Uproar over ex-soldier's Facebook photos

[Cosantor]

Uproar over ex-soldier's Facebook photos
Tuesday, 17 August 2010 09:52



A former Israeli soldier has caused uproar after she posted pictures of herself in front of blindfolded and handcuffed Palestinians on a social networking site.

Eden Abargil appeared mystified by the furore saying on Israel's army radio: 'What's wrong with that? I don't understand.

'There was no violence in the pictures.'

The 20-year-old posted pictures on Facebook showing her smiling and posing in front of three prisoners blindfolded and cuffed, with a caption that said: 'The army, the best time of my life.'

The military slammed Ms Abargil's behaviour.

'This was shameful behaviour by the soldier. In light of the fact that she was discharged last year, all of the details have been turned over to the commanders for further attention,' an official army statement said.

The images were first broadcast on Israeli public television late on Monday, prompting an angry response from rights campaigners.

'This reflects an attitude which has become the norm and consists in treating Palestinians like objects, not like human beings,' said the head of the Israeli Committee Against Torture, Yishai Menuchin.

Story from RTÉ News:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0817/israel.html

[hedgehog]

Another idiot who was never taught the basic NBC Drill;

Never bring cameras

[rod and serpent]

Deep down she`s a blonde

[Craghopper]

Great timing that gurl....

[Victor]

While, admittedly she is posing and rubbing it in, hasn't there been a lot of such footage over the last few years, especially from Iraq and Afghanistan?

[Muzzle]

And they released this 2 days later:

60 Years of Women's Service in the IDF

[faughanballagh]

While, admittedly she is posing and rubbing it in, hasn't there been a lot of such footage over the last few years, especially from Iraq and Afghanistan?

Haven't heard of too many instances where soldiers put up pictures of themselves with detainees on social networking sites. Could be wrong though.

[hedgehog]

Think your wrong there Faugh-

If you dont beleive me ask the lovely Lyndie English and her mates

and there were a couple of RGJ's comrades who found fame and Colchester for their 15 minuets

[faughanballagh]

Think your wrong there Faugh-

If you dont beleive me ask the lovely Lyndie English and her mates

and there were a couple of RGJ's comrades who found fame and Colchester for their 15 minuets

Abu Ghraib occurred before Facebook was even around. I was referring to social networking sites specifically as there's a big difference between pictures getting leaked and people knowingly sticking them on Facebook as if they're nothing.

[hedgehog]

Abu Ghraib occurred before Facebook was even around. I was referring to social networking sites specifically as there's a big difference between pictures getting leaked and people knowingly sticking them on Facebook as if they're nothing.

I see your point

but if facebook had been there - you canbet Lyndie would have put the pics up- likewise Calley would have pictures of himself during his moment of fame and
if FB was around for WW2 you can bet some lad called Heinrich who was a guard at Auswich would have likewise put his pics up with his charges.

Never underestimate the capacity of some clowns to be total idiots-

[Connaught Stranger]

I believe the I.D.F. has a strict policy / rule no military members may post on Face book.

While these pictures in no way reflect what happened at A-G she should have been aware

of the No Face book Rule and handing the opposition a propaganda opportunity.

Connaught Stranger.

[hedgehog]

From todays Irish Times

The last couple of lines is something that Soldiers everywhere should keep as their mottoe;

Army bases have posters reading “Not everyone is your friend on Facebook”.

The Irish Times - Thursday, August 19, 2010More photos of Israeli soldiers with detainees posted to highlight issue
A photograph of former Israeli soldier Eden Abergil posing in front of Palestinian detainees which was posted on Facebook.In this section »
67 missing as Chinese town cut off by landslideFloods 'will not recede before end of month'MARK WEISS in Jerusalem

AN ISRAELI group advocating an end to the occupation in the West Bank has posted new pictures on Facebook of soldiers posing with Palestinian detainees to prove how widespread the phenomenon is.

Breaking the Silence, an organisation that collects testimonies from soldiers serving in the West Bank, uploaded new images including a group of soldiers posing next to a seriously wounded Palestinian lying on the floor and a picture of a soldier pointing a rifle at a prisoner stripped to his underwear.

The organisation said it uploaded the images in an effort to counter claims by Israeli military officials on Tuesday, in which they condemned the pictures posted by a woman soldier, Eden Abergil, but said that her actions were those of a lone soldier and did not represent the norm.

Ms Abergil, who completed her mandatory military service last year, posted pictures of herself smiling next to Palestinian detainees, prompting a wave of criticism in Israel and around the world. She was stripped of her military rank and will not be called up for reserve duty.

Ms Abergil criticised the army’s decision, and claimed the affair had been blown out of proportion and that she had never intended to humiliate Palestinians. “I’m very disappointed with the Israel Defence Forces. The army is ungrateful. I risked my life, got injured; I was a model soldier, and now I wish I never served in this army.”

Ms Abergil claimed that she has received death threats from all over the world since the story broke.

Breaking the Silence called on the Israeli military spokesman not to underestimate the intelligence of the Israeli public and to admit that this is a widespread phenomenon.

Another Israeli human rights group, Machsom Watch, which monitors the behaviour of soldiers at West Bank checkpoints, linked the latest set of photographs to the immorality of 43 years of military occupation.

In an opinion piece on the Ynet news website, Edna Canetti from Machsom Watch wrote: “What makes this case special is its banality, triviality, and ordinariness. She was photographed with cuffed human beings for the hell of it. What caught the attention of the media worldwide was the fact that she felt no shame being photographed like that, and no shame sharing the photos.”

Meanwhile, supporters of Ms Abergil set up a new Facebook page yesterday entitled: “We’re all with Eden Abergil.” They also posted fresh images of troops posing in front of Palestinian prisoners and sent messages of support, describing Ms Abergil as an honest soldier and the victim of a military witch-hunt.

The fact that so many soldiers decide to upload photographs on Facebook and similar sites has created a headache for the Israeli military censor.

Army bases have posters reading “Not everyone is your friend on Facebook”. In March an operation in the West Bank was called off at the last minute after it became known that one of the soldiers had revealed operational details on a social networking site.

.

[GoneToTheCanner]

Pointing a rifle at prisoners? Grinning captors? These sensitive types shouldn't read any WW II history books, then, the lambs. Plenty of pics of future VW/GM/Nissan/MG assemblers being rude to prisoners.....
regards
GttC

[faughanballagh]

I see your point

but if facebook had been there - you canbet Lyndie would have put the pics up- likewise Calley would have pictures of himself during his moment of fame and
if FB was around for WW2 you can bet some lad called Heinrich who was a guard at Auswich would have likewise put his pics up with his charges.

Never underestimate the capacity of some clowns to be total idiots-

I agree

[hedgehog]

I agree

By agreeing with me - you take all the fun away

We should remember we had our own Cecil Bidet Mills

with the faux mowing down a village routine