Israeli High Court Orders Harsher Punishment for Officer Who Ordered the Shooting of a Bound Palestinian with Rubber-Coated Bullet

The Israeli High Court has ordered the Military Advocate General to file more serious charges against an Israel Defense Forces officer who ordered a soldier to shoot a bound Palestinian with a rubber-coated metal bullet. Lt. Col. Omri Burberg, the officer, and Staff Sgt. L., the soldier, were formally charged with “improper conduct” over the incident, a mere misdemeanor.

Ashraf Abu Rahmeh, 27, the victim, and four human rights organizations filed the complaint, demanding charges that reflect the “gravity of the acts.” The Court agreed, finding that “The moral gap between the nature of the act described in the indictment and the manner of evaluation in the indictment – as the offense of ‘improper conduct’ – is so deep that it cannot stand.” Justice Procaccia wrote that “[s]taging such scare tactics toward a bound, handcuffed and blindfolded man indicates a deep deviation from the moral norms that all IDF soldiers, and especially senior commanders, are obligated to uphold.”

Some Israeli commentators took away a curious lesson from the outrageous incident: complaining that Palestinians should not be given cameras, here.

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