News
IDF imprisons soldiers guilty of Facebook incitement
Israel’s army moved swiftly yesterday to punish soldiers who had taken to social media to call for revenge following the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers.
The bodies of Eyal Yifrah, 19, Gilad Shaer, 16 and Naftali Frenkel, 16 were discovered on Monday, bringing to a close an ordeal which had gripped the country. However, it sparked calls by some on social media for vengeance. It is feared that the murder of a Palestinian teenager on Wednesday may have been an act of revenge.
The IDF took decisive action yesterday to quell social media incitement by sentencing four soldiers to ten days imprisonment for posting pictures on Facebook of themselves calling for revenge. The IDF Spokesman’s Office said “This is a grave incident that is inconsistent with what is expected of soldiers in the Israel Defence Forces,” adding “Any such incident that commanders learn of will be treated with the utmost severity.”
At the same time, the Justice Ministry announced it would investigate the online “publication of incitement to violence and racism,” following a request by Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein and State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan. The Justice Ministry said “The State Prosecutor’s Office and the police view such incitement extremely seriously, whether it is targeted at Jews or Arabs. A criminal investigation will be opened.”
Meanwhile, President Shimon Peres also released a statement yesterday, saying “People who are engaged in incitement are not always aware where it can lead, to more sorrow, to more dangers. It’s time for all of us to show restraint, to show understanding.” Peres’ successor, President-elect Reuven Rivlin said yesterday that it “is not enough” for the majority of Israelis to be horrified by incitement and racism and that they must speak out against it too.
In Tel Aviv yesterday evening, an estimated 3,000 Israelis gathered to demand greater tolerance under the slogan “no to revenge, no to escalation.” A number of MKs from left-wing parties plus Hatnuah MK Amram Mitzna spoke at the rally.