BBC film: Israeli troops accused of abusing children

[Iqbal Tamimi]

2009/08/05


[RAMALLAH, 6 August 2009] - Yesterday, 5 August, the BBC released a short film exposing the abuse and violent ill-treatment of Palestinian children by Israeli soldiers.

The film focuses on the the "brutal" process of arrest following West Bank demonstrations against the occupation, in which many Palestinian children throw stones. A boy who was 13 years old when he was arrested is interviewed by the BBC team and testifies: "They dragged me from my home by the scruff of the neck, choking me. My mum was screaming. They beat me with their guns and kicked me all the way to the jeep. They cuffed my hands and legs, blindfolded me, and left me there for 24 hours."

A former Israeli military commander is also interviewed and tells the BBC: "Nobody's thinking about them as a kid, you know. If there's someone there blindfolded and handcuffed, he's probably done something really bad. So it's ok to slap him, it's ok to spit on him, it's ok to... kick him" .

Watch the 3-minute video here

DCI-Palestine briefed the BBC team while they were researching the topic of the film. Our most recent report on Palestinian child prisoners focused on the systematic and institutionalised ill-treatment and torture of Palestinian children detained by Israeli authorities (link below).

Additional information:

* Read DCI-Palestine's Report: Palestinian Child Prisoners: The systematic and institutionalised ill-treatment and torture of Palestinian children by Israeli authorities (11 June 2009)

* Read the statement issued by UN agencies, International NGOs, and Israeli/Palestinian organisations in support of DCI-Palestine's report (9 June 2009)

* Read The Independent article , "Bound, blindfolded, beaten by Israeli troops" (9 June 2009) - Children among Palestinian detainees abused during West Bank operation, according to soldiers' confessions

* Read the UN Committee Against Torture's recommendations to Israel (May 2009)

[abdulbari alzubaidi]

No one will be indicted by the Hague ?

[pam hardyment]

Nobody does anything? I just heard this on BBC Radio, so where's the outcry, it is truly shocking.

[Tali]

This has been happening for the last month in Bil'in. Children detained at night. Arresting children, of course, is nothing new. More info on the raids can be found at http://www.bilin-ffj.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

[Barbara Lee]

It is true they do not think of them as children. With typical Talmudic arrogance, they believe if you are old enough to have had your Bar or Bat Mitzvah, you are an adult because apparently that is when they consider their own to be adult. However, I have not seen too many of these young adults treated as more than the kids they are. So I suppose this is only applied to the children of Gentiles. I have come across this rationalization for teen/child abuse in quite a few interviews with ex IDF.

Besides, they think of Gentile children as demons so what would you expect?

I am amazed the BBC did this. It is run by the Rothschilds which is why they refused to grant Palestine time for charity help... which is what led to the creation of the Viva Palestina movement! Apparently the blooded Rothschild wife of the Head honcho is, surprise surprise EXTREMELY Zionist.Guess this director's work slipped by her radar.

[Jacqueline O'Sullivan]

It is sad to say but it looks to me as if all these attrocites done by Israelis to the Palestinians are being swept under the carpet and the "powers that be" are actually turning a blind eye!!! What is to be done??? Blessings

[Cliff Hanley]

Well, this is dreadful, but it has been going on for years. I wonder why the BBC has suddenly noticed it.

[Maggie Allen]

It`s ok to kick children and spit on them, says the Israeli......
No. definately NO....is my reply to him. It is NOT ok to kick anyone, or to spit on them....these are young boys, throwing stones....of course it is better for them if they do not throw stones...however; most young boys/girls the world over would do the same in their position.
They want the soldiers, the Israelis (the invaders) out. They feel that this is a way for them to show their frustration and also to make them feel they are doing `something`...these young children are powerless against tanks and guns....
What can these young people do? For them to be arrested, especially in the middle of the night, must be absolutely frightening. Shame on the Israelis, once again they ignore international voices of reason and legality. Thousands of Palestinians have been imprisoned since 1967, including 350 children....three hundred and fifty children too much. relatives of the ones imprisoned suffer abuse from the Israeli guards when and if they ever get to visit their loved ones....shame on Israel, shame, shame , shame

[Maggie Allen]

It maybe suits them at this time....there must be something they want from it...a lot of the managers at the BBC are Jewish I hear.....that` explains why they would not make a public appeal for help for the people of Gaza.

Cliff Hanley said:

Well, this is dreadful, but it has been going on for years. I wonder why the BBC has suddenly noticed it.

[Maggie Allen]

So not in line with Nathan Rothchild, who according to Harold Wilson`s book `The Chariot of Israel`....Mr Rothchild did not want to see the making of a Jewish state. He could see this would be unwise, and would give rise to exactly what is going on in Israel now. However, pressures of other Zionist Jews and sympathisers, and actual physical threats to those that were against an Israel state were how Israel was born. So basically bullying tactics and the false assumption that these Jews are a `chosen people` lead to the state of Israel....Many many Jews are against the war on Gaza, and we have only to admire these ones for their brave stance. God chooses no one who kills another person, indeed the 6th commandent says: Thous shall not kill. According to what I have read in the Bible, God did choose Jews for a certain purpose, for securing Jesus`s bloodline. But this came with a mandate, that this was the case only as long as the Jews kept Gods laws, which the world knows, they have not. Jews who know the Old Testament, know that they are an exiled people, therefore God-loving, God-fearing Jews want nothing of this illegal occupation.


Barbara Lee said:

It is true they do not think of them as children. With typical Talmudic arrogance, they believe if you are old enough to have had your Bar or Bat Mitzvah, you are an adult because apparently that is when they consider their own to be adult. However, I have not seen too many of these young adults treated as more than the kids they are. So I suppose this is only applied to the children of Gentiles. I have come across this rationalization for teen/child abuse in quite a few interviews with ex IDF.

Besides, they think of Gentile children as demons so what would you expect?

I am amazed the BBC did this. It is run by the Rothschilds which is why they refused to grant Palestine time for charity help... which is what led to the creation of the Viva Palestina movement! Apparently the blooded Rothschild wife of the Head honcho is, surprise surprise EXTREMELY Zionist.Guess this director's work slipped by her radar.

[Maggie Allen]

Yes Pam I agree, of course many protest, but we need to write letters and petition etc., I`m with you, so what can we do....indeed , we know we can do something, whilst we are alive. Maybe writing to the UK government for myself, where I live. And maybe too, the Israeli embassies, also the United Nations, Amnesty International, etc., remember, Joanna Lumley just got the Ghurkas to be able to live in the UK.....if we get a celebrity on our side....it could help a lot. : )

pam hardyment said:

Nobody does anything? I just heard this on BBC Radio, so where's the outcry, it is truly shocking.

[Iqbal Tamimi]

I do not know what to say, I have been writing to the British government, I have done so many timesm you can't believe the responses I got...British government is 'committed to the safety of Israel', and see that Israel has the right to protect itself from those children and build walls, the funniest part is about the arming subject...they do not see that imposing a ban on exporting arms to Israel is necessary. Please go to my file of Media Pictures and read the last 3 pages I have scanned after I receieved from the Commonwealth Office. and maybe you will find the ones before. I have trouble not being able to copy paste the content because it is a scanned letter, but you can see for yourself where UK stand...unfortunately the government is not representing the British people which they should. I have never yet met any British citizen who is not furious regarding the government's stand of Palestine, arms, and children's treatment.

http://www.palestinianmothers.com/photo/scan0001-1?context=user

http://www.palestinianmothers.com/photo/scan0002-2?context=user

Maggie Allen said:

Yes Pam I agree, of course many protest, but we need to write letters and petition etc., I`m with you, so what can we do....indeed , we know we can do something, whilst we are alive. Maybe writing to the UK government for myself, where I live. And maybe too, the Israeli embassies, also the United Nations, Amnesty International, etc., remember, Joanna Lumley just got the Ghurkas to be able to live in the UK.....if we get a celebrity on our side....it could help a lot. : )
pam hardyment said:

Nobody does anything? I just heard this on BBC Radio, so where's the outcry, it is truly shocking.

[Al-Khansa]

This is nothing short of the deumanisation of Palestinian children.
If this were Israeli children the world would be screaming for Palestinian blood.....
But all we here is the sounds of silence.......
The worlds silence is their complicit agree to to what is happening.It disgusting........