An IDF soldier has been commended after intervening to protect a Palestinian civilian from being attacked by Israeli settler youths in the West Bank city of Hebron, in an incident that has received significant coverage in Israel.
The video of the Golani Brigade soldier running to defend the 31-year old Palestinian man being attacked on Friday night has gone viral. The soldier shouted at the attackers and then escorted him to safety and rebuffed further violence. Four Israelis have been arrested following the incident under suspicion of involvement in the incident.
The man, Ibrahim Bader, said he was walking down a street when he was assaulted by settlers. Local Jewish residents claim the man had been involved in a violent incident that was not seen on the video. The Israeli Army reported that there had been “friction” between Israelis and Palestinians on Friday evening with rock throwing and Molotov cocktails.
IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi said the soldier had “behaved as is expected of any soldier” and stated that it is “committed to the safety of civilians anywhere it operates”.
Defence Minister Benny Gantz praised the soldier for his actions and called for an investigation into the incident.
The IDF and Israeli Police have issued a joint statement noting that “nationalistic violence is a crime that must be prevented, denounced and dealt with full”.
The Palestinian victim told Israel’s Kan news that he wished to “thank the soldier who helped me and kept them away from me”, adding “God sent him”.
Hebron, a West Bank city, has a history as being a flashpoint for tensions and violence. Since 1997, the city has been divided into separate communities: the Palestinian-controlled H1 area, which comprises around 80% of the city, and the Israeli-controlled H2 neighbourhood. Friday’s incident reportedly occurred in the Israeli-controlled part of the city.
