander. "After the violent attack, the soldier complained of intense pains and asked to be taken in for a medical examination. In response, the base commander, an officer in the rank of lieutenant colonel, refused to have the soldier taken in a military vehicle and said he was welcomed to leave on his own. Four hours later—four hours of intense pain—the base commander finally acquiesced to take him to an emergency room," they accused.
"After a long battery of tests taking about four hours, doctors recommended the soldier be sent home for a five-day rest. The tests concluded at 2 am and the soldier could not travel home on his own. His commander adamantly refused to take him home themselves, despite the fact he only lives 10 minutes away from the base.
"Without any other choice, he returned to base until buses resumed in the morning. Throughout this entire time, from the moment he was attacked and until the following morning, the attacking soldiers were not dealt with in any fashion, and remained on-base with their victim."
Soldier was left lying bleeding on the ground, his family said
"And it didn't even stop there. The following morning, when the soldier was preparing to leave for home, his attackers threatened him and hurt him again. They demanded he remained silent on the incident, so they could get away with it, and said if he refused they would hurt him even more, this time off-base.
"Since the soldier refused to keep silent, they then hurt him again. This time they would not relent until he was left unconscious on the ground in front of all of the base's soldiers and officers. He was taken to a hospital again, this time with fractures to his nose, hemorrhages in his head and face and bruises. Had the attackers been dealt with in time, it could all have been prevented," the family claimed.
Soldier's bloodied uniform
Concluding the post, the family wrote, "The soldier is at home now, recuperating and receiving support from his family following the trauma he had undergone. And the attackers? They were sent home, to celebrate Hanukkah and have fun on Shabbat. This is unheard of. One of our soldiers, attacked without doing anything wrong, spends the weekend shuttling between hospitals while his attackers face no disciplinary action and are released home."
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit responded, "A violent incident took place this past Thursday, when two soldiers attacked another soldier in a base in the north. The soldier's commanders took him to a hospital for medical attention and informed CID. The IDF denounces any incidences of violence, and any such events are dealt with harshly. A CID investigation is underway."
