Ex-Israeli soldier in trouble

A picture taken from the Israeli blog site sachim.tumblr.com shows Eden Aberjil posing in front of blindfolded men identified as Palestinian prisoners. Photo: AFP

A former Israeli soldier who posted pictures on Facebook of herself in front of blindfolded and handcuffed Palestinians appeared mystified Tuesday by the uproar.

"What's wrong with that? I don't understand," Eden Abergil told Israel's army radio.

Abergil posted pictures on her Facebook site 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 incident drew a sharp response from the military, which slammed the pictures as "shameful behavior" and said officials would be looking into the actions of the woman, who left the military last year.

It was also denounced by the Palestinians, with Ghassan Khatib, a spokesman for the Palestinian Authority, saying the images showed how the occupation was corrupting Israelis.

"This shows the mentality of the occupier, to be proud of humiliating Palestinians," he said in a statement. "There is nothing in the world that can justify this humiliation that is part of the Israeli occupation practices on a daily basis."

All three pictures appear to have been removed from Facebook but are widely available online.

"I was photographed innocently, naively, without any political significance. There was no violence - it was just about the good experience of being in the army, that's all," Abergil said.

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

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

AFP