Warning – PG: Recommended for mature audiences only.

Israeli Soldiers Bare All In South Hebron Hills:

Soldiers Expose themselves to Palestinian Shepherds as Part of Ongoing Harassment

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Friday, January 12 2008, soldiers from the Israeli Army displayed their buttocks in an exhibition known colloquially as "mooning" to a Palestinian shepherd and two international volunteers from Christian Peacemaker Teams. The incident was insult to injury as it occurred immediately after settlers from the illegal Israeli settlement outpost of Havat Ma'on, accompanied by Israeli soldiers, pushed the shepherd and his flock off the land.

A shepherd from the Palestinian village of Tuba in the South Hebron Hills was grazing his flock in fields several hundred meters south of Havat Ma'on, an illegal Israeli outpost, when settlers from the outpost approached in a white car. Settlers from the outpost are well known in the area for their attacks on both local Palestinian shepherds and farmers and on Palestinian children walking to school. More settlers arrived, along with a jeep of Israeli soldiers, causing the shepherd to move back to a safer location. The soldiers informed the international volunteers accompanying the shepherd that the shepherd was not permitted to graze on the land, despite the fact that the outpost is illegal and the Israeli Army itself had previously issued a demolition order for Havat Ma'on. That order has never been carried out.

Despite the fact that the shepherd moved farther down the valley, the soldiers and a settler security guard followed him. Not content at having pushed the shepherd back, before leaving, two soldiers dropped their pants and displayed their buttocks to the shepherd and the international volunteers in a lewd, insulting manner.

The incident was part of ongoing harassment in the area of Palestinian shepherds by Israeli settlers and security forces. The following day, settlers from the outpost fired six shots at the shepherds. (see shooting release) The police did not respond to that incident. The day after the shooting, Sunday January 14, settlers armed with clubs came at the shepherds to once again push them off the land. On Monday January 15, Israeli soldiers threatened shepherds with arrest. Their efforts are part of an ongoing process of illegal settlement expansion in the area.

Raw footage is available by request. For more information, contact CPT-Tuwani at 0542531323

Update: According to Ynetnews… On Sunday, the soldiers were sentenced to 21 days incarceration in a military prison and suspended from operational duty until further notice.